The Faces of Amiternum: Artworks
Theatrical Mask of a Comic Character
Beginning of the 1st c. A.D.
White marble
Provenance From the basin of a fountain in front of the theater at Amiternum (L’Aquila)
The theatrical mask depicts a male character with coiled hair, a deeply furrowed forehead, and arched eyebrows. His eyes are wide open, his nose is rather prominent, and his mouth is open in a broad grin. The features of the mask correspond to a character from Roman comedy, reproduced in a stereotypical way in several ancient sculptures: the comic type of the papposilenus. Although representations of this character are documented in several ancient theatres, including the Theatre of Marcellus in Rome, the mask from Amiternum has unique features, only partially comparable to those of similar finds recovered in Italy, particularly in Parma, and in Spain, in Córdoba. Based on these comparisons, we can also date the Amiternum mask to the first three decades of the 1st century A.D.
The mask was found during recent excavations (2014) carried out by the then Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Abruzzo, in the basin of a fountain located in front of the theatre of Amiternum. Most likely, it originally decorated some part of the monumental complex—possibly the vaulted rooms facing the city’s main road or the stage wall.
Fragment of Theatrical Mask of a Tragic Character
Beginning of the 1st c. A.D.
White marble
Provenance From the basin of a fountain in front of the theater at Amiternum (L’Aquila)
The second theatrical mask depicts a character with a sorrowful expression: the face is framed by straight locks of hair falling over a furrowed forehead, the eyebrows are markedly arched, and the eyes are set in deep sockets surrounded by wrinkles.
Although its state of preservation is not ideal, the facial features are consistent with those of a character from ancient tragedy: the slave. The treatment of the eyebrows and facial wrinkles is very similar to that of a mask from the theatre in Parma, which provides a good parallel to date this object to the first three decades of the 1st century A.D.
Like the other mask, this one was also found during the 2014 excavations conducted by the then Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Abruzzo, in the basin of a fountain positioned in front of the theatre of Amiternum. It likely decorated a portion of the monumental complex, perhaps the vaulted rooms facing the main street or the stage wall.
Portrait Fragment of Emperor Vespasian
Vespasiano
End of the 1st c. A.D.
Limestone
Provenance From the basin of a fountain in front of the theater at Amiternum (L’Aquila)
The portrait fragment of Emperor Vespasian, who reigned from 69 to 79 A.D., can be attributed to the so-called official series of portraits. In such portraits, the emperor’s facial features appear somewhat youthful and almost idealised, while signs of old age are present but softened: wrinkles, for instance, are only superficial. Nevertheless, there was no intent to radically alter his physiognomy. The head is solidly constructed, the wrinkles are still realistic, the hair is thinner at the forehead, the eye is sunken, and the eyelids are slightly puffy.
It is not clear when Vespasian began to be portrayed in this manner: the portrait type may have been introduced either at the beginning of his reign or posthumously. Like the two theatrical masks, this portrait was also found in the basin of a fountain located in front of the theatre of Amiternum during the 2014 excavations by the then Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Abruzzo.
It is an intriguing possibility that a portrait of Vespasian was placed in the theatre to honour his dynasty—the Flavian family—originally from the province of Rieti, once part of the upper Sabina region, the same area as Amiternum.
Portait of a Veiled Man
End of the 1st c. A.D.
White marble
Provenance From the basin of a fountain in front of the theater at Amiternum (L’Aquila)
We do not know the identity of the man represented in this portrait: he was a private citizen, likely a prominent figure in the city of Amiternum. He is shown veiled, with short, sparse hair framing a high forehead. He has deep wrinkles, and his slightly raised eyebrows frame large, protruding eyes surrounded by thin eyelids. The upper lip is barely defined, while the lower lip is rather full and features a dimple underneath. The neck was likely designed to fit into a bust, which has not been found.
Some details appear similar to portraits of Vespasian. For this reason, it is plausible that the portrait was made in the last three decades of the 1st century A.D.
This head was also recovered during the 2014 investigations in the theatre area, specifically in a basin identified behind the theatre. The proximity of the area to the theatre, and the fact that portraits of private individuals are often attested in buildings for public performances, may suggest that the head was part of the theatre’s decoration. However, a large public building was also identified opposite the basin, and it is equally plausible that the object originated from there.
Portrait of a Man
End of the 1st c. B.C.
Limestone
Provenance From Amiternum (L’Aquila)
We also know little about the identity of the man depicted in the second portrait on display: he may have been a member of the local elite around the mid-1st century A.D. Unfortunately, we have no precise information about the findspot of the portrait: we only know that it was discovered in the territory of Amiternum. As is typical in Roman portraits, the man’s features are rendered realistically and not idealised. Although the head is damaged in several areas, especially around the hair, we can observe a rather plump face with large eyes, thick eyelids, and thin lips pressed into a serious expression.