These Eastern figures are almost Hollywoody in their mixture of cultures and time periods.
Actualy, many western figures (Vachères, Adamklissi) also have this mixed appearance. What we like to think of as Roman is often actually Hellenistic.
As to their oddly shortened proportions, they seem to be following a sort of late Assyrian style rather than the Hellenic.
Exactly, and not just in their style, but also in details like the lamellae of the triad, the boots of Aphlad and the beard of Assurbel. I am convinced what we see is not "Roman", but a local Hellenised Levantine culture with its own tehnological traditions.
As to why all these different gods are in armour, see Henri Seyrig "Antiquités syriennes. Les dieux armés et les Arabes en Syrie" Syria 47 (1970)
I wrote:
Pectorals are also shown in Indian art from the Sanchi stupa (1st century BCE) onwards and may have been mentioned in Vedic texts with a much older oral origin, first of all as actual armour, only in the 5th century CE they also appear as additions to armour vests, probably inspired by the Sasanian use of the pectoral. This later combination would be used not only in Tibet but also in Bhutan up to the 20th century (see D.J. LaRocca Warriors of the Himalaya)
I was wrong, pectorals on top of a suit of armour may well have first appeared in the Kushan empire:
[attachment=7047]gandhara.png[/attachment]
1st-3rd century CE. Note what looks like a "rigid scale" knee-lenght skirt of the armour.
Hi, seeing all the different images of ancient gods in Roman armour, it reminded me of an image I saw in Jonathan P. Roth's book Roman Warfare an image of a bronze statuette 2nd Century and caption reads "Bronze statuette perhaps of a god in the dress of a legionary soldier."
[attachment=7079]2ndcenturystatue.jpg[/attachment]
I don't know if that is segmented armour or not.
Regards
Michael Kerr
Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
Curiously, although of oriental construction, his thorax is very faithfull to Greek fashion. The Etruscans could also strongly deviate from what was acceptable in Greece:
Note the peculiar pointed shoulderflaps and the tailored waist accentuated with a belt, common with the Etruscans but I have never seen a contemporary Greek thorax with a waist.
I agree that the Mars of Todi rules! I wish i had seen the rear of the statue before I undertook my "inspired by" version. However, to recap, the reason for posting the fb link, is the way that the midriff seems to show a) rounded ends on the plates and b) the plates changing direction if the first supposition is correct.
Quote:Note the peculiar pointed shoulderflaps and the tailored waist accentuated with a belt, common with the Etruscans but I have never seen a contemporary Greek thorax with a waist.
There was recent thread with another sculpture with similar shoulder flaps. Both were fastened at one point in the middle of the chest like this one.
However, to recap, the reason for posting the fb link, is the way that the midriff seems to show a) rounded ends on the plates and b) the plates changing direction if the first supposition is correct.
I had not seen that, that is to say, the rounded ends on the plates, I thought what I saw was the changing of direction of the lacing. Perhaps you've got a better picture.
Dan Howard wrote:
There was recent thread with another sculpture with similar shoulder flaps. Both were fastened at one point in the middle of the chest like this one.
It is also suggested by some Scythian and Sarmatian depictions of warriors. The Soviet archeologists have in fact found a Scythian armour with a single bronze Medusa face on the chest that, according to them, was used to fasten both shoulder flaps.
As to why all these different gods are in armour, see Henri Seyrig "Antiquités syriennes. Les dieux armés et les Arabes en Syrie" Syria 47 (1970)
I wrote:
Pectorals are also shown in Indian art from the Sanchi stupa (1st century BCE) onwards and may have been mentioned in Vedic texts with a much older oral origin, first of all as actual armour, only in the 5th century CE they also appear as additions to armour vests, probably inspired by the Sasanian use of the pectoral. This later combination would be used not only in Tibet but also in Bhutan up to the 20th century (see D.J. LaRocca Warriors of the Himalaya)
