Posted on 10/19/2013 4:42:07 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79, an over-life-size bronze portrait of Tiberius (ruled A.D. 14–37) was discovered in 1741, during the first years of excavation at Herculaneum. On loan from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, this statue is the subject of the exhibitionTiberius: Portrait of an Emperor, on view at the Getty Villa October 16, 2013 through March 3, 2014. Brought to the Getty Villa for conservation and analysis last October, the sculpture provides an opportunity to re-examine the career and character of Rome’s second emperor. The exhibition has been co-organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples...
Standing over eight feet tall, the statue had been off view for decades on account of structural weaknesses in its lower sections and base. Putting this grand imperial portrait back in the public eye was, therefore, the primary goal of the collaboration. In order to do so, Getty conservators developed a new internal support that evenly distributes the substantial weight of the figure -- some 1,050 pounds of bronze -- and ensures its secure and safe display. The statue has also now been fully cleaned, revealing the lustrous dark patina it would have had when first showcased in the Royal Museum at Portici.
This portrait and other works of art were heavily damaged by volcanic debris that inundated Herculaneum. Because it was standard practice in the eighteenth-century to restore sculptures to appear complete and virtually unblemished, the Getty’s investigation of the figure revealed much about the techniques used in these early restorations, such as the pouring of molten bronze to fill missing areas, a series of bolts to secure the additions in place, and the applied patina, which would have hidden any trace of the restorers’ masterful intervention.
(Excerpt) Read more at popular-archaeology.com ...
Getty Villa is at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California -- open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special Saturday hours until 9 p.m. October 12–November 30, 2013. It is closed Tuesday and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Villa is always free. A ticket is required for admission. Parking is $15 per car.
“After me, the deluge.” It was supposedly said by Tiberius referring to the probable reign of Caligula. It could have been said by GW Bush as well.
Then Caligula followed Tiberius and Rome found out how bad it could really get.
Interesting anecdotes. Edgar Rice Burroughs (author of Tarzan) wrote a historical novel about a Gallic slave who served the emperor’s household, and through that character expressed the view that Tiberius was the among the best and Caligula among the worst. Probably not far off.
It sure sounds like that IS the statue on display at Getty. Why do you think it isn't?
Thanks for the reference to the ERB Novel “I Am a Barbarian.” It has rave reviews on Amazon. I added it to my Wish List.
Tiberius may have been at least partially responsible for Caligula becoming the man he was. After all, Tiberius pretty much wiped out Caligula’s mother and five siblings and then Caligula had to live on Capri with the old creep. “Good night, Gaius. Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.” Try living with that for a few years!
I like some of the great smears about Tiberius. Probably the best was that he kept a garden full of naked young children for purposes of debauchery by him and his guests.
However, a later suggested revision was that there was a glimmer of truth in this, but that the children were not there to be debauched, but for aesthetic reasons. Whether naked or not, they were there to play games, like an endless recess, being well fed and having comfortable beds at night. And the sight and sounds of their play would just be pleasant for the adults.
Because the article said that, verbatim, I just copied and pasted it.
It was quite a family. Caligula’s aunt and her lover was executed for plotting to assassinate Tiberius (and presumably other family members) so that her lover could take over. Unlike in the BBC “I, Claudius”, Sejanus was executed by being strangled, not stabbed.
My memory of it is a bit dim, it was long ago that I read it, but it’s definitely enjoyable.
That could be a good gig for ‘em.
The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning
Inscribed with cuneiform script, the Cylinder records the conquest of Babylon in 539 B.C. by the Persian king Cyrus the Great (ruled 559–530 B.C.). Even before its discovery, Cyrus had been renowned as a benevolent and noble ruler. The Greek historian Xenophon (about 430–354 B.C.) presented him as an ideal leader in his Cyropaedia, while Old Testament texts praise Cyrus for bringing an end to the Jewish exile in Babylon. The Cylinder provides a valuable complement to this legacy, for it records — in Cyrus's own words — how, on taking control of Babylon, he restored religious traditions, and permitted those who had been deported to return to their settlements in and around Babylonia.
Armlet with Griffins, From the Oxus Treasure, Achaemenid, 500–330 B.C. Gold.
Thanks!
something I’d not known (or had forgotten), kind of hilarious, despite the tragedy. I feel a little guilty for laughing this hard.
> The eruption occurred on August 24, just one day after Vulcanalia, the festival of the Roman god of fire, including that from volcanoes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii#Eruption_of_Vesuvius
uh huh
They had naked frolicking kids in “Brave New World” too
It’s amazing that with all of the corruption and decadence of the emperors during the imperial era, the people living in the Roman Empire generally prospered as never before.
I guess that despite the corruption and decadence the emperors did not have the means to achieve a totalitarian state. Commerce, agriculture and industry could still thrive in an open economy.
Getty Villa is so beautiful, like being in someone’s lavish home, rather than an institution.
The military kept order and trade flowed throughout the military road system, and piracy was snuffed by the navy. And yet the economic life of the empire actually kicked up a notch during the 3rd c, when there were multiple schismatic emperors, each ruling part of the empire, probably because of “interstate” trade being encouraged. Also the Roman currency system was “debased”, meaning they had a modern grasp of currency as a medium of exchange, knowing that there isn’t enough gold and silver to support economic activity expansion.
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