Colossus of Barletta

The Colossus of Barletta was a local tradition, according to the early 14th century almost completely retained in the port of Barletta found. The bronze statue was perhaps originally part of a column monument that stood in Constantinople Opel, and was robbed in this case, probably in 1204 by the Crusaders and made ​​it to Italy. It is also conceivable that the statue has already been sent in late antiquity to Italy, because it was customary that were placed there after the so-called division of the Empire of 395 statues of the Eastern Emperor recognized in the West. It is known that Frederick II had to create a bronze statue of Emperor Ravenna, the former royal capital of Western Rome to southern Italy, but never got there; Possibly, these were to the Colossus of Barletta. One thing is of most researchers believe that it is the portrait of a late antique emperor of the Eastern Empire. The former almost five feet high colossus is clothed with a tunic, armor and Paludamentum, is the head crowned with a diadem. Overall, the statue is scheduled to action at a distance, since the individual forms are not differentiated.

The style elements refer clearly to a Byzantine origin. Formerly, the statue for a picture of the emperor Heraclius ( 610-641 ), but applies this assumption has long been refuted. The view expressed in the earlier research identification as Valentinian I ( 364-375 ) is now mostly also rejected, as well as those Honorius. The exact date is still in dispute, but is highly likely today an emergence in the second half of the 5th century AD The Emperor of representations by Diocletian rather atypical ( indicated ) beardedness supports the interpretation of the statue as an effigy of the Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I. ( 457-474 ), which is shown on some coins bearded (Johnson 1925); but also an identification as Emperor Marcian ( 450-457 ) is possible ( this was in contrast to Leo but no beard ). Both Emperor intervened repeatedly in the affairs of Western Rome.