Distorted pictures – concerning the treatment of foreigners on Late Roman coins

Abstract

From the late 3rd century onwards, as well as the usual topoi of triumphal scenes in Roman art, a new, slightly modified motif appears: A high Roman authority, mostly the Emperor or a deity, drags behind him a small, bonded captive by the hair. Possible predecessors of this motif and the need to create a new way of expressing a triumphal motive are, however, open to debate. The present study shows that clear predecessors of this motif are lacking in Roman art. A comparison with contemporary literary sources, though, makes it probable that this new motif was most certainly created for a particular purpose in a specific, historical context: To express Roman Imperial control and authority in a period, when non-Roman elements were increasingly beginning to influence the affairs of the Empire.