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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Ancient Art / Ancient Roman Bronze Statuette of a Lictor bearing the Fasces (stunning
A Stunning Roman Empire Lictor Statue , Ancient Roman Circa 1-3 AD Top Piece Very Heavy en Big piece The Attribute (Fasces) Over his left shoulder, the figure clearly carries a thick, bundled vertical object. This matches the classic design of a fasces—a bundle of wooden rods tightly bound together, which sometimes included an axe blade. The Attire He wears a shorter tunic or draped cloak (sagum or lacerna) gathered at the waist. Roman senators typically wore the long, voluminous toga praetexta draped across the body down to the ankles. In contrast, lictors—the official bodyguards and attendants of Roman magistrates—wore practical tunics or specialized cloaks when performing their active duties. The Stance and Role The posture of holding the heavy bundle over the left shoulder while keeping the right arm free is the textbook stance seen in surviving antique bronze appliques and votive figurines depicting imperial lictors. a lictor was a specialized civil servant who served as a bodyguard, ceremonial attendant, and executive officer to high-ranking Roman magistrates who held imperium (the official authority to command). Core Responsibilities Protection and Escort: Lictors marched in single file ahead of the magistrate in public, clearing crowds, maintaining order, and ensuring proper respect was shown to the official. Carrying the Fasces: Each lictor carried a fasces—a bundle of wooden rods tied around an axe—over his left shoulder. The rods symbolized the magistrate's authority to impose corporal punishment (flogging), while the axe blade (added outside the sacred boundary of Rome) symbolized the power of execution. Enforcing Law and Orders: They arrested suspects, summoned citizens to court, and carried out sentences like floggings or executions ordered by their magistrate. Number of Lictors by Rank Dictator: 24 Consul: 12 Praetor: 6 (2 within Rome) Curule Aedile: 2 Emperor: 12 (later increased to 24) Social Class and Status Lictors were typically drawn from the class of freedmen (liberti) or lower-ranking Roman citizens (plebeians). Although they belonged to a lower social class, the job was a paid, organized civic position (appointitores) that provided stable income, social prestige, and direct proximity to Rome's most powerful political figures. Height : 71.7 mm Wide : 29.6 mm Weight : 75.91 Grams Material : Bronze See images for own impressio
Estimate:£339.4
To the auctionView all items fromCatawikiorAncient Art
Estimate:
£339.4
OCT 8 | 3:00 PM
OCT 8 | 3:00 PM
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