A Roman Marble Sculpture In The Form Of A Young Dacian Barbarian Figure

A Roman marble trapezophore in the form of a young Barbarian Dacian figure Circa 1st-2nd century A.D. Height 24 1/4 inches (62 cm). Property of Mr. Radu Moldovan, Skokie, Illinois Provenance: BC. Holland Gallery, Chicago, Ill. Jonathan Piser, Chicago, Illinois, and Mexico, acquired from the above in the 1970s. Standing, left leg crossed over right, hands tied in front of him, and wearing boots, leggings, a short tunic fastened by a belt and a coat falling on the back, no restoration. Note the high social position of this young man, since he wears a gathered tunic with 2 brooches on each side of the shoulder. The position the figure acquires is "a dignified position" in relation to other captives in a submissive position. He has the same position as: Barbarian prisoner Thusnelda, Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence Early 2nd c. AD Discovered in Rome in 1541 already part of the Capranica della Valle collection in Rome. From 1584 in the Villa Medici in Rome, in Florence since 1787. In the Loggia since 1789. The inspiration for this sculpture probably comes from the series of bound Dacian captives that decorated the Forum of Trajan. The campaign took nearly 50,000 Dacians as slaves and was commemorated on a triumphal column. There the Dacians are depicted subdued and serve as a symbol of Rome's imperial expansion and power. The last king of Dacia, Decebalus, was a longtime enemy of Rome. In AD 101, Emperor Trajan led a major campaign in person to conquer the region. Trajan's engineers built an impressive wooden bridge over the Danube and the emperor led his troops into Dacia quickly defeating Decebalus' army. The two sides signed a peace treaty, but Decebalus could not help but continue attacking Roman territory. Soon war broke out again. The Dacians fought vigorously, but Trajan laid bare overwhelming force employing no less than 13 legions. The Romans advanced inexorably into Dacia, eventually capturing the capital. Decebalus fled with the Roman cavalry in pursuit. Eventually, as the Roman soldiers closed in and his bodyguards were killed, Decebalus committed suicide. With the death of Decebalus in 106 AD, the Dacian Wars ended and the Kingdom of Dacia was annexed and turned into a Roman province. These foreign conflicts led to changes in the physical landscape of Rome itself. Dacia was a region with abundant mineral resources and when Rome annexed it, it also took control of particularly rich gold and silver mines. Ancient historians claim that Trajan acquired nearly 550 tons of gold and silver from Decebalus' hoard. Much of this staggering wealth went into spectacular building projects in Rome, the centerpiece of which was Trajan's Forum. Catalog notice For a related figure in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, see: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/314531/captive-barbarian. See also Christie's, London, October 24, 2013, no. 74.