The Buildings and the Images of
the Imperial Cult
V Aphrodisias – Sebasteion
Aphrodisias
- south-western Asia Minor, the Maeander
river basin, province Caria, 150 kilometers
from the Aegean Sea
- it is situated at the center of the valley
- the principal natural resources
- the site has been know since the 18th
century
- free and autonomous city within the Roman
province of Asia
- relative isolation from the main roads- relative isolation from the main roads
Aphrodisias
-orthogonal planning
-medium-sized city
Greek features
Roman features
- some of the buildings do not fit the regular grid
Chronology of the city’s evolution:
a)Earliest occupation
b) Small settlement (1200 BC – 2nd century BC)
c) Hellenistic and Augustan (2nd century BC – late 1st century BC)
d) Early imperial (1st century AD)
e) High imperial (100 - 300 AD)
f) Late Antiquity (300 – 600 AD)
Excavations:
- the site has been know since the 18th century
- systematic research: New York University – Kenan Erim, 1961 - 1990
- 60s - 90s
Sebasteion
- east of the city centre
- clearly younger than the original town planning
- the complex was paid for by two important
families
- dedicated to the emperor, Livia, Theoi Sebastoi and Demos (worship of Aphrodite and the
emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty)
Excavations:
1979 - a surprising discovery
a) Series of rooms
b) Panel reliefs
c) Paved courtyard
1980 - further excavations – southern portico
1981 - a full length documented, monumental entrance
- 4th century AD
1982 - the most intense and richest for findings
- a close study of the propylon
- rotunda closely
Following 10 years – not such a dynamic research, but systematic excavating and evaluatingFollowing 10 years – not such a dynamic research, but systematic excavating and evaluating
90s - publication and minor field work
- understanding the situation in the Byzantine
Early 21st century
- overall understanding of the situation in the site and its function, excavations in the area of
the temple (podium, fragments of two acroteria)
Characteristics:
- consists of 4 buildings
- a combination of Greek and Roman elements in architecture
a) Greek
b) Roman
c) Novum
- unique sculptural decoration, more than 90 panel reliefs documented (assumed number is
about 190)
Propylon
- a monumental, two-storey column entrance
gate, aediculated façade
Statues of an imperial family and their ancestors
(also mythical to claim their powers)
- 10 bases with inscriptions
- 4 bases with inscriptions and fragments of
statues
- 1 statue and its base
Porticoes
- southern and northern porticoes
divided to rooms with the width of 3 intercolumnari
- Doric, Ionic, Corinthian style
- 190 sculptural reliefs (90 preserved and documented)
Northern portico
- less preserved
- pieces come from its both ends
Southern portico
- collapsed in late antiquity – a lot of
material found
- panels: not evenly wide
Eastern part of the complex
- the worst preserved part
- only a ground plan documented
- a roman style
Panels: mythological, allegorical,
imperial context
Sculptural Decoration in Sebasteion
There are two different kinds of sculptural decoration
in Sebasteion:
Panel Reliefs:
1. Mythological reliefs1. Mythological reliefs
2. Imperial reliefs
3. Traditional gods
4. Series of personified nations (Ethné)
5. Universal allegories
Individual Statues:
1. Statues (or fragments) and bases - 5
2. Bases (only) – 10
N S
P
Aemilia Lepida
Statues
Bases and statue (fragments):
1. Livia
2. Lucius Caesar
3. Drusus Caesar
4. Aemilia Lepida
5. Agrippina Maior
Bases:
1. Gaius Caesar
2. Aeneas
3. Aphrodite3. Aphrodite
4. Germanicus Caesar
5. Marcus Lepidus
6. Antonia Augusta
7. Tiberius Claudius Drusus
8. Agrippina Minor
9. Julia
10. Atia (Augustus’ mother)
Bases and statue (fragments):
Livia
Lucius Caesar
Drusus Caesar Aemilia Lepida Agrippina Maior
Bases:
Marcus Lepidus
Gaius Caesar
Aeneas
Agrippina Minor
Marcus Lepidus
Atia
Tiberius Claudius Drusus
Aphrodite
Germanicus Caesar
Antonia Augusta
Julia
Marcus Lepidus
Augustus, Nike and trophy
Imperial prince as Dioskouros
Empress sacrificing (Livia?)
Unfinished Imperator (Tiberius)
Germanicus with a captive
Claudius with allegories of Land and Sea
Claudius and Agrippina
Nero and Agrippina
a) Parma b) Cagliari c) Thermen museum
Stuttgart type
Two princes
Claudius and Britannia
Nero and Armenia
- the reconstruction of position (between the panels with Claudius and Britannia and Nero and
Armenia) has two reasons
Composition
- the two reliefs
complementing each
other
- they show crowning
of male and female
figure
- the portraits are
highly idealized, but
it is very likely that
the couple represents
Augustus and Livia,
Emperor and Roman people
Aphrodite and Rome
Augustus and Livia,
even though the
position is not so
close