Rufius Probianus ( fl. 400 AD) was a vicarius of the late Roman Empire. He is known from an ivory diptych on which he appears with his right hand lifted in an oratorical gesture to indicate that he is either speaking or has the right to speak. [1]
Rufius Probianus ( fl. 400 AD) was a vicarius of the late Roman Empire. He is known from an ivory diptych on which he appears with his right hand lifted in an oratorical gesture to indicate that he is either speaking or has the right to speak. [1]
It is not known for certain when the ivory diptych of Rufius Probianus was created, it is believed to be dated to between the years 396 AD and 416 AD. [2] However in the year 384 the emperor of the eastern empire, Theodosius I, decided to enact a law that forbid the issuance of gold and diptychs made of ivory by anyone other than a consul. There is evidence of diptychs being created that appear to be in opposition of this law and many scholars believe that the law was ignored, or that special permission was given to allow the creation of these ivory diptychs. Rufius Probianus was but one example of a lesser official issuing an ivory diptych as he was only vicarius of the city of Rome, a station well below that of a consul. Another famous example of a Roman official who presented diptychs in opposition of the law was Aurelius Symmachus who issued diptychs to his son to celebrate his achievements. [3] [4]
Despite diptychs presumably being banned at the time of Theodosius rule, he was only emperor of the eastern half of the empire. It is believed by some that the laws passed by the emperors of each half of the Roman empire, often only applied to the territories where they were enacted. [3] This would mean that the law may not have held in the western half of the empire where Rufius Probianus held office in Rome.
The Diptych has traveled around through the years and can be linked to Werden Abbey where it was paired with the Vita Secunda manuscript into a book box. [2] From there it was acquired by the Library in Münster and then purchased by the Berlin State Library, which is owned by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, where it currently resides. [2] [5]
The diptych itself is very ornate. Most diptychs are carved out of ivory and have two plates that are connected through some sort of hinge. Both plates of the Probianus diptych are nearly identical in size with dimensions of approximately 317 mm x 129 mm. [2] There are two inscriptions on the diptych. The first inscription along the top reads "Rufius Probianus is vicarius of the city of Rome". The second inscription is inside the left panel on a scroll that Probianus appears to be writing in and reads "May Probianus prosper!" [5] The right panel shows Probianus seated with his right arm up and holding up two fingers. In both panels Probianus is flanked by two notaries on either side and what could be petitioners below. There are busts of the current Roman emperors in the background behind Probianus.
The 390s decade ran from January 1, 390, to December 31, 399
Mediolanum, the ancient city where Milan now stands, was originally an Insubrian city, but afterwards became an important Roman city in northern Italy. The city was settled by the Insubres around 600 BC, conquered by the Romans in 222 BC, and developed into a key centre of Western Christianity and capital of the Western Roman Empire. It declined under the ravages of the Gothic War, its capture by the Lombards in 569, and their decision to make Ticinum the capital of their Kingdom of Italy.
The Dominate is the name sometimes given to the "despotic" later phase of imperial government, following the earlier period known as the "Principate", in the ancient Roman Empire. This phase is more often called the Tetrarchy at least until 313 when the empire was reunited.
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 the important position of queens within Frankish royal families. Brunhilda ordered the list to be inscribed and offered it to the church as a votive image.
Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius was a high official of the Eastern Roman Empire and the last ordinary consul of Roman history, holding the office in 541.
Religion in the Greco-Roman world at the time of the Constantinian shift mostly comprised three main currents:
Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whose membership changes over time and according to the context. The image develops from Early Christian art, as a depiction of the Heavenly throne as described in 1 Enoch, Daniel 7, and The Apocalypse of John. In the Byzantine world, the image developed slightly differently into the half-length Christ Pantocrator, "Christ, Ruler of All", a usually unaccompanied figure, and the Deesis, where a full-length enthroned Christ is entreated by Mary and St. John the Baptist, and often other figures. In the West, the evolving composition remains very consistent within each period until the Renaissance, and then remains important until the end of the Baroque, in which the image is ordinarily transported to the sky.
Flavius (Constantinus) Felix was a general of the Western Roman Empire, who reached the prominent rank of patrician before being killed by order of Flavius Aetius. For his consulate, in 428, he issued some consular diptychs, one of which has been preserved until modern times.
Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus was a leading Roman aristocrat of the later 4th century AD, renowned for his wealth, power and social connections.
Gaius Caeionius Rufius Volusianus was a Roman senator who had a lengthy political career and who was appointed consul at least twice, the known dates being AD 311 and 314.
The Symmachi–Nicomachi diptych is a book-size Late Antique ivory diptych dating to the late fourth or early fifth century, whose panels depict scenes of ritual pagan religious practices. Both its style and its content reflect a short-lived revival of traditional Roman religion and Classicism at a time when the Roman world was turning towards Christianity and rejecting the Classical tradition.
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 future.
Virius Nicomachus Flavianus (334–394) was a grammarian, a historian and a politician of the Roman Empire.
Flavius Decius was a politician of the Eastern Roman Empire. A member of the Decia gens, he was appointed Consul Ordinarius for 529 without colleague.
Rufius Achilius Sividius was a Roman senator under Odoacer's rule. His brothers included Rufius Achilius Maecius Placidus, and Anicius Acilius Aginantius Faustus.
Flavius Claudius Antonius was a Roman politician under the reigns of Valentinian I, Gratian and Theodosius I. He was appointed consul in AD 382 alongside Flavius Afranius Syagrius.
The Esquiline Treasure is an ancient Roman silver treasure that was found in 1793 on the Esquiline Hill in Rome. The hoard is considered an important example of late antique silver work from the 4th century AD, probably about 380 for the major pieces. Since 1866, 57 objects, representing the great majority of the treasure, have been in the British Museum.
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.
Rufius Postumius Festus was a Roman aristocrat who lived during the Late Roman Empire. Festus was the last consul appointed by an Emperor in the West. The next consul appointed in the West was Caecina Decius Maximus Basilius, whom king Odoacer appointed in 480, eight years after Festus.
The gens Rufia, occasionally spelled Ruffia, was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are not mentioned in history until imperial times, and they achieved little prominence until the late third century, from which time the family rose in importance, gaining the consulship on a number of occasions from the time of Constantine the Great to that of Justinian, and frequently holding the post of praefectus urbi.