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Cross-bow brooch – fibula of the Roman world

Emperor Galerius & his crossbow fibula brooch. Tondo from the Little Arch of Galerius, Thessaloniki, 293-311 The Emperor probably wore gold brooches, so here are two: 1. 4th C, richly ornamented & engraved, Romano-British; 7.9 cm 2. 4th C, guilloche pattern, Roman, 6.4 cm

Tondo >> https://livius.org

Roman or Byzantine crossbow fibula, 340–360 CE https://collections.mfa.org

Romano-British fibula found near the Moray Firth, Scotland. Dated 390-460 CE
https://research.britishmuseum.org

Gold crossbow fibula (brooch), for fastening a cloak. Inscribed HERCVLI AVGVSTE SEMPER VINCAS, ‘May you always be victorious, Hercules Augustus!’, probably a reference to Maximian (emperor AD286-305), born at Sirmium, modern-day Sremska Mitrovica

source

Zdjęcie
“Many times have I studied and photographed Theodosius’s obelisk base in Istanbul, but only today–thanks to 2 of my students working on L. Roman crossbow fibulae last semester–did I notice the super cool scalloped type found on these 2 guys (w. side).” source
https://harvardartmuseums.org/art/310784

A servant brings to his master a cloak with attached crossbow brooch. Part of the 4th century fresco from the Roman Tomb of Silistra Bulgaria

Source: “A symbol of Late Roman authority revisited: a sociohistorical understanding of the crossbow brooch” by V. Van Thienen

Detail: crossbow fibula with three knobs holding chlamys on right shoulder

LSA database LSA-19

http://laststatues.classics.ox.ac.uk

Fragmentary statue of a Roman magistrate from Corinth, possibly the proconsul of Achaea. He wears a chlamys pinned with a crossbow-shaped fibula 500-550 CE | Corinth Museum [Arthur Urbano https://flickr.com]

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