The Imperial Statue from Iustiniana Prima

Perica Špehar
2013 Arheologija i prirodne nauke  
At the time of the renewal of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of the emperor Justinian I, a new city was built in Dacia Mediterranea as the imperial endowment -Iustiniana Prima. Today it is usually believed that the mentioned city, described by Procopius, can be identified with the archaeological site of Caričin grad. During the research of the circular forum in the Upper Town, several fragments of the bronze statue were discovered. Based on the analysis of the analogous artistic
more » ... , it could be concluded that the fragments from Iustiniana Prima were the lower parts of the bronze muscle cuirass of the monumental imperial statue, about 2.2 m high. Its style and the place of its find, as well as the fact that the fragments were discovered on the site which has only the horizons of 6th and 7 th century, suggest with some certainty that it was the standing statue of Justinian I. The emperor was displayed on the circular forum of Iustiniana Prima, the center of the newly formed imperial town: according to the analogies, he had the globe with cross as the symbol of the worldly power in one hand, and the cross or more probably spear in another.
doi:10.18485/arhe_apn.2013.9.3 fatcat:wiwigaichjemjilnftn4havhzq