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Roma (Mythology) Draft
[edit]In ancient Roman religion, Roma was a female deity who personified the city of Rome and more broadly, the Roman state.[1] Her image appears on the base of the column of Antoninus Pius. She embodied Rome in complex ways and symbolized the idea woman in society. Roman political and religious ideas were portrayed through Roma in the different forms of media: coins, sculptures and designs on architecture. Roma was a construction of Roman state patronage.[2]Though her depictions have been influenced by other goddesses at the time, Roma still stood out as a symbol of Rome.
In Roman art and coinage, she was usually depicted with a military helmet, and often other military equipment, although in the Greek-speaking east she more often wore a mural crown, signifying Rome's status as a loyal protector of Hellenic city-states.[3] She survived into the Christian period, joining the Tyches of other cities, now as a pure personification. In groups of these she can usually be distinguished by the helmet, as the others wear mural crowns representing their city walls. She often appears on coins, and her depiction seated with a shield and spear later influenced Britannia. Media played a big part on portraying Roma. She was depicted on many different items throughout Rome.
Media & Comparisons
[edit]The goddess Roma was represented throughout ancient Rome in many different ways. In the late first century CE, she was represented on a silver cup. In the town of Boscoreale, Italy she appears helmeted, her foot resting on a helmet and wielding a spear.[4] These depictions of Roma had to be accurate as they presented an 'official' image of Rome. An example of this is during the Punic Wars. Rome issued coins that had the head of Roma on one side and the figure of victory on the other. Rome believed that by doing this would encourage the idea that Rome would prevail over her enemies.[4] In other works, the Gemma Augustea sculpture by Dioscurides, Roma is sat in state beside Augustus in military apparel.
The Arch of Titus is a 1st-century CE honorific arch, located south-east of the Roman Forum. Roma is depicted on the keystone of the arch and is in fully panoply on the left side of the archway. where she is escorting the emperor on chariot. The representation of Roma on the Arch of Titus is constant representation of her throughout the Roman empire. In other arches of Septimimus Severus and Constantine, she is depicted the same.[4]
All of the forms of media Roma was depicted in throughout Rome, mimic the representations of Minerva. The images of Roma all portray characteristics that represent Rome: intelligence, dignity and military strength. Roma's imagery was made to depict what Rome is and the idealised view of Romanitas.[4] This was the Roman personification of its virtues.
Not only was the depiction of Roma important to Rome but also women living in the society. Roma's 'femaleness' showed that she was a consort to the emperor and protector of the Roman people. This is revealed through her revealed breasts which signified her virtue.[2] Throughout Rome, Roma has been depicted with revealed breasts. Her breasts were the symbol for her maternal nurture of the Roman people. Roma is the mother of the Roman people, therefore, her maternal beauty was sculpted throughout the various forms of media.
In Greek cities, the depiction of Roma is similar to the iconography of Tyches. Tyches was the goddess of Greek states and is said to be the daughter of Aphrodite and Zeus. Similar to Rome, many Greek states dedicated temples, altars, statues to Roma.[2] But since Greek cities also worshipped Tyches, her attributes also was adopted in Greek depictions of Roma. Some of these attributes include Tyches' mural crown and cornucopia.[2] Other similarities between goddess include Athena. Romans considered Athena to be the Hellenic equivalent to Minerva, therefore she was often seen in Roman culture too. An example of this is Roma's seated pose. This seated pose of Roma appears in 69 percent of the known images, which is influenced by the established imagery of Athena.[2] Like Athena, Roma is represented as a masculinized-female who has the personification of empires built on conquest and war.[2] The difference in the two goddesses is the clothing worn. Athena does not show legs or bare breasts.
- ^ Mellor, 956.
- ^ a b c d e f Joyce, Lillian (2014). "ROMA AND THE VIRTUOUS BREAST". Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome. 59/60: 1–49. ISSN 0065-6801.
- ^ Mellor, R., "The Goddess Roma" in Haase, W., Temporini, H., (eds), Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt, de Gruyter, 1991, pp 60-63.
- ^ a b c d Bond, Robin P (January 1, 2001). "The City in Roman Satire with Special Reference to Horace and Juvenal" (PDF). Scholia. 10: 77–91 – via Sabinet.