Od greckich tarcz wotywnych do rzymskich imagines clipeatae
From Greek votive shield to Roman imagines clipeatae

Summary/Abstract: One of the Greek method glorifying a victory, apart from erecting the tropaion, was a custom of hanging shields on temples or porticoes. These shields were a booty seized on the enemy, or specially made votive ones, decorated with carved tropaions or busts of victorious commanders. Many mentions in ancient literature and some archaeological finds (e.g. the Mithradates Monument on Delos) confirms this custom. Romans adopted it, but also started to produce imagines clipeatae – round shields with the portrait of ordinary men, consuls or emperors. These imagines were carved in marble, bronze, silver or gold or painted on walls and wood. Of course a special kind of them were round cameos and coins with an emperor’s effigy on the obverse.

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