Importance Of Constantine Iconography

[suzhannah]

hi there,

i am a final year classic civilization student. i have a tricky examiniation question. what would you say was the ideaological elements of constantines arch and mausoleum? i.e did the Arch of Constantine merely recycle earlier imperial reliefs or imbue them with new meaning?

 

what do you think?

 

thanks

suzhannah

[Primus Pilus]

hi there,

i am a final year classic civilization student. i have a tricky examiniation question. what would you say was the ideaological elements of constantines arch and mausoleum? i.e did the Arch of Constantine merely recycle earlier imperial reliefs or imbue them with new meaning?

 

what do you think?

 

thanks

suzhannah

 

I think the question is tricky because how does one determine the right answer? Nobody knows what it means or why he recycled predecessor's arches. Maybe he wanted to show that he was still maintained traditional values despite his flirtations with Christianity and incorporated older Pagan symbols. Perhaps he wanted to associate himself with the 'Good Emperors' of the adoptive period. It could have been a time saving effort to make sure that the monument was prepared ito corresond for the 10th anniversary of his victory. Maybe it was simply a lack of artisan skill or the expense of material and recycling either or both problems.

 

How you argue any or all of those possibilities is up to you, but I hope you get credit for the explanation and not whether or not you chose the answer that your professor prefers.

[suzhannah]

hi there,

i am a final year classic civilization student. i have a tricky examiniation question. what would you say was the ideaological elements of constantines arch and mausoleum? i.e did the Arch of Constantine merely recycle earlier imperial reliefs or imbue them with new meaning?

 

what do you think?

 

thanks

suzhannah

 

I think the question is tricky because how does one determine the right answer? Nobody knows what it means or why he recycled predecessor's arches. Maybe he wanted to show that he was still maintained traditional values despite his flirtations with Christianity and incorporated older Pagan symbols. Perhaps he wanted to associate himself with the 'Good Emperors' of the adoptive period. It could have been a time saving effort to make sure that the monument was prepared ito corresond for the 10th anniversary of his victory. Maybe it was simply a lack of artisan skill or the expense of material and recycling either or both problems.

 

 

 

 

 

How you argue any or all of those possibilities is up to you, but I hope you get credit for the explanation and not whether or not you chose the answer that your professor prefers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

hi there,

i am a final year classic civilization student. i have a tricky examiniation question. what would you say was the ideaological elements of constantines arch and mausoleum? i.e did the Arch of Constantine merely recycle earlier imperial reliefs or imbue them with new meaning?

 

what do you think?

 

thanks

suzhannah

 

I think the question is tricky because how does one determine the right answer? Nobody knows what it means or why he recycled predecessor's arches. Maybe he wanted to show that he was still maintained traditional values despite his flirtations with Christianity and incorporated older Pagan symbols. Perhaps he wanted to associate himself with the 'Good Emperors' of the adoptive period. It could have been a time saving effort to make sure that the monument was prepared ito corresond for the 10th anniversary of his victory. Maybe it was simply a lack of artisan skill or the expense of material and recycling either or both problems.

 

How you argue any or all of those possibilities is up to you, but I hope you get credit for the explanation and not whether or not you chose the answer that your professor prefers.

 

 

 

 

hi primus,

ya thanks, there are no right answers, lecturers just like u to argue a point or two and back them up in your conclusion. but as always, i find myself ambivalent about a lot of things the emperors did re building projects. i take your point about traditional values as a valid one and something that i agree with. its a great feedback for my first time on here.

 

thanks

suzhannah