page_title: Adlocutio
section_title: Panel relief of Marcus Aurelius
hierarchical_section_title: Adlocutio / Panel relief of Marcus Aurelius
caption_attribution_description: English: Identifier: romansculpturefr00stro (find matches) Title: Roman sculpture from Augustus to Constantine Year: 1907 (1900s) Authors: Strong, Eugénie Sellers Subjects: Sculpture, Roman Sculpture, Greco-Roman Publisher: London&#160;: Duckworth and Co. New York&#160;: C. Scribner's Sons Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: by the bull, who isbeing led forward to the front of the panel. In thepanel with the congiarinm (IX.) the Emperor and hissuite form a fine group on a raised platform, while theRoman populace arc typified by four figures below—one of whom, a man, seen from the back, places hishands on the edge of the podium and peers over it.* Anrelian Sculptures at Ephefms and Kindred Works.—The column and the reliefs just considered prove that theAntonine period deserves to rank for its artistic achieve-ments with those of Trajan, Domitian and Augustus.It was indeed an age of splendid public spirit andgreat material achievement.t We shall not be sur-prised to find its influence active also in the moredistant parts of the Empire. At Ephesus, one of themightiest centres of Hellenic art and culture fromtime immemorial, recent excavation has shown how * For an Aurelian relief of similar character to these twelve seeAppendix. ■f S. Dill, Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius.p. 245- PLATE XCir Text Appearing After Image: •ANKLS IltUM A MONL.MICXT Ob MARCUS AUUlOMLtTo face p. 294 Attic of Arch of Coimtantine THE ANTONINE PERIOD 295 the imperial idea fed and vivified anew a great artistictradition. It was among the ruins of the greatLibrary of Ephesus that in the autumn of 1903were discovered a wonderful series of reliefs, whichbelonged to an honorary monument, put up apparentlyto commemorate the Parthian expedition of MarcusAurelius (161-165 a.d.). These reliefs, which are ofcolossal size, were transferred to Vienna in 1904, wherethey are at present exhibited in the Lower Belvedere.*They consist of a number of battle scenes with an inter-mingling of allegorical figures and groups. The dateis fixed by the splendid group of two Emperors, with achild between them, and two attendants. Though thefeatures are slightly idealized it is easy to recognizeMarcus Aurelius in the elder of the two. The otherEmperor is naturally the co-regent Lucius Verus, andthe child is Commodus, whom his father presses closeto h Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: In ancient Rome the Latin word adlocutio means an address given by a general, usually the emperor, to his massed army and legions, and a general form of Roman salute from the army to their leader. Many researches of adlocutio focus on the art of statuary and coinage aspects. It is often portrayed in sculpture, either simply as a single, life-size contraposto figure of the general with his arm outstretched, or a relief scene of the general on a podium addressing the army. Such relief scenes also frequently appear on imperial coinage. The adlocutio is one of the most widely represented formulas of Roman art. The convention is regularly shown in individual figures like the famous Augustus of Prima Porta or can be put into a narrative context as seen in the Aurelian panel. Gestures and body languages are crucial for the study of adlocutio as in ancient time, as addressing to thousands of soldiers was less penetrable in voice sounds compared to body languages and gestures which were more powerful, infectious of raising the army's enthusiasm. Characteristic of the formula is the outstretched hand of speech as well as the contrapposto pose with the weight clearly shifted to one leg.
context_section_description: This panel presents an integral angle looking at adlocutio scene. On this panel depicting the adlocutio event, emperor Marcus Aurelius is doing an adlocutio toward the army with his son-in-law Pompeianus standing behind him as an adviser, making Marcus Aurelius stand out as the leader, the imperator of the army.
caption: The Aurelian panel depicts an adlocutio event  (upper-right).
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