ARMENIAN HERITAGE SITES IN TURKEY AND IRAN

APHRODISIAS–CARIA,TURKEY
AphrodisiasislocatedinsouthwesternTurkey,inthe
fertile valley formed by the Morsynus River, in the
ancient region of Caria and was founded as a citystate
in the early 2 nd century BC. Because the city
sharedacloseinterestinthegoddessAphroditewith
Sulla, Julius Caesar and the emperor Augustus,
Aphrodisias came to have a close relationship with
Rome. It obtained a privileged ‘tax-free’ political
status from the Roman senate, and developed a
strong artistic, sculptural tradition during the
ImperialPeriod.
The sanctuary at Aphrodisias had a distinctive cult
statueofAphroditewhichdefinedthecity’sidentity.
TheAphroditeofAphrodisiascombinedaspectsofa
local Anatolian, archaic fertility goddess with those
oftheHellenicAphrodite,goddessofloveand
beauty.
The proximity of the marble quarries to the city
was a major reason that Aphrodisias became an
outstanding high-quality production centre for
marble sculpture. Sculptors from the city were
famousthroughouttheRomanEmpire.Theywere
well-known for virtuoso portrait sculpture and
Hellenistic-style statues of gods and Dionysian
figures. In late antiquity (4 th -6 th centuries AD),
Aphrodisian sculptors were in great demand for
marble portrait busts and statues of emperors,
governors and philosophers in the major centers
oftheempire–forexample,atSardis,
Stratonikeia, Laodikeia, Constantinople and
Rome. In this period they were the best carvers of
marblestatuesoftheirday.
THESTATUEOF
NEROWITHARMENIA
Nero supports the slumping figure of Armenia
between his wide-striding legs, holding her by her
upper arms. She collapses, sitting back on her left
heel, her right leg stretched out in front, the foot
bracedagainst,itwouldhaveseemed,thesideofthe
columnframingthepanel
Nerowearsashortcloakfastenedwitharound
broochandabaldriccarryinganemptyscabbard.
Armenia wears short, plain boots with ribbon-like
ties shown on the left boot, a cloak fastened on the
rightshoulder,andsoft'Phrygian'capwithsoft,freestanding
peak, modelled carefully in the round. She
has long, wavy hair, untied and reaching over her
shoulders. Her body is naked and well realized in a
compact design. The quiver and bow, normal for
Armenia iconography, are shown in lower relief on
thebackground,leaningagainstthesideofthepanel.
Iconographically, the evocation is clearly of Achilles
and Penthesilea: the striding hero with cloak and
baldricsupportingtheeastern/Amazonqueen.
The statue symbolizes the support of the Roman
Emperor Nero to the King Tiridates the III of
Armenia. In 63 AD after many defeats with the
Parthians, King Tigranes resigned and the throne
passed on to the Prince of Tiridates, the founder of
the Arsacides dynasty of Armenia. His coronation
took place in Rome by Nero himself. Returning to
Armenia and having considerable help from the
Romans,herebuiltthedestroyedcapitalofArmenia
andnameditNeroniatohonortheRomanEmperor.