Love, revenge, betrayal, triumph and grief: the curtain comes down on Unit 3.
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Part of an honorary inscription to Epaphroditus stating that the imperial freedman had honors granted to him for his part in exposing Piso's conspiracy against Emperor Nero.
It reads: To Augustus' freedman Epaphroditus, attendant of the Caesars, assistant to the tribunes.... presented with pure spears and golden crowns.
In the Museo Nazionale at the Diocletian Baths in Rome.
Fasces
Description and modern reconstructions of the fasces - an axe tied into a bundle of wooden rods which was the symbol of Roman authority: enemies could be punished by beatings (with the rods) or execution (with the axe).
Part of a Roman frieze (the Cancelleria Reliefs) depicting a lictor carrying his fasces. Dating to around 95 AD they are now in the Vatican Museum.
Description & image of a bronze statuette of a lictor, 12 of whom carried the fasces before a consul in procession.
In the British Museum; as shown on p.105 of CLC BkIV.
Screen-shot from the drama "Rome". (Archived site, please be patient if slow to load.)
Modern statue of the Roman hero Cincinnatus who famously left his farm and plough to take up the responsibilities of leadership; this wonderful statue placed in the city that took his name - Cincinnati, Ohio, USA - shows the farmer-dictator handing back the fasces, the Roman symbol of power and authority.
The Seal of the USA's Senate includes Roman symbols - the fasces, representing authority, and a conical cap of freedom, denoting liberty. And in the USA's House of Representatives, where among other things, the President makes his annual State of the Union address, bronze fasces are placed either side of the flag. It even appeared on a US 10 cents coin.
Top Roman officials were allowed to sit on this folding chair.
Roman Slavery and Manumission
ROMAN SLAVERY & MANUMISSION
Click for links...
Freedmen
FREEDMEN
"Slaves could obtain their freedom by saving up their "peculium" (personal earnings in the form of pocket money, gifts, or tips) until they had enough to buy themselves out. The process of freeing a slave is known as manumission. Slaves could also be freed under a person’s will, or being pronounced free in front of five witnesses or in writing."
Taken from The Classics Pages website.
"A freedman had full rights of citizenship except that of holding public office. Some freedmen became even richer than the masters they had once served."
Taken from the-romans.co.uk website.
A straightforward guide.
Roman sculpture of a manumission ceremony: a magistrate has just freed two slaves by touching them with a rod. They now wear pointy hats denoting their newly-acquired freedom: one shakes hand with his master(?)(now lost from the scultpure), the other kneels in gratitude.
In the Musee Royale de Mariemont in Belgium.
Terracotta (clay) bust of presumably a freedman, since he wears the conical felt cap typical of ex-slaves.
In the Provincial Museum of Campania at Capua.
Coin depicting Liberty holding a pilleus (freedman's cap) in her right hand.
Fascinating article exploring the links between the Roman freedman's cap (pilleus)- which even in Roman times seems to conflate with the Phrygian floppy hat) and the Liberty caps of the French and American revolutions, most famously depicted in Delacroix's 1830 painting "Liberty Leading the People" now in the Louvre.
The Pompeian house of these former slaves is famous for its fabulous wall paintings and beautiful garden; the following additional links on the house feature a reconstruction, an interactive plan and a simple guided tour.
The most famous Roman freedman was the fictitious Trimalchio, created by Petronius. Scroll to page 18 to read this annotated account of his extravagant dinner party.
Pliny writes affectionately about his ill freedman, Zosimus.
Pliny writes venomously about the Emperor Claudius' secretary, Pallas. (Scroll down to letter 6: To Montanus.)
This freedman was honored by being made a priest of Augustus - too good an appointment to leave off his tomb inscription!
As featured on p.107 of CLC Bk.IV.
It reads:
P(ublius) Vesonius |(mulieris) l(ibertus) / Phileros Augustalis / vivos monument(um) / fecit sibi et suis // Vesoniae P(ubli) f(iliae) / patronae et // M(arco) Orfellio M(arci) f(ilio) / Fausto amico
which translates as
"Publius Vesonius Phileros, freedman of a woman, and Augustalis, made this monument while living for himself and for his patron, Vesonia, daughter of Publius and for Marcus Orfellius Faustus, freedman of Marcus, friend".
The tomb stands in the Nuceria Gate Necropolis in Pompeii.
Augustales
AUGUSTALES
First instituted by Augustus, and later included among the major priesthoods, these "Priests of Augustus" were
responsible for maintaining the imperial cult. Every municipium (2nd-highest class of Roman city after a colonia) had two elected flamines Augustales ("Augustal priests")- usually freedmen. Special temples to the deified emperors were built - some modest "halls", others in the style of traditional columned temples.
Scroll down for a description from the Offical Site (building number 24).
Locate it on this map: it's the roofed, rectangular building next to the arch right at the top of the map.
Super pictures, including many details of the well-preserved wall-paintings.
More pictures, including one of the inscription dedicating it to Augustus, and of frescoes depicting Hercules, the mythical founder of Herculaneum..
At Baiae, the shrine had a more traditional temple-like facade.
A traditonal, columned temple.
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