what are the best images of a roman soldier

[tlclark]

Oh boy.

Ok, a parable (and a demonstration of why I have questionable parenting skills).

I have a very talented daughter who is quite the artist. She was drawing figures as early as two. She is now 8. Several months back she came to me and asked, "Daddy, could I be the best artist in the whole world?" Now I realize that I should have said "Of course dear, you can be whatever you choose to be!" but I didn't instead I said "No." I then went on to explain that it wasn't for lack of faith in her abilities, but that since we live in the postmodernist era there is no agreed definition of what "best" means. I told her that had she been born in the 16th C. when there was a reasonable consensus on what "best" meant in art, then maybe, but unfortunately, those days are long past.

(Before you judge me too hard, remember, I'm an art historian. If I had any real skills I would be a plumber of something useful.)

Of course she was absolutely dejected. If she grows up to be one of those annoying gothic teenagers who only wear black and write depressing high school poems titled "I am alone" at least I know who to blame.

The point of this story is that "best" is a subjective term Francis.

If you mean "most accurate" or "demonstrates the highest artistic skill" or has "the most historical significance"? Each of those generate a different answer.

For example, most think that things like the Rhineland stelae and Adamklissi reliefs are the most authentic in depicting military dress. However they can't touch the Roman stuff like the Column of Trajan for artistic quality, but the CoT may not be that accurate in military terms. Elsewhere the Arch of Titus is an amazing historical relief because it shows the aftermath of the Jewish wars.

So there are many many different possible answers. Now if you grow up into a goth, I wash my hands of all responsibility. :wink:

Travis