The ''Praetorians Relief'' is a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
marble relief dated to AD from the
Arch of Claudius in Rome, now housed in the
Louvre-Lens
The Louvre-Lens is an art museum located in Lens, France, approximately 200 kilometers north of Paris. It displays objects from the collections of the Musée du Louvre that are lent to the gallery on a medium- or long-term basis. The Louvre-Lens ...
.
It depicts three soldiers in
high relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
in the foreground, while two others in the background, accompanied by a standard bearer, are made in
bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
. The standard-bearer holds an
aquila standard, where the eagle grasps a thunderbolt in its talons. The soldiers have been identified as
Praetorians due to the richness of the apparel, particularly the helmets, the ceremonial dress and oval shields.
The figures are wearing
calcei and not
caligae
Caligae ( Latin; singular ) are heavy-soled hobnailed military sandal-boots that were worn as standard issue by Roman legionary foot-soldiers and auxiliaries, including cavalry.
History
Caligae (singular ') are heavy-duty, thick-soled o ...
, worn by ordinary soldiers. However, according to
Boris Rankov
Nikolas Boris Rankov (born 9 August 1954) is a British professor of Roman history at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is a former rower and current umpire.
Early life, education and family
Rankov was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, th ...
, "the
Attic-style helmets are almost certainly an artistic convention".
Rankov suggests that "early in their history the Praetorians were still using the
Montefortino-style helmet normal in the
legions of the
Republic and early
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
".
The relief was previously dated to the early 2nd century AD. The lower half of the left-hand figure, portions of the middle two and the heads of all three foreground figures are modern restorations. In 2006 the relief underwent restoration by N. Imbert and A. Méthivier.
File:Relief historique dit Relief des Prétoriens --- MBALyon 2018 02.jpg
File:Relief historique dit Relief des Prétoriens --- MBALyon 2018 04.jpg
File:Relief historique dit Relief des Prétoriens 03.jpg
File:Relief historique dit Relief des Prétoriens 02.jpg
Provenance
The Praetorians Relief was once part of the
Arch of Claudius, erected in AD 51 to commemorate the
conquest of Britain.
The relief is mentioned as early as the 16th century. The head of the standard-bearer is depicted in ''Album'' by
Pierre Jacques de Reims, on the page dated to 1577.
The relief was once in the possession of the
Mattei family
200px, Cortile Mattei di Giove
The House of Mattei was one of the most powerful noble families of Rome during the Middle Ages and early modern era, holding high positions in the papal curia and government office. The family amassed significant a ...
, in 1824 it was purchased by the French.
References
{{Commons category, Relief des Prétoriens (Louvre LL 398)
Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures of the Louvre
50s in the Roman Empire
Marble reliefs
Marble sculptures in France
Praetorian Guard
Roman Empire sculptures
Reliefs in France