Kalinowski, Angela
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Charioteer
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This fine bust represents a charioteer (auriga) as is evidenced by the tunic he wears, which has long sleeves and is held by fasciae attached behind the neck in a knot. More fasciae bound horizontally around the chest (not visible on this example) provided protection for the thoracic area. The charioteer is an adult male, his handsome face is smooth except for a few horizontal lines across his brow; the iris and pupils of his eyes are drilled and look to the right. His brows and mustache are lightly incised. His hair is short, cropped close to the head but lengthens over the temples and near the ears. The beard, absent on the upper cheeks and chin, is voluminous on the mandibles., Dates to c. mid-3rd century CE in the Gallienic period. It is not clear if this is an honorific portrait or if it was displayed in a public place. It was found in the foundations of Palazzo Teti in 1934., Balty, J-. C. “Style et Facture. Notes sur les portraits romains du IIIe siècle de notre ère,” RA, 1983, pp. 301-315.
Baratte, F. “Aurige ou prêtre? A propos d’un portrait du Louvre.” In Otium, 2005, p.p 21-26.
Bell, S. “The Face of Victory? A misidentified head in Rome and the problem of charioteer portraits". In J. Nelis- Clément, J.- M. Roddaz, eds. Le cirque romain et son image. Bordeaux, 2008.
Scarpatti, G. “Busto di auriga,”in C. Gaspari, R. Paris eds., Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. Le collezioni. Roma: 2013, p. 351.
Wood, S. Roman portrait sculpture, 217-260 A.D. The transformation of an artistic tradition. “Columbia Studies in the Classical Tradition'. 12 (1986), pp.5, 55-56, 105 pl. xv. 21.
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Charioteer and His Wife
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Pair of pentelic marble statues depicting a male charioteer and his wife. The charioteer is slightly over life size, carries a vessel in his right hand and is missing a portion of his right arm and left leg while the wife is slightly under life size and is missing her head and left hand., Dates to c. 3rd century CE. This pair of statues were discovered at different times during excavations of the Yasmina cemetery at Carthage. The charioteer was found in 1981 by Annabi and the charioteer's wife was found by Naomi Norman in 1993. Dunbabin suggests that the man is in fact not a charioteer, but rather a sparsores, one who throws water onto the horses heads, due to the inclusion of the amphora instead of a palm branch (Dunbabin, 2016: p.157)., Dunbabin, Katherine M. D. Theater and Spectacle in the Art of the Roman Empire. New York: Cornell University, 2016.
Bibliography compiled by Dr. Joann Freed.
Charioteer:
1) Thuillier, Jean-Paul, “”Agitator ou sparsor? À propos d’une célèbre statue de Carthage,” CRAI 1999, 1081-1106 [in Persée].
2) Paul Veyne, Azzedine Beschaouch and Abdelmajid Ennabli, 1995, “Statue d’aurige romain trouvée à Carthage,” Revue archéologique, 39-54. [on JSTOR]
Charioteer’s wife:
1) Laridhi Ouazaa, N., L. Casas, A. Álvarez, B. Fouzai, M. Moreno-Vide, L. Vidal, S. Roudosli, C. Sonzogni, D. Borschneck. 2013. “Provenance of marble sculptures from the National Museum of Carthage (Tunisia),” Journal of Archaeological Science 40, 1602-10 [online].
2) Norman, N. J. 1994. “Excavations in the Yasmina necropolis. The 1993 season,” CEDAC Carthage 14 (1994), 12-14.
3) Naomi J. Norman and Anne E. Haeckl, 1993, “The Yasmina necropolis at Carthage, 1992,” JRA 6, 238-50.
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Circus Maximus
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View of the remains of the Circus Maximus today., The Circus Maximus acted as both a stadium and a circus until the first century CE. The circus was completed by the Emperor Trajan around 103 CE with an earlier reconstruction done by the Emperor Domitian, and was used for chariot racing and other spectacles, such as venationes (beast hunts) until the 5th century CE (Dunbabin 2016, p.140). With seating surrounding all sides of the track, with the exception of the starting gates, the circus could host 150,000 spectators (Dunbabin, 2016: p.140). A barrier called the spina ran down the middle of the circus with turning posts (metae) at each end and was decorated with monuments and statues that were added throughout the years by various emperors, including Egyptian obelisks in 10 BCE commissioned by Augustus and structures decorated with dolphins in 357 CE by Constantius II (Dunbabin, 2016: p.140). Images of the Circus Maximus appear on coins commissioned by Trajan in 103 CE, see 'Coin with the Circus Maximus' (Dunbabin 2016: p.144)., Dunbabin, Katherine M. D. Theater and Spectacle in the Art of the Roman Empire. New York: Cornell University, 2016.
Humphrey, John H. Roman Circuses: Arenas for Chariot Racing. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1986.
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Circus Maximus (Scale Model)
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The scale model of imperial Rome was made under the direction of I. Gismondi for the Museo di Civiltà Romana (1933-1955). This section represents of the Circus Maximus in its urban context. Of especial note is its collocation of the circus with the imperial palaces on the Palatine Hill to the left; the imperial box (pulvinar) is clearly shown. The model shows the monumental starting gate structure at the upper (west) short end of the circus, as well as the arch at the east end. The central barrier around which the chariots raced (spina) is decorated with various monuments including the turning posts (meta) at each end, obelisks, shrines an statues., The circus was first built in the 6th century BCE and was used for chariot racing and other spectacles until the 5th century CE.
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Circus at Leptis Magna
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The remains of the circus at Leptis Magna., The circus was first built in 56 CE and restored in the 2nd century CE (Humphrey, 1986: p.27). The barrier in the middle, called a spina, is one of the most complete originals that survived antiquity; the wall was 1.6 meters tall and includes two turning posts (metae) at 231 m tall, decorations, and water features (Humphrey 1986: p.38). Also to survive were a number of herm bases and shafts in situ, as well as altars and statue groups (Humphrey 1986: p.47). It was linked to the amphitheatre by a gallery (Dunbabin, 2016: p.92)., Dunbabin, Katherine M. D. Theater and Spectacle in the Art of the Roman Empire. New York: Cornell University, 2016.
Humphrey, John H. Roman Circuses: Arenas for Chariot Racing. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1986.
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Circus of Maxentius
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The Circus of Maxentius is much better preserved than the Circus Maximus. In evidence are the restored remains of the long central barrier (296 meters) around which the chariots raced (spina) and at each of its ends, and the restored substructures for the turning posts (metae). The remains of the vaulted substructures (north and south sides) on which were constructed seats for approximately 10,000 spectators are preserved on each of the long sides, as is the short eastern wall. The Circus of Maxentius is part of a larger complex which includes an imperial villa palace to the north west of the circus and connected to it by a hallway leading to an imperial viewing box (pulvinar); and a mausoleum for Romulus, the son of Maxentius., Dates to 305-312 CE during the reign of Maxentius. It is made of opus vittatum (concrete with block and brick facing)., CIL (Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum) VI 1130.
Claridge, Amanda. Rome. An Oxford Archaeological Guide. 2nd ed. Oxford and New York, 2010, p. 426-28.
Humphrey, John H. Roman Circuses. Arenas for Chariot Racing. Berkeley, 1986, p.582-602.
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Coin with the Circus Maximus
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The reverse of this bronze sestertius depicts the Circus Maximus in Rome. In the lower part is the external facade of the building depicted as a continuous row of arches topped by exterior wall of the wooden gallery. Above this, the arena of the circus is depicted. A horizontal line represents the central barrier around which the chariots raced (spina) which is decorated with various monuments including the turning posts (meta), an obelisk (center), a shrine. To the left (east) of the spina is an arch topped with a four-horse chariot (quadriga), a monumental entrance way to the circus, while to the right (west) the profile of a two storey structure represents the starting gates (carceres) from which a quadriga is emerging. The inscription surrounding the image reads "SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI" and in the exergue is "S C" translating to "The Senate and People of Rome to the Best Emperor" and "by decree of the Senate" respectively., Dates to the Trajanic period 103-111 CE., RIC. Volume 2, Trajan 517.
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