Missorium of Theodosius I

The Theodosius Missorium is a silver plate from the 4th century AD and is therefore assigned to the Theodosian era. It was in 1847 southeast of the Spanish city of Almendralejo discovered in a hoard. The Missorium is now in the Gabinete of Antiquities of the Real Academia de la Historia in Madrid.

Missorium is in the late antique literature the term for the large, round, flat center panel of a ceremonial dishes. Is derived the term probably Latin missus = shipment or mensa lat = table, where both the meaning as a gift or only hinted at their use as Auftrageplatten.

Fund history

The Missorium of Theodosius I. was found during fieldwork. In Alemdralejo, a town 29km away from Mérida, were discovered in 1847 on the Missorium and two small silver cups. However, these cups are now lost. However, there is conflicting evidence about the condition of the find. Helmut Schlunk and Theodor Hauschild describe in their book, that it was made in the field work of a plow and thus fell into two parts. Richard Delbrueck other hand, writes that it was found folded together. As you now the Missorium tried to edit it with a chisel and broke it small pieces of Missoriums were lost. In edited by Martin Guggisberg book on the silver treasure of Kaiseraugst, it is said that the panel was divided in ancient times by chisel blows.

Technical data and conservation status

The circular Theodosius Missorium has a diameter of 74 cm and 4-8 mm thick. It weighs from Roman pound starting 15.350 kg. Both the diameter and the weight information can be found on the back in Greek characters. If you look at the conservation status can be seen that the broken Missorium also lacks the foot. Also, mentioned in the literature for hanging device is no longer available. Back and frame are separated. It is also spotty, as an electrotype copy of the Victoria and Albert Museum was made ​​. The gilding is obtained only in the letters. The Theodosius Missorium is slightly oxidized.

Of production and manufacturing technology

The artists and the workshop are not precisely known. The most probable place of manufacture for the Theodosius Missorium applies Thessaloniki, the capital of the Macedonian Dioecesis. Here Theodosius committed his Decenalienfeier the ten-year government jubilee on January 19, 388 AD The silversmith, who is responsible for making the largitio, accompanied the Emperor everywhere. Thus it can be assumed that they were in when Theodosius I in Thessaloniki.

To prepare the Theodosius Missorium Ziseliermeißel various thickness, gouge and Punktpunzen were used. Kreispunzen arise obliquely placed semicircles. The casting technique was used, which suggests that Theodosius Missorium was produced in a series. However, the inscription has not been cast together, but individually stamped.

The iconographic program

The Theodosius Missorium has the encircling inscription D ( ominus ) N ( noster ) THEODOSIVS Perpet ( uus ) AVG ( ustus ) OB DIEM FELICISSIMUM X, ie "Our Lord Theodosius Augustus resistant due to the day of his ( happy ) ten-year anniversary. " Through this inscription the Theodosius Missorium can be dated to the year 388 AD, the year of the ten-year anniversary of the Government of Theodosius I.

The Theodosius Missorium is divided into two zones, an upper larger and lower smaller divided. In the middle of the upper zone perched in the center of the plate Theodosius I, Roman emperor from 379 to 395 He sits on a chair and braces on his left hand. It reaches a person in front of him with his right hand an object. His head is surrounded by a nimbus. Theodosius has a slim, clean-shaven face and a broad forehead, the nose is quite long, slightly curved and slender shape. His mouth and his chin are almost tender. The hair is combed and hangs loosely in the neck. On his head he wears a diadem, a broad band studded with pearls. The forehead is a jewel trimmed with beads convex stone. He is wearing a chlamys, which is held together over the shoulder of an oval brooch splendor. The stone has a convex bead version. Underneath he wears a short tunic with long sleeves and a very wide, decorated with beaded trim, a loose belt, stockings and shoes, the so-called Campagi. These are closed over the instep, where there is also an oval gemstone, called a hump is located.

The left and right sitting of Theodosius people are surrounded by a nimbus. According to the conventions of semantic perspective they are displayed smaller than the emperor. Your head they tend to slightly over to Theodosius. Her hair is also embellished with a diadem. They wear the same kind of clothes, a chlamys with inserts, which is held together by a brooch. The short tunic has long sleeves short, they also wear stockings and Campagi. Overall, their clothing is simpler than that of the Emperor.

Law of Theodosius I is Valentinian II, one of its two co- regent. It sits a little further back. His left hand holds a nearly head-sized globe, can be seen on the triangles. His right hand he relies on a large scepter. He has a broad head and a shorter nose. The use of his chlamys is a network pattern of overlapping circles. The Campagi have no pearl trimmings.

Links of Theodosius is the second co-regent, his eldest, then only eleven year old son Arcadius. He also holds a globe in his left hand. His free hand he raised to the speech gesture. This speech gesture applies in the late 4th and early 5th century as a sign of the Emperor in childhood. This representation is positive, since it is regarded as education and skills formula. Often there were doubts as to the competence of child emperor. Arcadius sits back further and is even smaller. It is similar to Theodosius, his face is pointed, shorter, and especially younger. The use of his chlamys contains a rotated square and in it you can see with a small round disk.

The fact that it is in all three Augusti, can fix it, because they bear the Augusti reserved the diadem. All three of them sit on chairs without a backrest but with a so-called footstool. The officer shown on the Theodosius Missorium receives from Theodosius a so-called diptych presented. Theodosius thus gives him a codicillus, this means that the officials an office is conferred. However, it remains questionable whether the award represented here of an office is an individual case or a permanent feature of the emperor. The diptych is held together by a transverse band. The hands of the officials are veiled and he is in a walking stance. In the literature it has been described as the face may have looked like, as it is almost completely destroyed. Round and beardless. The hair similar to that of the emperor. He also wears a short tunic, a chlamys about it. His guide is a typical cross officials fibula. Both the left and right of the picture you can see two bodyguards. You have full, straight hair and no beard. The faces look Germanic and soldierly. They also wear a short tunic with trim. In their hands they hold short lances and shields. Behind the people one sees the imperial tribunal, which consists among other things of four Corinthian pillars.

In the lower half of Theodosius Missoriums is a large female figure, an allegory of the Terra or Tellus. She is leaning on her right elbow and a horn stuck into their elbow. It is located between plants, fruit and corn. She is wearing only a cloth wrapped her legs. Your view it is directed to the emperor. In her hair she wears a wreath of beans, grapes, leaves and a forehead jewel of a round shape.

In the lower part of the Missoriums three genii float. This four year old boy also occur in the upper portion of the Missoriums. In two corners of the pediment. The lower section, with scarves or a basket of fruit. One of the genii holding the flower in her hand, looks up to Theodosius. The genii and Tellus or Terra stand for the so-called " Happy Age." The genii occurring here represent the four seasons in the masculine form. The genii, also called Kairoi or tempora anni, are the male version of the Latin seasons. However, you will find only in the imperial literature frequent mention. Genii and Tellus are often presented in conjunction with each other. Her cult is closely linked with that of the Emperor. The Theodosius Missorium is typical of the Byzantine antiquity, as the peculiar recession and disappearance of the picturesque landscape is available here. Also has the image no bottom line and was thus immediately set to the background.

Groundbreaking insights on the interpretation just given of Theodosius Missorium published Richard Delbrueck 1929. This is still widely accepted and other works build on it, such as the text Wulf Raecks. Friedrich Wilhelm Deichmann and Jutta Meischner suggested a different interpretation of the iconographic program of Theodosius Missoriums, which not only led to a temporal re-dating of the Missoriums, but also to the fact that the people in photo now represent other Augusti.

Deichmann relates the Missorium to the year 393 AD He justifies this by saying that the existing in the inscription of Theodosius Missoriums X top has a circle and thus the X as 15 instead of 10 would have to be interpreted. Thus, the question refers Missorium the fifteenth jubilee, not the tenth. So Valentinian II could no longer be one of the co-regent, as this had already died in 392 AD.

Meischner however, laid the Missorium Theodosius in the 5th century, in the year 421 AD She argues that it is the emperor in the middle of Theodosius II, to whose rights Honorius and to his left Valentinian III. concerns. This interpretation is based, among other things, that the Meischner Theodosius Missorium regarded as a work of lower quality. For example, the seat design is not shown flawlessly. This would not fit in the time of Theodosius I.. Decided against this interpretation Arne Effenberger expressed. As an argument against the dating Meischners he indicates for example, that Theodosius II 408 became the sole ruler. His 10th Jubilee would thus have been 418 and not 421 AD. Meischners argument that government anniversaries were also shifted once he sees as not applicable.

The Theodosius Missorium: A Largitionsplatte and an image representation

The Theodosius Missorium is also called Larigitionsplatte since these were used for representation. Also honorable awards will be provided with such items at the show. There are precious variants of silver or of less costly material, on which many things are presented, related to an emperor. Such objects are given away by the Emperor himself on the occasion of New Year receptions or anniversaries government. But other persons, such as persons who wanted to show their loyalty to the emperor, gave away Largitionsplatten or shells, which are often provided with figural decoration and usually had reference to the reason for the donation. Thus, the plates or shells were part of the so-called largitio.

The Theodosius Missorium can be called a representation picture, since the main character is shown frontally and out turns her gaze from the image space. The viewer's attention is drawn to the very person Theodosius I..

Art Historical importance

In addition to Theodosius Missorium there are other smaller and larger Largitionsschalen that can be used as comparison objects. The silver plate from the imperial treasure trove of large Bodungen comes to a diameter of 26 cm. From the fragments of this plate could be concluded that even a sitting Emperor Theodosius as in - Missorium, is shown.

Nearly one inch taller than the silver plate Emperor of Great Bodungen is the Largitionsschale of Valentinian in Geneva. In the middle of the shell of the standing emperor is depicted as a soldier, left and right, accompanied by three armed companions.

The Missorium the Aspar comes to a diameter of 42 cm. The main character is enthroned Consul Aspar, accompanied by his son .. Again, among other portrait shields of Aspar's ancestors mapped. This Missorium is an example that the giving of Largitiongegenständen was not alone for the emperor, but also consuls had this opportunity. Another example that the Theodosius Missorium already comes closer to the diameter is the Decenalienplatte of Constans from the silver treasure of Kaiseraugst, with 56-57 cm. At last, it should be pointed to the Missorium of Anastasius, the so-called Anastasius plate. It has 72 cm just a 2 cm smaller in diameter than the Theodosius Missorium. It dates back to the ship grave of Sutton Hoo.

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