Head of a Dacian prisoner
Roman, early 2nd century AD

Cast Gallery, Ground Floor

Marble portraits of emperors, imperial family members, generals, and city officials played an important role in defining their public image in Roman life. Marble images were also used to define the character of Rome’s barbarian enemies. These powerful generic ‘portraits’ were part of the triumphalist decoration of imperially-sponsored monuments in the city of Rome. Images and narratives of defeated northern and eastern barbarians, decorated arches and public squares. They sought to explain and justify Roman world conquest.

The Forum of Trajan was one of the most impressive monuments of imperial Rome and images of barbarians were displayed within. It illustrates one context in which images of barbarians were displayed. The Forum is named after the emperor Trajan, who reigned from AD98-117, and was built to commemorate his victorious war in Dacia (roughly, modern Romania). It comprised a temple, a basilica, two libraries (one for Greek texts, the other for Latin), and huge public squares. The Column of Trajan, with narrative reliefs of the emperor’s military campaigns in Dacia, stood between the libraries. It was above the colonnade surrounding the piazza that marble sculptures of Dacian prisoners were displayed. Above the captives’ head was inscribed EX MANVBIIS (‘from spoils’), indicating that the conquered enemy had unwittingly financed the Forum.