Sculpture of a togado

Lucentum, Tossal de Manises (Alicante) Sandstone h: 42 cm; w: 24.5 cm, d: 12 cm Roman culture Second half of the 1st century BC.

Torso of a male statue sculpted in sandstone. The upper part of the body, shoulders and head, and the lower part, from just above the knees, as well as parts of the arms, are missing.
He wore the toga praetexta or pallium, a garment used in the late Roman-Republican period derived from the Greek himation and easier to put on than the heavy and uncomfortable toga of the Imperial period.

The cloak encircled the body and covered the shoulders, covering the bent right arm, from which the hand that grasps the folds of the breast, which crosses over to the left shoulder, can be seen. The right arm, also covered by the toga, would also be bent, but would be girded at the side. The hand would be uncovered. The folds of the pallium are formed obliquely towards the right side and the back of the body, carved in a staggered pattern. On the back, the edge of the cloak can be seen in the form of a band with zigzag folds.

The drapery reveals part of the chest, which would have been covered by a tunic. Above it is a bulla hanging from a triple cord that would have encircled the neck.

The piece was found as part of a wall attached to the bastion of the Eastern Gate of Lucentum during the 1966-67 excavations directed by M. Tarradell and E. Llobregat. Llobregat.

The sculpture resembles the series of palliati from the sanctuary of Cerro de los Santos (Albacete) which reflect the adoption by the indigenous elite of Roman cultural forms at an early date (mid 2nd century BC). However, we believe that the specimen from Tossal de Manises is a funerary sculpture, as it was found on the slope at the foot of which was the necropolis of the Roman municipality of Lucentum. It should be remembered that the inscription by P. Astranio was found (although without having anything to do with it and also outside its original place), a few metres from this piece. It would be a small free-standing sculpture of a young man (due to the presence of the pendant), installed on a cemetery monument. Funerary palliati appear in numerous Roman cities and in Hispania in particular we can cite those of Tarraco.

The type of carving probably indicates a workshop of indigenous craftsmen. The chronology, according to the historical context of the site and the necropolis, we place it in the second half of the 1st century BC.

C.S.: 6322
Unpublished