Mausoleum of the Julii by SunriseGirl
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Description
Located at the archeological site at Glanum. From Wikipedia a detailed description follows:
The Mausoleum of the Julii, located across the Via Domitia, to the north of, and just outside the city entrance, dates to about 40 BCE, and is one of the best preserved mausoleums of the Roman era.[12]
A dedication is carved on the architrave of the building facing the old Roman road, which reads:
SEX · M · L · IVLIEI · C · F · PARENTIBVS · SVEIS
Sextius, Marcus and Lucius Julius, sons of Gaius, to their forebears
It is believed that the mausoleum was the tomb of the mother and father of the three Julii brothers, and that the father, for military or civil service, received Roman citizenship and the privilege of bearing the name of the Julii, one of the most distinguished families in Rome.[12]
The mausoleum is built in three stages. The upper stage, or tholos, is a circular chapel with Corinthian columns. It contains two statues wearing togas, presumably the father and grandfather of the Julii. (The heads of the statues were lost at an earlier date, and replaced in the 18th century). The conical roof is decorated with carved fish scales, traditional for Roman mausoleums. The frieze beneath the conical roof is decorated with a rinceaufeaturing carvings of acanthus leaves, used in Roman mortuary architecture to represent eternal rebirth.
The middle stage, or quadrifons, is an arch with four bays. The archivoltes, or curved bands of decoration on the tops of the arches, also have acanthus leaves. At the top of each arch is the carved head of a gorgon, the traditional protector of Roman tombs.
The frieze at the top of the quadrifons is decorated with carvings of tritons, carrying the disk of the sun, and with sea monsters.
The lowest part of the mausoleum is decorated with carved garlands of vegetation, theater masks and cupids or putti, and with mythical or legendary scenes.
North face – a battle of horsemen, and a winged victory carries a trophy.
East face – an infantryman unhorses an Amazon warrior, a warrior takes trophies from a dead enemy, and the figure of Fame recites the story of the battle to a man and woman. The scene may be inspired by theAmazonomachy, the mythical war between the Greeks and the Amazons.
West face – a scene from the Iliad and Trojan War, the Greeks and Trojans fighting for the body of Patroclus.
South face – Cavaliers hunt for wild boar in a forest. One cavalier is wounded and dying in the arms of a companion. This may represent the legend of the hunt for the Calydonian Boar, conducted by Meleager, with Castorand Pollux shown on horseback.[13]
Comments (9)
durleybeachbum
Most impressive, and what a gorgeous blue sky to set it off!
T.Rex
Thanks for the post and for the detailed description. Would be nice to learn more about the family history. Keep up the good work! :-)
Cyve
Thank my friend for these informations... Fantastic shot once again !!!
CleonXXI Online Now!
Gorgeous photo and detailed and interesting historical explanation.
Faemike55
interesting and informative
great photo as well
photosynthesis
Impressive vertical structure - I would have liked to see how they built this using the technology that was available at the time...
kgb224
Amazing capture. Thank you for sharing all the information as well in the captures that you have uploaded. God bless.
wysiwig
What a magnificent and well preserved structure. Perhaps it survived so well because it is slightly out of the way.
goodoleboy
All the above, Sunrise.