Portrait of the Emperor Philip the Arab

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Philip the Arab (c. 204-249 AD), Emperor from 244, emerged from a family known for its fierce warrior spirit. To secure his position of power, Philip leveraged the military might at his disposal, employing ruthless tactics that included defaming and eliminating his enemies. With the demise of Emperor Gordianus III (238-244), Philip seized control; it was during his reign in 247 that Rome celebrated its thousandth anniversary. The Emperor is portrayed wearing a tunic and toga, the flat folds of which fail to capture the texture of the fabric; short notches represent his hair and beard, while his facial features are simplified; there's no fine detail on the surface. Yet this weathered face must be an authentic representation in line with traditional Roman portraiture. The asymmetry of his features conveys a sense of liveliness, combining determination and ruthlessness with wariness and underlying anxiety. The straightforward and expressive artistic language emerged in Roman art due to the influence of the barbarian provinces and resonated with the tastes of the new imperial rulers.