Severan Copy Of Athena Parthenos And 13th Century Virgin And

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Marcus Aurelius¹ son Commodus succeeded his father in 180, only to inherit an empire that was becoming increasingly harder to uphold , and imperial order was being threatened. Eventually, he was assassinated , and the Roman world was thrown into civil discord. Septimius Severus emerged as the new emperor in 193 after proclaiming himself to be Marcus Aurelius¹ son. 2
The Severan¹s hometown was called Lepcis Magna, on the coast of what is now Libya. In the early third century the port city used imperial funds to ornament itself with a new forum, basilica , arch, and several monuments and statues. One of these statues may be the Athena Parthenos . 3
Like other heroic statues of second and third century Rome, Athena has a rigid , strong but graceful torso that can be seen in the later period of Soldier Emperors that would follow in coming decades. While examining Athena¹s garb- her birthday suit of armor and cloth - a paralell can be drawn to the battle gear seen ...

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wears is a full length coat gathered at the waist by a jeweled belt. Over this she wears a mantle , the opening bordered with fur and the hem is detailed with an embroidery-like pattern.
When studying the virgin from it¹s frontal view, the sculpture seems realistically three dimensional, however a profile view reveals that it is hardly more than a high relief. The flattened back, probably to rest against an altar , give the piece a shallow appearance from a profile or from a corner perspective. The Virgin¹s pose is made very rigid by a tall upper body, an exact bilateral symmetry , and also the fact that her extremities are smoothly and gracefully contained in an outer shape or ...

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