A Battle of Greeks and Barbarians

Since I am too busy this week to spare many words, I thought I would post some pictures instead. This relief from a sarcophagus belongs to the Palazzo Ducale, Mantua. The caption dates it to the second quarter of the second century CE and labels it as a battle of Greeks and Amazons, but the barbarians look awfully masculine to me.

A horseman, in one of the postures which nobles in Achaemenid Anatolia liked on their sarcophagi:

Another rider tramples his enemies.

An infantryman, with his sword arm cocked in the classic pose of Roman art (or the Solokha Comb from Scythia!)

A fallen barbarian, with the six-sided, emblazoned shield which marked “northern barbarians” in Roman art.

(You can click on any of these images to enlarge them; all belong to me)

Edit 2022-07-04: converted to block editor