The Niobid statuary group, discovered during the excavations in Ciampino, Rome, represents a turning point in the artistic representation of the myth. Through the study of technical, stylistic, and iconographic references, it is possible to date these discoveries to the first years of the Augustan principate. On the basis of this date, the Ciampino find may be the oldest known attestation of this ensemble in its entirety. The theme of hybris punished, as represented in the myth of Niobe and her children, relates closely to the ideology of Augustus. If the owner of the villa in Ciampino was in fact Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, as we are tentatively assuming, then Ovid, who was a member of Messalla’s circle, may have actually seen these statues and perhaps even have drawn inspiration from them.
The Niobids and the Augustan Age: On Some Recent Discoveries at Ciampino (Rome)
Elena Calandra
2023-01-01
Abstract
The Niobid statuary group, discovered during the excavations in Ciampino, Rome, represents a turning point in the artistic representation of the myth. Through the study of technical, stylistic, and iconographic references, it is possible to date these discoveries to the first years of the Augustan principate. On the basis of this date, the Ciampino find may be the oldest known attestation of this ensemble in its entirety. The theme of hybris punished, as represented in the myth of Niobe and her children, relates closely to the ideology of Augustus. If the owner of the villa in Ciampino was in fact Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, as we are tentatively assuming, then Ovid, who was a member of Messalla’s circle, may have actually seen these statues and perhaps even have drawn inspiration from them.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
