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Roman wall painting of musculata in color from first century
#1
Hi all I was doing some research on roman wall painting from the first century and found this image of a Roman General as Romulus. [Image: romulus_warrior.jpg]
Quote:"Romulus depicted as Roman general (replica)
copy of a wall painting from the Via d'Abbondanza in Pompeii (first century CE)
Romulus is depicted wearing Roman armor and patrician shoes; he carries a spear and a trophy, the spolia opima that he had won in the year after Rome's foundation.
EUR (Rome), Museum of Roman Civilization. Credits: Barbara McManus, 2003
Keywords: Vergil, Aeneid, Virgil, fresco
" http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/index8.html

Are there any other images of musculata or other roman armor in color from around the firt century?

Oh and here is a basic page on Roman wall painting if any one is interested. http://www.accla.org/actaaccla/ramage.html
Patrick Lawrence

[url:4ay5omuv]http://www.pwlawrence.com[/url]
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#2
And another, Aeneas carries Anchises and leads Ascanius out of Troy, showing white pteryges again:

[Image: aeneas_triad.jpg]

It's on the same page, as is Aeneas wounded:

[Image: aeneas_wounded.jpg]
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#3
What the date on that one?
Patrick Lawrence

[url:4ay5omuv]http://www.pwlawrence.com[/url]
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#4
They're both from Pompeii, so 1st C. The first one I posted is from the same house as yours.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#5
Good to know. Trying to figure out how common the color pattern was. Since its from the same house it does not help muchSmile Hopefully there are some more floating around some place.
Patrick Lawrence

[url:4ay5omuv]http://www.pwlawrence.com[/url]
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#6
There are mosaics from St Maria Maggiore that clearly show both bronze and iron (or silvered) musculata. The thread's about on RAT. They're not 1st C, but portray many ancient (ancient to the Romans, that is) scenes with Hellenised figures.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#7
Thanks for the tip I will see if I can find the thread.
Patrick Lawrence

[url:4ay5omuv]http://www.pwlawrence.com[/url]
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#8
Good depiction of a plain bronze musculata
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
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Byron Angel
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#9
Quote:They're both from Pompeii, so 1st C. The first one I posted is from the same house as yours.

There's also the less-famous (there are several) Sacrifice of Iphigenia scene from the House of the Vettii which I can only find in B&W on the web (although I have a colour postcard). It shows Agamemnon in white pteryges (fetchingly edged in gold ;-), a turquoise tunic (yuk!), a maroon cloak and an iron (or silvered) muscle cuirass, again with gold bits.

The problem with all of these Pompeian wallpaintings is that they are probably rip-offs of Hellenistic masterpieces (the Roman equivalents of the Green Lady, for those who remember her...), and so may not tell you anything about Roman colours, merely how the artists interpreted the Hellenistic original.

Mike Bishop
You know my method. It is founded upon the observance of trifles

Blogging, tweeting, and mapping Hadrian\'s Wall... because it\'s there
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#10
I noticed the sword worn by Aeneas looks like a Xiphos or a
Samnite sword... and the warriors behind have the aspis and Chalcidian/Attic style helms.
The first two resemble Alexander....!
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
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#11
Quote:The problem with all of these Pompeian wallpaintings is that they are probably rip-offs of Hellenistic masterpieces (the Roman equivalents of the Green Lady, for those who remember her...), and so may not tell you anything about Roman colours, merely how the artists interpreted the Hellenistic original.
Of course comparing say the first image to the statues we have you can see the ripped off the entire idea from earler times. So why would they not have taken the colors also? Also there is a tendency amoung artists to make things look like there own times. To look like what they have seen with their own eyes.

Also the colors match exactly Caligulas statue - Red, Blue and White. [url:16ndu4lh]http://www.romanhideout.com/news/2004/Theguardian20041119.asp[/url]
Patrick Lawrence

[url:4ay5omuv]http://www.pwlawrence.com[/url]
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#12
Quote:Of course comparing say the first image to the statues we have you can see the ripped off the entire idea from earler times. So why would they not have taken the colors also? Also there is a tendency amoung artists to make things look like there own times. To look like what they have seen with their own eyes.

Also the colors match exactly Caligulas statue - Red, Blue and White. [url:2llrxe0p]http://www.romanhideout.com/news/2004/Theguardian20041119.asp[/url]

Proves nothing, as there is a demonstrable tendency towards archaization in the Roman world (as with the statuette depicting Nero as Alexander in the BM). The colours on the Caligula statue might deliberately recall those of Hellenistic times for all sorts of reasons to which we no longer have access. As for the paintings, one could argue that there are just as many reasons why the artist would slavishly copy the colours of the original as contribute his own contemporary 'take' on a scene.

All I'm saying is that this sort of evidence proves nothing; it offers a valuable range of alternatives, but it could just as easily not represent contemporary colours as it could accurately reflect them. As with experimental archaeology, it is important to be clear about the limitations (and context) of the evidence (a lesson many prehistorians need to learn with their sometimes overly promiscuous use of ethnographic parallels).

Mike Bishop
You know my method. It is founded upon the observance of trifles

Blogging, tweeting, and mapping Hadrian\'s Wall... because it\'s there
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#13
I dont believe I ever said it proves anything. But it is the only idea we really have about color of the musculata since we dont have any. Unless there is a reference that mentions color I do not know about. So thats all just a good idea of what could have been until more info comes along.
Patrick Lawrence

[url:4ay5omuv]http://www.pwlawrence.com[/url]
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#14
Quote:There's also the less-famous (there are several) Sacrifice of Iphigenia scene from the House of the Vettii which I can only find in B&W on the web (although I have a colour postcard). It shows Agamemnon in white pteryges (fetchingly edged in gold ;-) ) , a turquoise tunic (yuk!), a maroon cloak and an iron (or silvered) muscle cuirass, again with gold bits.

Wow, thank you for that description Big Grin

Quote:The problem with all of these Pompeian wallpaintings is that they are probably rip-offs of Hellenistic masterpieces (the Roman equivalents of the Green Lady, for those who remember her...), and so may not tell you anything about Roman colours, merely how the artists interpreted the Hellenistic original.

At least they would seem to confirm or verify that the musculata was made from either bronze or brass.

They have some value since they're among few surviving color depictions of what a common color scheme may have looked like. I'm glad I just happend to color my pteruges white with a gold edging :wink:

About the Aeneas painting, I wonder if the right shoulder is visible. Or is it obscured by the sagum ? It'd be nice if we can see a plate or leather harness.

~Theo
Jaime
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#15
Why would they paint metal??? Especially when you have a slave to keep it nice and shiny for you.
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