The Consular Image

Description

This study puts the imagery of late Roman consular diptychs into focus. Its aim is to show that the meanings of the consular image are complex and multi-layered, and reflect the status and functions tied to the consulate in the late Roman period not only from an official perspective but also from an ideological one. The investigation is concerned with what motifs the consular repertory comprises, what forms the different motifs take and how they are applied, but also what may have been the motivations and purposes behind their selection, application and the mode(s) in which they are presented. Assuming that the motifs found within consular imagery carry meaning, what aspects of consulship do they illustrate, and how do they define these aspects? In answering these questions, the author shows that the consular diptychs present a source for the history of the late Roman empire in their own right.