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Subject

Flavius Anastasius Paulus Probus Moschianus Probus Magnus, or Magnus, is seated with a sceptre in his left hand and the “mappa circensis” which is a white cloth used to signal the start of the games. Many consular diptychs contained this imagery of the “mappa circensis” including the Consular Diptych of Anastasios and the Consular diptych of Rufus Gennadius Probus Orestes. The subject is wearing a royal costume accompanied by a nimbus behind his head. Anastasius is seated on a dais with lion-leg supports which is typical of imperial court furniture. While he is dressed nicely, it is not as lavish or bejeweled as other depictions of imperial rulers where jewels are overflowing from the subjects like Theodora and Justianian. This could be in part due to his role as a consul and not an emperor. There are no real characteristics of the diptych that define Anastasius as an individual or provide information about his beliefs as an authority figure. Rather, the purpose of the diptych is to establish and make visible his power through establishing legitimacy from above and from his family as well as his place above civilians of the empire. Below Anastasius is not a battle but what looks like a depiction of the games held at the Hippodrome and Circus Maximus. There are two women with staffs displaying the crucifix, standing in front of two horses. It is difficult to see the full narrative of the lowest section of the diptych due to the cut off, however there appears to be other members of the circus in various poses. One has his arm extended to somewhat of an authority figure, potentially asking for something in return for his work at the games. There is also a man with a crab attached to his nose. There is an apparent hierarchical relationship between Magnus and those below him as he is much larger and sits above them as if they are under his feet. Directly above Ariadne and Anastasius I, there are two figures depicting Victories who signal political legitimacy from connecting the Gods to the past dynasty of Ariadne and Anastasius I. These Victories establish political legitimacy by connecting the new consul to Roman roots and traditions. There are three figures that form a tripartite above Anastastius. These figures are believed to be emperor Anastastius at the top, empress Ariadne on the right, and the figure on the left is contested but believed to be either a relative named Pompeius or the former consul.

Context -

The diptych of the Consul Anastasius was made to commemorate Flavius Anastasius becoming the consul in Constantinople in 517 AD. Anastasius was the niece of Anastatius I. The inscription at the top of the diptych reveals this as it says “ANASTASIVS VIR CLARISSIMVS COMES DOMESTICORVM EQVITVM ET CONSUL ORDINARIVS” which translates to the announcement of Anastasius as the consul and in turn a high-ranking officer of the imperial guard. The aspects of the diptych are similar to many other diptychs of the era and I believe that this is due to the belief that the diptychs were a stable means to provide legitimacy for the consul, emperor, empress, or other imperial authorities who were displayed on diptychs. This diptych includes women leading horses below the consul which is interesting to consider how women were represented in circus games. The diptych is formal as the figures displayed on the carved ivory are symmetrical and intricately detailed. The inclusion of classic diptych elements like the inscription and pediment contribute to the traditional representation of legitimate authority.

Style

A diptych is made of two paired paintings or engravings that are attached in some manner. They are generally made of wood, ivory, or metal and have a variety of reasons for their purpose. A popular type of diptych is a consular diptych which is characterized by the importance of introducing a new consul in the empire. Diptychs were given out as a thank you for support of the consul in getting their new position. This diptych, among others of similar nature, establishes a sense of realpolitik that incorporates members of the imperial family including Empress Ariadne and Emperor Anastasius in a god-like manner with them depicted among Victories and above the consul. It can be interpreted as a form of propaganda in that the state of Constantinople was supposed to interpret the presence of the imperial couple as establishing legitimacy for the incoming consul.

Relation to Class

The subject is standing under a triangular pediment, which is typical of Byzantine imperial art as we have discussed in class. For example, the Diptych of Boethius shows the Roman senator Bethius under similar triangle pediments but with the text inscribed below the pediments rather than above. While the center subject is dressed nicely, he is not as decked out or embellished as some of the other imperial figures we have discussed in class, especially considering his role as a niece of Anastasius I. I am curious if the simplicity of his attire is due to his indirect relationship to the imperial family as Anastasius I is not of royal blood. Comparing his dress to that of the diptych of Ariadne, where jewels and necklaces are literally falling off her body, there is a noticeable disconnect between the two. Ariadne, although her depiction on the diptych is important, she is still represented underneath her husband, despite herself being the connection to the imperial family and to the side of her husband’s nephew.

Relation to Readings

“In the Name of the Father, the Husband, or Some Other Man” author Matthew Kinloch argues that “The ‘wife/daughter/mother of X’ is not an autonomous individual but a subordinate character. Each is dependent (either in part or in whole) on a male character” (Kinloch 310). This is applicable to Ariadne’s depiction in this diptych however not necessarily applicable to all depictions of her in art as she is shown on coins, diptychs of herself, and statues. Ariadne was able to establish herself as the basileia of her imperial family in that the image of her husband and son was dependent on her. Ariadne, comparatively, had a lot more autonomy as an empress with royal blood as opposed to a woman like Theodora marrying into the imperial family. In “The Visual Representation of the Empress Theodora” Anne McClanan points out the scarcity of images of Theodora in art and documentation: “While we can enumerate a few examples of Theodora’s image scattered across the Empire, her visual record comes short of that of Empresses Ariadne and Sophia in quantity” (McClanan 122). This is interesting to think about when considering how much historians discuss Theodora despite her minimal representation. In part, this is due to the fact that her husband was a well-documented and fundamental figure to the Byzantine Empire so it is assumed that his wife also had a role in this success and legitimacy. This raises the question of how important is the image of an empress in a cult image. It was also noted in “the consular diptych of Justinus…which includes the image of Theodora following the tradition that represented Ariadne on official ivories” (147). This is worth mentioning in discussion of the traditions set by Theodra as being represented and the influence her minimal representation had in empresses that followed in establishing their presence and legitimacy as imperial figures. “The Empress Sophia: Authority and Image in an Era of Conflict” Anne McClanan Empress Sophia followed Theodora and Ariadne, and it is worth mentioning that historical texts “[conjoined] Sophia with Justin II in their texts, although neither Ariadne nor Theodora are mentioned in the oaths” of their husbands, however “after the precedent set by Sophia, imperial women…continued to be routinely included in these documents” (McClanan 153). It is demonstrated that with each female empress from Theodora to Sophia the amount of power that was legitimized grew through more sources of representation whether that be in art or historical documents. Sophia and Ariadne are similar empresses in that both of their lineages provided connections to the previous rulers as opposed to their husbands who did not.

Three Questions

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