Classical Archaeology: Barbarians in Roman Visual Culture – Diversity and Subjugation with Professor Ben Russell from The University of Edinburgh
May 13 @ 10:10 - 10:55
Images of subjugated peoples are common in the art put up by the Roman emperors. They adorn triumphal arches, altars and columns but also coins. We see barbarians, marked out by their clothing and distinctive attributes, as captives, being killed on the battlefield, and paraded in triumphs – indeed it was in triumphs that most ordinary Romans would have actually seen foreign captives. While these images were used to celebrate the perceived superiority of Rome, they are not the only images that survive of distinctively non-Roman peoples. We also have personified images of captured regions and even parts of the Roman empire, as well images of people from outside of the empire, depicted on mosaics, in sculpture, on objects of daily use and on buildings put up by communities around the Roman world.
In this interactive online session, Professor Ben Russell examines how this imagery reveals some of the ways in which Roman artists explored the diversity of the populations that Rome faced on the battlefield but also those which made up its empire.
Lecturer Profile: Professor Ben Russell
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.
Suitable for: Age 16+ pre-university Classics and History of Art students. We also welcome students who are studying other subjects but are interested in Archaeology. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions related to studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the speaker via typed comments and questions and/or via a microphone. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: