Byzantine Doppelgangers!

 Can you spot the differences? The reconstruction of Constantine the Great (325 CE, right) and the Statue of Jupiter (ca 100 CE, below) were made nearly 200 year apart, but they look so similar!

 In actuality, the similarities are not coincidence. Constantine (the guy looking all cool above right) removed the statue of Jupiter from Olympia and brought it to Constantinople because it was so famous. He then made his statue (Constantine the Great) and modeled it after the king of the Gods. The main differences in them, however, show Constantine as a Christian emperor, not a pagan one. Constantine's statue holds and orb topped with a cross. What he is doing is really clever. He is linking himself to Jupiter, the Roman king of the Gods, but also to Christ, King of heaven. Way to play both sides of the field!

These statues are just two examples of how Byzantines in Constantinople and around the world used common visual language like that of Greco-Roman statues to show how cool their new Christian rule was. And they say they hated pagans... Ha!






Images courtesy of Wikimedia

The Projecta Casket: Pagan or Christian?

The Projecta Casket is a silver guilt box that belonged to a Roman woman named Projecta. What is most interesting about this box is the conflicting imagery and inscription.

The Projecta Casket contains relief images of bathing, or toilet, scenes. On this side of the lid, we see a depiction of the Toilet of Venus. In the center is Venus herself, being presented on her shell with gifts. Directly below this, on the side of the box, we see Projecta presented in the same way, on a throne and receiving gifts. Does this mean Projecta worshiped Venus? Nope!
Immediately above the image of Projecta receiving gifts, we find an inscription:

"Secundus and Projecta, Live in Christ" is the rough translation. If Projecta and her husband Secundus were Christian, why did they place an image of Venus on this box? It's easy to guess that, maybe, they worshiped both Christ and Venus, but the connection is deeper than that. Projecta is being compared to Venus as a perfect example of feminine behavior. Linking them together in this visual language is saying that Projecta is an awesome woman! The inscription is what tells us she is Christian.
What's so important about this casket? It is one of the earliest examples that we've found that Christian believers were using common pagan imagery in the development of their art. Really, the casket is a trend setter!

Images from The British Museum [http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=36296001&objectId=59394&partId=1#more-views]