It’s All How You Spin It: Marcus Fulvius Nobilior’s Display of Plunder

Presenters

Jaymie Orchard, University of Otago

Abstract

Around the turn of the second century B.C.E., the practice of plundering culturally significant artifacts and bringing them back to Rome for display became an increasingly important aspect of identity creation for Rome, as an empire, as well as for individuals. Plunder entered Rome for the first time to be seen by the public in the triumph, a highly ritualized military procession through the city, and was subsequently displayed in more permanent public contexts. In this paper I consider, as a case study, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior’s display of plunder. Through archaeological and written sources, I explore the narrative created through his display and its divergence from the literary sources.

In the early 180s B.C.E. Nobilior returned to Rome, after declaring victories against the Aetolians, Cephallenians, and Ambraciots, expecting to be awarded a triumph. What followed, however, was an intense debate in the senate over the potential sacrilege of plundering Ambracia and therefore the appropriateness of a triumph. Though he was finally granted a triumph for his victories in Aetolia and Cephallenia his reputation in our literary works was marred by the political controversy relating to Ambracia. I argue that this contention did not meaningfully alter how he displayed plunder. For although the victory was not officially condoned, plunder from Ambracia was nevertheless displayed in triumph, in dramatic performance, in temple dedications, a monumental calendar, and on inscribed statue bases.

While the Roman elite had access to information through personal political connections or written sources, the majority of Rome’s populations would have necessarily relied upon displays of plunder that followed victorious campaigns to shape their understanding of events of conquest. I demonstrate how Nobilior’s display of plunder communicated a straightforward narrative of pious victory and how this differed from the literary depiction of a victory tainted by political and religious misconduct.