STATUARIA ROMANA ANTICA: Head of a helmeted Roman soldier, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Fletcher Fund, 1925)

Speranza

Fragmentary marble head of a helmeted soldier
Period: Early Imperial, Flavian
Date: ca. A.D. 69–79
Culture: Roman
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: Overall: 18.1 x 18cm
Classification: Stone Sculpture
Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1925
Accession Number: 1925.78.62
This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 168

The Romans devised two new forms of public monument to celebrate their military victories—the triumphal arch and the column.

The latter are only found in Rome itself (and later in Constantinople, the New Rome), but triumphal arches were built in many cities throughout Italy and the provinces.

They were often decorated with reliefs depicting Roman troops in various activities.

This fragment may come from one such relief.

References

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1987. Greece and Rome. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 93, p. 123.