| Diptych of Boethius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Year | 5th century |
| Type | Diptych |
| Medium | Ivory |
| Dimensions | 24 cm× 18 cm× 2 cm(9.4 in× 7.1 in× 0.79 in) |
| Location | Museo di Santa Giulia, Brescia |
The Diptych of Boethius is an ivory consular diptych (24x18x2 cm), which dates from the end of the fifth century AD and is conserved in the Museo di Santa Giulia in Brescia.
Acquired by Cardinal Angelo Maria Querini during the eighteenth century, the work passed to the Museo dell'Era Cristiana in his will.
The piece was made by Roman artisans to celebrate Manlius Boethius' second appointment as praefectus urbi of Rome in 487. The purpose of the work was purely commemorative - diptychs of this type were commissioned in order to be donated to friends and intimates on the occasion of important events, such as the appointment to important public offices. [1]
Initially displayed in the Museo dell'Era Cristiana, which was opened in some rooms of the suppressed Monastery of Santa Giulia, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, it remained there for some time. With the opening of the Museo di Santa Giulia in 1998, the diptych became part of the "Collectables and applied arts" collection and is found in the vitrines dedicated to the Querini collection. [1]
The diptych shows the consul on both panels, seated on a throne and wearing a toga picta — a long, folded scarf arranged by a complex protocol. [2]
In both depictions, his left hand holds a scepter with an eagle surmounting a globe, while his right hand holds handkerchief (mappa circensis) used to begin the consul sponsored games. In both panels, with money bags at his feet are evidence of his munificence. In the image above, the left panel has the consul standing, while on the right panel, he sits on a curial chair. [3]
The dedicatory inscription on the second tablet records the event being celebrated, which therefore allows the work to be dated: EX P(raefecto) P(raetorio) P(raefectus) U(rbi) SEC(undo) CONS(ul) ORD(inarius) ET PATRIC(ius) "From the Praetorian Prefect, Praefectus Urbi for the second time, ordinary Consul and patrician." The inscription on the first tablet identifies the person being commemorated as Manlius Boethius.
The work shows signs of final decoration with a burin which was able to produce the different depths of relief (the sceptres, the figure of Boethius, the architecture in the background) and to create the light but plentiful embroidery of the tunics. [1]
A diptych is any object with two flat plates which form a pair, often attached by hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world was a diptych consisting of a pair of such plates that contained a recessed space filled with wax. Writing was accomplished by scratching the wax surface with a stylus. When the notes were no longer needed, the wax could be slightly heated and then smoothed to allow reuse. Ordinary versions had wooden frames, but more luxurious diptychs were crafted with more expensive materials.
Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus was a 6th-century Roman aristocrat, an historian and a supporter of Nicene Christianity. He was a patron of secular learning, and became the consul for the year 485. He supported Pope Symmachus in the schism over the Popes' election, and was executed with his son-in-law Boethius after being charged with treason.
The Barberini ivory is a Byzantine ivory leaf from an imperial diptych dating from Late Antiquity, now in the Louvre in Paris. It represents the emperor as triumphant victor. It is generally dated from the first half of the 6th century and is attributed to an imperial workshop in Constantinople, while the emperor is usually identified as Justinian, or possibly Anastasius I or Zeno. It is a notable historical document because it is linked to queen Brunhilda of Austrasia. On the back there is a list of names of Frankish kings, all relatives of Brunhilda, indicating her important position. Brunhilda ordered the list to be inscribed and offered it to the church as a votive image.
The praefectus urbanus, also called praefectus urbi or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, and held high importance in late Antiquity. The office survived the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and the last urban prefect of Rome, named Iohannes, is attested in 599. In the East, in Constantinople, the office survived until the 13th century.
Vettius Agorius Praetextatus was a wealthy pagan aristocrat in the 4th-century Roman Empire, and a high priest in the cults of numerous gods. He served as the praetorian prefect at the court of Emperor Valentinian II in 384 until his death that same year.
San Salvatore is a former monastery in Brescia, Lombardy, northern Italy, now turned into a museum. The monastic complex is famous for the diversity of its architecture which includes Roman remains and significant pre-Romanesque, Romanesque and Renaissance buildings.
In Late Antiquity, a consular diptych was a type of diptych intended as a de-luxe commemorative object. The diptychs were generally in ivory, wood or metal and decorated with rich relief sculpture. A consular diptych was commissioned by a consul ordinarius to mark his entry to that post, and was distributed as a commemorative reward to those who had supported his candidature or might support him in the future.
Nicomachus Flavianus, sometimes referred to as Flavianus the Younger, was a grammarian and a politician of the Roman Empire. He was the son of Virius Nicomachus Flavianus. He held several offices under emperors Valentinian II (371–392), Theodosius I (379–395), Honorius (393–423), and Valentinian III (425–455); together with his father he supported the usurper Eugenius until his defeat and death (392–394). Flavianus also edited a corrected version of Livy's work.
Lucius Caesonius Ovinius Manlius Rufinianus Bassus was a Roman military officer and senator who was appointed suffect consul twice, in around AD 260 and 284.
The Aurelii Symmachi were an aristocratic senatorial family (gens) of the late Roman Empire.
The Poet and Muse diptych is a Late Antique ivory diptych that appears to commemorate, and to flatter, the literary pursuits of the aristocrat who commissioned it, so that it stands somewhat apart from the consular diptychs that were carved for distribution to friends and patrons when a man assumed the consular dignity during the later Roman Empire. The original inscription in this example, unusually, will have been carried out on the borders of the reverse side, which was infilled with a layer of wax for writing on, the ivory diptych being a very grand example of a wax tablet; the inscription has not survived, so there can be no way to identify the writer for whom it was made. In the literature that has accumulated about this diptych, various prominent figures have been offered as candidates: Ausonius, Boethius, and Claudian, and even earlier figures, like Ennius and Seneca, with whom the donor wished to be associated
The gens Anicia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, mentioned first towards the end of the fourth century BC. The first of the Anicii to achieve prominence under the Republic was Lucius Anicius Gallus, who conducted the war against the Illyrians during the Third Macedonian War, in 168 BC.
Caecina Mavortius Basilius Decius was a Roman politician under Odoacer's rule. He was consul and Praefectus urbi of Rome in 486 and Praetorian prefect of Italy from 486 to 493.
Nar. Manlius Boethius was a Roman and Italian aristocrat, who was appointed consul for 487. He was likely the father of the Roman philosopher, Boethius.
Rufius Achilius Sividius was a Roman senator under Odoacer's rule. His brothers included Rufius Achilius Maecius Placidus, and Anicius Acilius Aginantius Faustus.
The Brescia Casket, also called the lipsanotheca of Brescia or reliquary of Brescia, is an ivory box, perhaps a reliquary, from the late 4th century, which is now in the Museo di Santa Giulia at San Salvatore in Brescia, Italy. It is a virtually unique survival of a complete Early Christian ivory box in generally good condition. The 36 subjects depicted on the box represent a wide range of the images found in the evolving Christian art of the period, and their identification has generated a great deal of art-historical discussion, though the high quality of the carving has never been in question. According to one scholar: "despite an abundance of resourceful and often astute exegesis, its date, use, provenance, and meaning remain among the most formidable and enduring enigmas in the study of early Christian art."
The Diptych of the Lampadii is an ivory diptych, measuring 27x9x2 cm) dating to the beginning of the Fifth century AD. Only the left plate, which is kept in the Museo di Santa Giulia in Brescia, survives.
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. With a population of more than 200,000, it is the second largest city in the administrative region and the fourth largest in northwest Italy. The urban area of Brescia extends beyond the administrative city limits and has a population of 672,822, while over 1.5 million people live in its metropolitan area. The city is the administrative capital of the Province of Brescia, one of the largest in Italy, with over 1,200,000 inhabitants.
The Queriniano diptych, called Dittico Queriniano in Italian, is a Late Antique ivory diptych that was likely made to celebrate a wedding.
The gens Turcia was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens appear in history, but a number are known from inscriptions, which indicate that the Turcii first came to prominence in the time of Augustus. After a period of relative unimportance, they repeatedly attained the highest offices of the Roman state from the third to the fifth century, holding several consulships.