Evaluating the Evidence 7.2: Battle Between Romans and Goths

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Battle Between Romans and Goths

Rome’s wars with the Germanic-speaking groups along its northern border come to life in this relief from a Roman sarcophagus of the third century C.E., discovered in a tomb in the city of Rome. The Romans are wearing helmets, and the soldier at the right is wearing iron or bronze chain mail, a defensive technology that the Romans adapted from the Celts.

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(Ludovisi sarcophagus from Livia’s Villa/Terme Museum, Rome, Italy/Bridgeman Images)

EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE

  1. How would you describe this depiction of war? How does the artist show Roman superiority over the barbarians through the placement, dress, and facial features of the soldiers?
  2. How does this funeral sculpture reinforce or challenge what you have learned about Roman expansion and the Romans’ treatment of the peoples they conquered?