Description from the Met Museum: Justinian, who would be the greatest emperor of the early Byzantine period, presented these handsome ivory panels to a member of the Roman Senate announcing his election as consul. The title, now largely honorific, was once that of supreme magistrate of the Roman Republic. Once hinged together with the names of the other consuls inscribed in wax on the interior, the panels were probably presented as an invitation to the great public games that new consuls hosted in Constantinople’s hippodrome (stadium). The elegantly carved classical motifs focused attention on the inscriptions written in Latin, still the official language of the Empire.
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+ FL[AVIUS] . PETRVS . SABBAT[IUS] . IUSTIN[IANUS] . V[IR] I[N] L[USTRIS] .
The whole inscription (going across, starting from the top and then continuing into the medallions) reads:
FL[AVIUS] PETRUS SABBAT[IUS] IUSTIN[IANUS] V[IR] I[N] L[USTRIS] COM[ES] MAG[ISTER] EQQ[UITUM] ET P[EDITUM] PRAES[ENTALIS] ET C[ONSUL] ORD[INARIUS]
MUNERA PARVA QUIDEM PRETIO SED HONORIBUS ALMA PATRIBVS ISTA MEIS OFFERO CONS[UL] EGO
"Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Justianus, noble man, official, chief of the cavalry and of the infantry and consul ordinarius (an elected consulship).
I [as] Consul offer these gifts, slight indeed in value but rich in honors, to my senators."+ / MVNERA . PAR / VA . QUIDEM . PRE / TIO . SED HONO / RIBUS ALMA / +
For a full translation, see the note on the first inscription.+ COM[ES] MAG[ISTER] EQQ[UITUM] ET P[EDITUM] PRAES[ENTALIS] ET C[ONSUL] . ORD[INARIUS]
For a full translation, see the note on the first transcription.+ / PATRIBVS . IS / TA . MEIS . OFFERO / CONS[UL] . EGO / +
For a full translation, see the note on the first inscription.
Panel of a Diptych Announcing the Consulship of Justinian
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/464489
Description from the Met Museum:
Justinian, who would be the greatest emperor of the early Byzantine period, presented these handsome ivory panels to a member of the Roman Senate announcing his election as consul. The title, now largely honorific, was once that of supreme magistrate of the Roman Republic. Once hinged together with the names of the other consuls inscribed in wax on the interior, the panels were probably presented as an invitation to the great public games that new consuls hosted in Constantinople’s hippodrome (stadium). The elegantly carved classical motifs focused attention on the inscriptions written in Latin, still the official language of the Empire.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.