A Portrait of Gallienic Period at Hierapolis in Phrygia
Ismaelli, Tommaso
A Portrait of Gallienic Period at Hierapolis in Phrygia - 2012.
33
Recent excavations carried out by the Italian Archaeological Mission of Hierapolis in Phrygia (Denizli, Turkey) have brought to light a private portrait of a man belonging to a public building located in the center of the city. The well-preserved and refined head dates to the first part of the reign of Gallienus, as shown by both technical solutions for hair and iconographic comparisons with the “ Samtherrschaftstypus” (AD 253-260). These deliberate allusions to Gallienus conform to the typical features of soldier emperors’ portraiture, as evidenced by other male portraits. This outstanding find is analyzed in relationship with the production centers in Asia Minor and the debated question of Gallienic “renaissance” and its reception in the Microasiatic cities. Finally, the outmoded taste and the intensity of the face are discussed as an expression of the conservative values shared by the Imperial cultural policy and the local elites.
A Portrait of Gallienic Period at Hierapolis in Phrygia - 2012.
33
Recent excavations carried out by the Italian Archaeological Mission of Hierapolis in Phrygia (Denizli, Turkey) have brought to light a private portrait of a man belonging to a public building located in the center of the city. The well-preserved and refined head dates to the first part of the reign of Gallienus, as shown by both technical solutions for hair and iconographic comparisons with the “ Samtherrschaftstypus” (AD 253-260). These deliberate allusions to Gallienus conform to the typical features of soldier emperors’ portraiture, as evidenced by other male portraits. This outstanding find is analyzed in relationship with the production centers in Asia Minor and the debated question of Gallienic “renaissance” and its reception in the Microasiatic cities. Finally, the outmoded taste and the intensity of the face are discussed as an expression of the conservative values shared by the Imperial cultural policy and the local elites.
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