Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius | |
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Medium | Bronze, originally gilded |
Location | Capitoline Museums |
41°53′34″N 12°28′56″E / 41.89274164°N 12.48224146°E |
The Equestrian Statue of
Description
The statue projects an impression of power and god-like grandeur: the emperor is over life-size and extends his hand in a gesture of adlocutio used by emperors when addressing their troops. Some historians assert that a conquered enemy was originally part of the sculpture (based on medieval accounts, including in the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, which suggest that a small figure of a bound barbarian chieftain once cowered underneath the horse's front right leg).[1] Such an image was meant to portray the emperor as victorious and all-conquering. However, shown without weapons or armour, Marcus Aurelius seems to be a bringer of peace rather than a military hero, for this is how he saw himself and his reign.
The emperor is shown riding without the use of
History
The statue was erected around 175 AD. Its original location is debated: the Roman Forum and Piazza Colonna (where the Column of Marcus Aurelius stands) have been proposed.[1] However, it was noted that the site where it had originally stood had been converted into a vineyard during the early Middle Ages.[3]
Although there were many
In the Middle Ages this was one of the few Roman statues to remain on public view. In the 8th century it stood in the Campus Lateranensis, to the east of the
On the night of 29 November 1849, at the inception of the revolutionary
In 1979, a bomb attack in the nearby
Cultural significance
The statue appears on the reverse of an aureus of Marcus Aurelius struck in 174 AD. It is depicted on the reverse of the modern Italian €0.50 coin, designed by Roberto Mauri .
The statue was formerly clad in gold. An old local myth says that it will turn gold again on the Day of Judgment.[9][10]
Replicas
In 1981 work began on producing a replica of the statue for outdoor display. Digital image files were used for reference while a laser beam ensured accurate measurements. Conservators used this copy to cast a faithful bronze replica of the statue, now in the
References
- ^ a b c Stewart, Peter, "The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius" in A Companion to Marcus Aurelius, edited by Martin van Ackeren, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012, pp. 264–77.
- S2CID 192180871.
- ^ a b Gregorovius, Ferdinand, History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages, Vol. 2, (1894) p. 161
- ^ Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius in the Capitoline Museum, Rome
- ^ Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius Capitoline Museum
- ^ Gregorovius, p. 161
- ^ S2CID 192301344.
- ^ Leona Rostenberg, "Margaret Fuller's Roman Diary" The Journal of Modern History 12.2 (June 1940:209–220) p. 212
- ^ This folk legend is recorded in p. 40 of the National Geographic Traveler's Rome (2006)
- ^ Palazzo Braschi (1963). Giuseppe Gioachino Belli e la Roma del suo tempo: mostra del centenario della morte del poeta (1863–1963). Palazzo Braschi, dicembre 1963 – febbraio 1964. De Luca.
- ISBN 978-0-19-992182-9.