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Roman Military Decoration Torques. Literary, epigraphic, representational and archaeological evidence.
Rimsko vojaško odlikovanje torkves. Literarni, epigrafski in arheološki viri ter upodobitve.

Author: Janka Istenič, Anja Ragolič
Year: 2023


The monograph deals with the Roman military decoration of torques from its beginnings in the late Republican period to the beginning of the 3rd century AD. It is based on the analysis of all available types of sources, i.e. ancient texts, epigraphic sources (inscriptions), depictions on stone monuments and archaeological sources (chapters 2 to 5). Chapter 6 is devoted to the discussion of the assumption expressed in several publications that the Romans decorated their soldiers not only with pairs of torques worn on the chest, but also with single torques worn around the neck. The most important findings from chapters 2 to 6 and the conclusions drawn from them are discussed in chapter 7.

An integral part of the book is a list of 110 Roman inscriptions (List 1) in which a unit or individual decorated with a torques is mentioned, as well as a list of 33 tombstones and other stone monuments depicting this decoration (List 2). The monuments in List 2 are presented with high-quality photographs; their publication is valuable because they come from the entire Roman empire and many of them were previously known to us only through modest photographs. The lists and photographs allow the reader to follow and verify the contents of the book, and at the same time they can serve as a basis for further study.



Table of content

Preface / Predgovor

1. Introduction / Uvod (JI)

2. Torques in ancient literary works (AR)

3. Torques in epigraphic sources / Torkves v antičnih literarnih delih (AR)

  • 3.1 Military units decorated with torques / S torkvesi odlikovane vojaške enote
  • 3.2 Individuals decorated with torques / S torkvesi odlikovani posamezniki
    • 3.2.1 Dating / Časovna razporeditev
    • 3.2.2 Decorated soldiers / Odlikovanci
    • 3.2.3 Phrases expressing the awarded military decoration / Izražanje odlikovanosti
    • 3.2.4 Number of awarded torques / Število podeljenih torkvesov
    • 3.2.5 Armillae and phalerae mentioned alongside torques / Omemba armil in faler ob torkvesih
  • List 1. Epigraphic monuments mentioning the military decoration torques / Seznam 1. Epigrafski spomeniki, ki omenjajo odlikovanje torkves

4. Torques in relief depictions / Spomeniki z upodobitvijo rimskega vojaškega odlikovanja torkves (JI)

  • 4.1 Comparison of pictorial and epigraphic evidence / Primerjava upodobitev in napisov
  • 4.2 Chronological distribution / Časovna razporeditev
  • 4.3 Recipients of torques / Odlikovanci
  • 4.4 Number of awarded torques / Število podeljenih torkvesov
  • 4.5 Manner of wearing torques / Način nošnje
  • 4.6 Appearance and size of the torques depicted on funerary reliefs / Videz in velikost na nagrobnih spomenikih upodobljenega odlikovanja torkves
  • 4.7 Decorations depicted alongside torques on funerary monuments / Ob torkvesih upodobljena odlikovanja na nagrobnih spomenikih
  • List 2. Stone monuments with the relief depiction of torques / Seznam 2. Kamniti spomeniki z upodobitvijo odlikovanja torkves

5. Archaeological evidence / Arheološke najdbe (JI)

  • 5.1 Starting points / Izhodišča
  • 5.2 Presumed military decorations torques / Verjetna rimska odlikovanja
    • 5.2.1 Torques from the River Ljubljanica / Torkves iz reke Ljubjanice
    • 5.2.2 Torques from Magdalensberg / Torkves s Štalenske gore
    • 5.2.2.1 Elemental composition analyses of the torc from Magdalensberg / Analize elementne sestave torkvesa s Štalenske gore (Eva Menart)
    • 5.2.3 Torc from Dambach / Torkves iz Dambacha
  • 5.3 ‘Torc’ from Treuchtlingen-Weinbergshof / »Torkves« iz Treuchtlingen-Weinbergshofa
  • 5.4 Celtic torcs / Torkvesi – keltske ovratnice
    • 5.4.1 Torc from Chassenard / Torkves v grobu bojevnika iz Chassenarda
    • 5.4.2 Torc from Alesia / Torkves iz Alezije
    • 5.4.3 Torc from Basel / Torkves iz Basla
    • 5.4.4 Torc from Benwell / Torkves iz Benwella
  • 5.5 Pair of gold torcs from Petescia / Par zlatih torkvesov iz Petescie

6. Decorating with a single torques in the Principate / Odlikovanje z enim torkvesom v principatu (JI)

  • 6.1 Literary evidence / Literarni viri
  • 6.2 Epigraphic evidence / Epigrafski viri
  • 6.3 Pictorial evidence / Upodobitve na kamnitih spomenikih
  • 6.4 Assumption that torcs in the Late La Tène period were not part of the costume of men/warriors, only attributes of gods / Mnenje, da v poznem latenu torkves ni bil del noše moških/vojščakov, ampak le atribut bogov
  • 6.5 Young man depicted with a torc round his neck on a Boscoreale cup / Mladenič s torkvesom okoli vratu na skodelici iz zaklada, odkritega v Boscoreale pri Pompejih
  • 6.6 Conclusion / Sklep

7. Conclusion (JI)

Bibliography / Seznam literature



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Keywords
ancient literary sources
archaeological finds
epigraphy
iconography
military decoration
Roman empire
Roman republic
torques




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