“The Aldobrandini Marriage,” one of the works featured in “Rome: The Painting of an Empire.”

ROME — Painting was more prized than sculpture by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and easel paintings more than frescoes, which were considered essentially decorative. Yet not a single easel painting of the kind described by Pliny the Elder in his encyclopedic “Natural History” of the first century A.D. has come down to us. Accordingly, when it comes to understanding Roman painting, we are seemingly doomed to be equipped with only half the story.

An international group of experts led by Eugenio La Rocca has now confronted this obstacle in the exhibition “Rome: The Painting of an Empire” by bringing together over 100 of the finest and most characteristic surviving examples of Roman painting, the majority of them frescoes, but suggesting a broader picture of painting in the ancient world despite the losses. Spanning more than four centuries, these works illustrate the principal genres, from mythological, religious and landscape painting to still life, the nude and portraiture, offering a panoramic view of unusual scope for a single exhibition.

While we do not have actual examples of ancient easel paintings, they appear in a number of frescoes. In the first room of the show, a mural from the House of the Criptoportico in Pompeii contains two of them — a religious scene and a still life of a basket of fruit and a live cockerel — with trompe l’oeil wooden doors folded back to reveal the images. Also here are some classic examples of mythological scenes — episodes from Homer’s “Odyssey” — from Rome and Pompeii, which display skillful handling of landscape and figure painting. Notably the artists have included shadows of figures and trees, a feature more common than often thought.

Julius Caesar is credited with starting the fashion for fine art exhibitions in public places and by the first century A.D. there were hundreds of works by famous Greek artists in the capital. Pliny the Elder certainly had the opportunity to study the paintings of more than 30 Greek artists he mentions in his “Natural History.” Although fresco painting may have been considered more of a craft than an art, many of the practitioners were Greek and the most sophisticated of them undoubtedly drew inspiration from now lost easel paintings.

Landscape was a constant presence in Roman painting. Vitruvius lists as typical elements: “ports, promontories, sea coasts, rivers, fountains, straits, groves, mountains, cattle and shepherds.” Pliny attributed the invention of this genre of painting to Studius (or Ludius), although rather than inventing it, he seems to have brought it to a new perfection. This artist could very well have been responsible for the marvelous landscapes found at Villa della Farnesina on the banks of the Tiber, and substantial sections of them can be seen here.

Painted alternatively on plain white and black backgrounds, framed by exquisitely delicate trompe l’oeil decorative architecture, the landscapes, buildings, human and animal images are sketched with deft Impressionistic brush strokes in pastel colors, creating an almost dream-like effect. These once adorned corridors and the walls of a dining room. The excellent lighting provided by the exhibition makes the frescoes rewardingly legible, but when seen by the flickering light of oil lamps in their original setting, they would perhaps have been even more elusively magical.

Tranquil landscape views came to reflect the peace and prosperity brought by the Emperor Augustus and his successors after decades of civil strife earlier in the first century B.C. This was also echoed in the popularity of still life images of abundant fruit, fish and fowl, another Greek genre that had its origins in the “xenia,” the array of welcoming fruits graciously presented to guests.

Even more exuberant were the frescoes of Dionysus, often decorating dining rooms, celebrating food, wine and a convivial world of hedonistic myth. Mythological scenes could also be the occasion for the depiction of comely nude forms, some refined versions of which are on display here.

Much of what has been unearthed in the Vesuvian towns and plain was commissioned by only moderately well-off patrons and this is reflected in the modest level of the art. A stunning exception here is a more elaborate public painting from Herculaneum, a mythological scene of Hercules — the town’s titular deity — and his son Telephus, for an Augusteum, or temple to the cult of the emperor. The model was evidently a Hellenic work from Pergamum and the sculptural quality of the figures, the elegant drapery, the command of detail and indeed the whole composition, give a tantalizing idea of what the best of ancient easel painting must have been like. Such standards were not reached again until the Renaissance.

The physiognomies of the protagonists of the Herculaneum fresco are clearly stylized, as befitted an allegorical image. But we know from literary sources how important was the making of more personal likenesses in the Roman imperial world. A remarkable survival of this portraiture is represented by the Fayyum mummy images from Egypt, pictures painted on wood, subsequently placed over the faces of their embalmed subjects. Preserved intact by the desert conditions, some of the most outstanding examples of these from European collections are on loan here.

The Fayyum portraits were painted in Egypt over a period of four centuries, but their subjects were consistently self-conscious members of the Roman imperial elite (including administrators, shipowners and senior military officers), as is demonstrated by their dress, jewelry and hairstyles — all following the fashions of the ruling family and the upper echelons of Roman society. That this high level of portraiture, unequaled until the Renaissance, was not just a local phenomenon, is supported by the presence here of some very rare miniatures from the Italian peninsula itself, preserved because they were engraved and painted on gold and encased in glass.

Rome. The Painting of an Empire. Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome. Through Jan. 17.

Original article found at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/arts/07iht-conway.html

A Day in Pompeii will be on display at Melbourne Museum from 26 June to 11 October 2009.

The Museum Victoria Web site has a link to a location for online ticket purchases however the link seems to be kaput! 

A Day in Pompeii

2009 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces

An exhibition depicting the daily life of one of the world’s most extraordinary cities: Pompeii.

“A fearful black cloud was rent by forked and quivering bursts of flame . . . darkness fell . . . as if a lamp had been put out in a dark room.”  Eyewitness account, Pliny the Younger.

On August 24, A.D. 79, the Roman city of Pompeii was buried by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The very debris and ash that so suddenly and violently ended life in Pompeii also encased the city in a virtual time capsule. As a result, Pompeii is today one of the most complete and intact archaeological sites in the world.

A Day in Pompeii takes visitors back in time to experience life and death in this cosmopolitan city. The exhibition features hundreds of exceptional objects that laid buried in Pompeii’s ruins for over 17 centuries. Included are room-size frescoes, marble and bronze sculptures, jewellery, gold coins and everyday household items – all of which evoke the richness and culture of daily life in the Roman Empire’s favourite vacation resort.

Most poignant and dramatic, however, are the body casts of the volcano’s victims, frozen in their last moments: a couple in their final embrace, a man clutching a cloth to his mouth, a fleeing slave with his ankle manacle still in place, a dog struggling on its chain.

Melbourne Winter Masterpieces is a Victorian Government initiative and is exclusive to Melbourne, Australia.

Presented in association with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei.

An important member of the Roman Eagles Forum, Lambruscius Potator has recently been sending me some image scans of Julius Caesar related coins. These scans are simply wonderful and the accompanying text is priceless, I simply had to add these to the main page of the Blog…Enjoy!

	Caius Julius Caesar 47-46 B.C. Minted in Africa. Obv. Venus Rev. Aeneas carrying his father, Anchises, on his shoulder and the Palladium in his right hand. Struck to pay for the campaign in Africa against the remnants of the Pompeians or Optimates who had fled there after the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 B.C. The Optimates, under the command of Pompey’s father in law, Quintus Metellus Scipio, were defeated at the Battle of Thapsus in 46 B.C. The symbolism of this piece is significant. The Julii gens claimed descent from Venus, a not unusual lapse of modesty among the Roman aristocracy. Anchises, a prince of Troy, was considered to be so pious by Venus that she decided to have sex with him. The resulting off-spring was Aeneas, one of the heroes of the Trojan War. Aeneas escaped from burning Troy carrying his aged father and the sacred symbol of Troy, the Palladium – a wooden statue of Pallas Athena – and, according to some versions, with his son Ascanius (also known as Iulus). After many adventures, Aeneas arrived in Italy with his followers and, after a war, married Lavinia, daughter of the Latin king and founded Lavinium. Some decades later, Iulus would found and become the first King of Alba Longa. His ultimate descendants would be Romulus and Remus. This is basically the wonderful version by Titus Livius written under Augustus. Livy makes Iulus son of Aeneas and Lavinia. Other versions of the story exist. The Palladium was said to be stored in the Temple of Vesta and later taken to Constantinople by Constantine to be eventually buried under his Column in the Forum there. The Julii came originally from Lavinium. Claiming descent from Iulus, they therefore became descendants of Venus. Aeneas was also associated with piety like his father, so Caesar is making a reference to his also being a “good bloke”, something he did more emphatically on a coin issued about two years earlier. This coin provides a visual record of the story which Livy would later immortalize. The message would have been well understood by Caesar’s soldiers.
	Denarius of Caius Julius Caesar struck between July 48 and July 47 B.C. The female head on the obverse is often considered to be the personification of Pietas. The LII is believed to state Caesar’s age of 52 at the time this was struck. The reverse is a victory trophy erected after a battle depicting Gallic clothes, weapons and battle horn (carnyx). Caesar is referring to his being a nice person and a good leader as he has slaughtered several hundred thousand inhabitants of Gaul in the name of border security. This piece may have been struck on silver taken from the aerarium (public treasury) in the Temple of Saturn in Rome (it was also struck in gold, an Aureus). When Caesar crossed the Rubicon River on 12 January 49 B.C. he thus left the precincts of his Province without senatorial permission. This was an act of treason. Caesar’s public excuse was that he was acting to defend the two Tribunes of the People (one of whom was Marc Antony) who had fled Rome to escape violence at the hands of the Optimate Senators. The person of the Tribune of the People was considered inviolate and citizens were sworn to defend it. Arriving in Rome, abandoned by the Optimates faction of the Senate, Caesar went to the Temple of Saturn and when trying to enter, found his way blocked by a Tribune of the People. Caesar brushed him aside, thus violating his person and being a little hypocritical in the process. The fleeing senators had left without the gold and silver bullion stored in the Temple.
	As or Dupondius (double as) of Caius Julius Caesar about 45 B.C. The obverse is a bust of Victory. The inscription, CAESAR DIC TER (Caesar dictator tertium) records his third appointment as Dictator. The reverse portrays Minerva walking with her accoutrements (spears, shield decorated with Gorgon head) also carrying a Trophy on her shoulder. An erect snake is at her feet. The inscription C. CLOVI PRAEF is the name of the issuer. Issued by the Praefect Caius Clovius. Clovius may have been one of the Praefecti urbi appointed by Caesar in 46 to administer Rome while he was absent in Spain mopping up the Optimates. Another theory is that he was Praefectus classis and served as one of Caesar’s officers during the campaign in Spain. If the former is correct, the coin was probably issued in Rome, if the latter, Spain. Because of the types on the coin, it possibly commemorated Caesar’s Triumph in 45 B.C. on his return from Spain and would have been struck in Rome. The debate continues. Clovius is first recorded in 44 B.C. as governor of Gisalpine Gaul in a letter from Cicero. He was also Consul suffectus (replacement Consul for someone who didn’t complete their year of office) under Augustus in 29 B.C. The piece is sometimes referred to as a dupondius in catalogues under the assumption that it may have been circulated as a double As because of the unusual gold appearance of the metal. The metal is sometimes referred to as orichalcum in catalogues. Orichalcum is a mixture of gold and copper. It may simply be brass which was to become common under the early Empire; I am not aware of any metrological study being done on the issue.

Recently I was most happy to receive a letter from a dear acquaintance of mine, one who has a deep affection for Roman history and culture. In it he informs me of “inaccuracies” that abound within a recent article from “The Age” newspaper. See below.

Battlefield relics could rewrite Roman history

Allan Hall, Berlin
December 18, 2008

ARCHAEOLOGISTS say the history books about Roman legions in Europe will have to be revised following the “sensational” discovery of a battlefield in northern Germany this week.

Arrowheads, axes, catapults, spears, coins and lucky charms of the centurions of Rome

who clashed with the Hun tribesmen in the 3rd century AD have been found in a forest. The clash of arms, say experts, would have resembled those portrayed in the Russell Crowe epic Gladiator.

Six hundred artefacts have been dug up so far in what archaeologists are calling “the find of the century”.

The detritus of war lies in a patch of land near Northeim, about 50 kilometres from Hanover. The spear tips and arrowheads have the DNA of their victims on them, centuries after they died in a ferocious battle.

What makes the find unique is that it shows Roman armies in action long after the last clash — the great battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD9 when Arminius annihilated three of the seven legions of Rome — was thought to have occurred.

“Evidently the Romans and Germans fought a bloody battle in the third century AD,” said archaeologist Petra Loenne. “Some 1000 Roman legionnaires may have been involved in the fight.”

Intriguingly, the find includes more than 300 iron projectiles that were fired by powerful Roman torsion weapons known as scorpions, which could catapult heavy darts with a high velocity and deadly accuracy.

It had a range of 300 metres and was portrayed in the opening battle scene of Gladiator.

“The bolts were found densely clustered,” said archaeologist Henning Hassmann.

“The discovery of the battlefield is so significant because it appears to refute the assumption that the Romans withdrew from Germania after their defeat by an alliance of Germanic tribes at the battle of the Teutoburg Forest,” he said.

Many of the weapons found are in good condition and they prove that Roman armies were still engaging in major military operations far north of the Alps at a time when the Roman Empire was in terminal decline.

“The find can be dated to the third century and will definitely change the historical perception of that time,” Dr Hassmann said.

My friend is quite passionate about how history is reported, especially with regard to ancient Roma and he has written an open letter which I have published below.

Dear Editor -
This is not a “letter” as such but a response to various factual inaccuracies in a recent article - “Battlefield relics could rewrite Roman History”. As a Roman historian I am keen to see this vital area of Western History accurately reported - Something your journalist, Allan Hall, failed to do.

In paragraph 2, Hall mentions “Arrowheads, axes, etc of the centurions of Rome who clashed with
Hun tribesmen”. As these finds were made in Germany and date to the 3rd Century, Huns - who were Asiatics who did not burst into Europe for another 200 years or more, would not have been involved. (Germans - despite Allied war propaganda, are in no way related to the Huns.)

Midway into the article Hall refers to the Arminius disaster, claiming that “3 of the 7 legions of Rome” were wiped out. A legion numbered 6000 men - at full strength. At the time in question Rome had some 30 legions, with an equal number of “Auxiliary” troops,an Army well in excess of 300,000 men. How a vast empire like Rome could be policed by a tiny force of 7 legions - 3 being destroyed as Hall says - beggars belief!

Aside from these inaccuracies I enjoyed the article - but suggest your journalists consult reliable texts before making forays into areas they are obviously unfamiliar with-”

Are we feeling a little plump after the 25th? Well, its time to get a little larger but this time mostly with alcohol! Yes, it is the end of the year 2008. Time flies doesn’t it?

The Romans celebrated the New Year with a kiss, backed up with copious amounts of booze. They prayed to Janus, and the first of January was dedicated by the Romans to their God of Gates and Doors. A very old Italian God, Janus has a distinctive artistic appearance in that he is commonly depicted with two faces…one regarding what is behind and the other looking toward what lies ahead. Thus, Janus is representative of contemplation on the happenings of an old year while looking forward to the new. Some sources claim that Janus was characterized in such a peculiar fashion due to the notion that doors and gates look in two directions. Therefore, the God could look both backward and forward at the same time. Originally, Janus was portrayed with one bearded face and the other clean-shaven, which may have symbolized the moon and the sun, or age and youth. Later, he is most often shown with beards on both faces and frequently holds a key in his right hand. Very early statues of Janus (around the Second Century B.C.) depict him with four faces.

In his role as the Guardian of Exits and Entrances, Janus was also believed to represent beginnings. The explanation for this belief being that one must emerge through a door or gate in order to enter into a new place. Therefore, the Romans also considered Janus as the God of Beginnings and his name was an obvious choice for the first month of their year…a month referred to by the Ancient Romans as Ianuarius, which is not so far removed from the modern-day “January,” taken from the Etruscan word jauna which means “door.” Originally, however, Janus was honored on the first day of every month, in addition to being worshiped at the beginning of planting season and again at the harvest. Deference was also paid to him at the most important beginnings in the life of an individual…such as birth and marriage.

Wherever you end up on the 31st of December I hope the new year brings you joy, health and prosperity.

Vale,

Imperator

Well, it’s that time of the year again. A time to give gifts, eat and drink like there’s no tomorrow and treat someone like a king who normally may be much, much lower in social standing.

The poet Catullus describes Saturnalia as the best of days. It was a time of celebration, visits to friends, and gift-giving, particularly of wax candles (cerei), and earthenware figurines (sigillaria). The best part of the Saturnalia (for slaves) was the temporary reversal of roles. Masters served meals to their slaves who were permitted the unaccustomed luxuries of leisure and gambling.
The Saturnalia was a feast starting on the 17th of Decem until the 23rd (during Cicero’s time) and it was dedicated to the golden age of Saturnus, the god of seed and sowing. A couple of days later another festival was taking place…that of Sol Invictus!
Sol Invictus (”Unconquered Sun”) was the Roman state-supported sun god created by the emperor Aurelian in 274 and continued, overshadowing other Eastern cults in importance, until the abolition of paganism under Theodosius I.

Decem the 25th? What about Christ’s birthday?

The festival was placed on the date of the solstice because this was on this day that the Sun reversed its southward retreat and proved itself to be “unconquered.” Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus. “O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born…Christ should be born”, Cyprian wrote. - Saint Cyprian (Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus) (died September 14, 258) was bishop of Carthage and an important early Christian writer. John Chrysostom also commented on the connection: “They call it the ‘Birthday of the Unconquered’. Who indeed is so unconquered as Our Lord . . .?” - Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347–407, Greek: Ιωάννης ο Χρυσόστομος), archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father.

This is enough for now…the information and the Gods, and the eating and drinking could go on forever (and I hope it does!)…all I want to say is;

• Merry Christmas!!
• Io Saturnalia!!
• SOLI INVICTO, “to the Unconquered Sun”!!

Have safe, fun and happy holidays!

See you all in the Forum!

The past two attempts at cooking ancient Roman dishes saw me tackle both beef and chicken themed mains. It therefore seemed fitting that I attempt a seafood dish and so tonight my family sat down to some veg with a dipping sauce for King Prawns, Apicius 9.1.6 and then I followed up with a desert, Pear Patina, Apicius 4, 2, 35.
The dipping sauce contained some honey, lovage, cumin and some rue. I have read that rue can bring on hemorrhaging and the oil can cause blistering of the skin so I was a bit apprehensive in using it, but I did anyway to be as faithful as possible to the recipe. The result was very nice indeed…slightly sweet, with a cumin, pine nut flavour, it was lovely with the boiled prawns.

The pear patina was wonderful! It took a little longer than expected to be ready in the oven but when it was, it was devoured with much gusto. Quite sweet, (honey), sweet pears, 4 x eggs, cumin, fish sauce, black pepper it was an absolutely delicious way to finish off the evenings meal.

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Well, I had another go at some recipes in Sally Grainger’s book, ‘Cooking Apicius - Roman recipes for today’. Tonight my family dined on toasted pine kernel sauce for roast boar or pork, Apicius 8.1.4 and some carrots and parsnips in a cumin honey glaze, Apicius 3.21.3.
I’ll start first with the pine kernel sauce…very very nice indeed! I’m not sure if it was ‘perfect’ but the sauce I tasted tonight was wonderful against the “just roasted succulent pork”. The herbs infused with the flavour of the pine nuts was wonderful…not too sweet but just with the right amount of herbal flavourings to make it a dish worth serving on any occasion.
Next I’ll talk briefly about the veg in cumin honey glaze. The mixture of carrots and parsnips in the cumin honey glaze was astounding. I’m glad I didn’t make too much for if I had I’m afraid I would have eaten the entire lot! This was absolutely delicious. The cumin flavour mixed with honey and then mixed again with the flavour from the vegetables inside the mouth was indescribable. I will be making this again very soon.
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Well, I’ve finally had a try at some ancient Roman cooking. Tonight my family and I dined on Roman bortsch, some Lagana and then finished things off with some melon with mint dressing. To be honest, this was my first time and I’m not sure if I achieved things exactly as it would have been 2000 years ago but I had a red hot go.

Recently I was fortunate to purchase a copy of Apicius, a Critical Edition With an Introduction And English Translation (Hardcover) by Christopher Grocock, Sally Grainger and I followed it up with Cooking Apicius: Roman Recipes for Today (Paperback) by Sally Grainger. It was the latter which helped me create tonight’s dinner.

Well, the verdict? The Roman bortsch was a little sweet but very nice, my children ate every bite. The Lagana bread was a nice accompaniment to the bortsch as well. The melon in mint sauce was interesting…the mint was a nice addition to the dish but the fish sauce really set it apart from today’s tastes.

All in all, a most enjoyable exercise over a few glasses of Mead. Looking forward to tackling the meat section next!

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According to various news sources in Australia,

Hundreds of relics from the volcanic ancient Roman city’s final moments will be displayed at the Melbourne Museum in 2009.

The A Day in Pompeii exhibition is part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces 2009 exhibition and will feature more than 250 objects from the daily life of Pompeii as well as the body casts of the victims of the Mount Vesuvius eruption.

Cannot wait for this to arrive. When my wife and I visited Pompeii in 2004 I was absolutely ‘blown away’ by the entire site…spent a good full day there and easily could have spent longer!

To give Melbourne a taste of what is to come the body cast of two women, who were found with nine other victims in the garden of the House of Cryptoporticus, will be on display at the Melbourne Museum until the end of January 2008.

Museum Victoria and the Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei teamed to create the exhibition, which will be displayed from June 26 to October 11, 2009.