Triumph des Kaisers

The Emperor is shown climbing a quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses and here driven by Victoria-Nike. In keeping with the traditions of Roman historical reliefs, this proclaims the Emperor’s victoriousness. All the protagonists depicted in this relief are numina, personifications or deities. The ruler is preceded by Virtus, the personification of his valour and virtues. The prostate figure underneath the chariot is Tellus, the earth; the haloed male figure is generally identified as Phosphorus, the Morning Star. A similar composition depicts the divine siblings Apollo and Artemis riding their respective chariots; that of Apollo as sun god (Helios) is drawn by panthers (on show here is a plaster cast of the tablet discovered in 1990), that of Artemis-Selene, identified by the crescent moon behind her head, by hinds. The symmetrical composition of these two reliefs suggests the triumphant emperor was also juxtaposed with some other figure riding a chariot.