Un rilievo di battaglia tra Romani e barbari

Abstract

This study examines an unpublished Roman relief kept at the Valerio Turchi Gallery in Rome, depicting a battle between Roman
soldiers and barbarians. Likely carved in Microasiatic marble, the fragment dates to the mid-Antonine period (ca. 160-170 CE) and
constitutes a valuable example of the interaction between Hellenistic compositional schemes and a distinctly Roman iconographic and
stylistic tradition. The research was conducted through a comprehensive approach, beginning with an analysis of the frieze’s state of
preservation and past restoration interventions, followed by a detailed compositional and stylistic examination. The iconographic analysis
has highlighted its connections to Hellenistic models, reinterpreted within the thematic and artistic framework of Roman relief sculpture.
The frieze features a dynamic yet structured composition, emphasizing the realism of Roman army and the expressive pathos of the defeated
barbarians. In conclusion, contextualizing the Frieze within the broader historical and cultural landscape of the second century
CE has allowed for a series of hypotheses regarding its original placement and function.