[gothic-l] Re: Amali insignia

[dirk at SMRA.CO.UK]

Hi Keth and the others,

there is a depiction of a noble Roman women (believed to be 
Amalasuentha, but not certain) wearing this Phrygian Cap. I can 
positively say that there are no coins of any Ostrogothic ruler 
showing that type of head-gear. I remember that as a sign of royalty, 
an Ostrogothic king wore his hair unparted, but I am not sure about 
the exact source! 

The depiction of Theoderic on the gold medallion shows him holding a 
globe with the Roman goddess victory on top. Otherwise, his atire is 
that of a noble Roman. There is no depiction of Amalasuentha on any 
coin. Not even here name appears on a coin. There is also no portrait 
of Athalaricus. Theodahat  was the first and only Ostrogothic rule to 
show his real, life-like portray on a coin. On these coins he is 
wearing what some people called a Spangenhelm, others despribed it as 
crown of Italy. He wears a large cross around his neck. Theodahatus is 
depicted as a slightly fat man, with neck-long hair and a moustache.  
The reverse is again the Roman Victory.  

On coins of Baduila, the king is presented in frontal view. The 
portrait is highly stylised, but a moustache is discernable on better 
specimines. Baduila also wears the 'Spangenhelm' (i.e. crown of 
Italy). None of the Ostrogothic coins show an Amal insignum of any 
type. However, as I said earlier, the Theodric monogramme seemed to 
have been used in that way on coins, artwork and documents.

cheers,
Dirk





--- In gothic-l at y..., keth at o... wrote:
> Matþaius wrote: 
> 
> >on 8/3/01 12:27 AM, Beril Haggman at mvk575b at t... wrote:
> >
> >Athalaric and Amalaswintha
> >
> >Seen reference that on coins they carried pilos (don't
> >know what pilos is?) as head ornament. Also a collar
> >cloak has been mentioned and in the case of
> >Amalaswintha a tiara.
> >
> >
> >Liddell and Scott say for Pilos from classical Greek sources:
> >
> >I wool or hair made into felt, used as a lining for helmets; for 
shoes. II
> >anything made of felt, a felt skullcap like the modern fez. 2 a 
felt cloth.
> >3 a felt cuirass.
> 
> Could it be something like a Phrygian cap?
> 
> I also have a picture of Amalaswinthas head, which is a bust
> made of smooth stone. She wears an ornament in her hair that
> looks like a chain and in the front there is something that looks
> like a little medallion with 3 little hangers attached too it.
> I also have a photo of a colden medallion that show Theoderic
> en face. "rex theodericv     spivsprincis" the Latin text says.
> He wears Roman attire and holds up in his left hand somthing that
> looks like an apple, and on top of the apple is a little angel(?)
> holding what lookes like a plume and a diadem. The plume could
> be a quill for writing, and the diadem looks a bit like a Greek
> omega. Maybe these are the royal insignia that you were looking
> for? Apart from that there isn't much concrete symbolism, except
> for a kind of abstract art that seems to make a point of displaying
> not symbols, but rather ornaments. What I do see, however, is
> Theoderic's monogram on top of some capitels. (stone pillars)
> By ornamental I mean flowers and wavy bands and things like that.
> 
> What you do find are the various bird forms, but they wouldn't
> be vultures, I don't think, because there are no such birds
> in Northern Europe, though there might be some in Iran (?)
> Then there are the many belt clasps and fibulae. But here
> to the decorative patterns are remarkably abstract. Definitely
> not symbolic in the sense of the later heraldic symbolism.
> Perhaps these were 12th century artists who represented
> Theoderic in the style of the artist's own century, which caused
> him to look like a 12th century knight with shield and lance?
> In that case heraldic symbols may have been added to the shield
> by the artist. But such symbols probably only represented
> the artist idea of what kind of "coat of arms" the legendary
> king might have used. I do see a star on one medallian from Spain,
> but from the context (Maria with Child) it is clear that it is
> the Star of Bethlehem. I do not recall seeing many stars in
> Germanic ornament/symbolism. Usually what you see, if you look
> closely, are sometimes serpents, one-headed and two-headed ones.
> Or other animals. Also many small concentric circles often
> stamped on combs and ornaments such as belt buckles. Does any
> one know what they might have signified? Crescents I have seen
> as ornament/symbols in some cases, but not often. Crescent with
> star sounds like the Turkish flag to me.
> 
> Best regards
> Keth


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