- The Late Antiquity Historical Portraits -

[Diocle]

Dear Master Joar,.....and the Saints? .....Yes the Christian Saints?

...I'm an Atheist but in these days I'm reading a good book by Alessandro Barbero ('9 Agosto 378, il giorno dei barbari' Ed.: Laterza) who highlights that the IV century was a period very important for the Christian culture: In the same years some of the greatest personalities of the christian world were building the basis of the Christian Western Civilisation:

Saint Martin of Tours in Gaul, saint Jerome who was translating the Vangelus from Greek to Latin Language, saint Ambrose in Milan, who humiliated the power of Theodosius the Great, and saint Augustine the greatest personality of the christian history! but also some good Oriental saints: Saint Basilius of Caesarea, saint Gregorius of Naissus, saint Gregorius of Nazianzus, saint John Chrysostom...

Being Atheist only now I noticed that even their faces could be a wonderful subject for your work, and their faces belonging to the winning side of the cultural battle between christianity and Pagan culture, are depicted in many, many, many.....many sculptures and paintures.

What do you think? are the Saints' faces a good subject for your magnificent gallery of protraits of Late Antiquity?

By Lawrence Alma Tadema: 'The conversion of Paula by Saint Jerome'

[Joar]

What do you think? are the Saints' faces a good subject for your magnificent gallery of protraits of Late Antiquity?

Yes, they are. However, I've focused on doing portraits for playable characters at the moment. Some of the characters you speak of do appear as ancillaries though. Here's some of them, made for SAI:

[Diocletianus]

Talking of Barbero,I think he wrotes a book about the barbarians in the roman empire.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

His book on Adrianople is not very exact or detailed. However, his book on Waterloo is a masterpiece of battle-writing. I sometimes find it difficult to admit both are by the same author!

[PSEUDO ROMANUS]

His book on Adrianople is not very exact or detailed. However, his book on Waterloo is a masterpiece of battle-writing. I sometimes find it difficult to admit both are by the same author!

I don't know... I found it a very good reading and the details were good enough for me. Of course, my opinion is just based on the impact the book had on me and not from a literary standpoint, which I'm not qualified to give. Although I have to admit that, like any other writings, the original version transmits feelings and sensations lost in translation.
BTW, who is the guy in your new avatar? because I'm sure he is not Carles Puyol with a 'I-just-got-out-of-bed' hairstyle, although he looks a lot like him .

[Diocle]

Oh!!! Libanius!!! My dear, poor Libanius!!!.....and Iamblichus......and....Joar what to say? they are magnificent!!! In my actual Procopius campaign I saw only few of them!!!!.....

.JOAR IS LIKE AN ITALIAN PAINTER OF THE XV C.!!! THIS IS NOT QUESTIONABLE!!!!

Sorry Master Joar, my was not a request was only like a discovery:...the christians in the IV deployed Heavy Artillery!!!

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Lol - it is a Late Roman magistrate from Aphrodisias. It is a fantastic statue and opened my eyes to some of the artistic develpoments going on in the Late Empire!

[Constantius]

Lol - it is a Late Roman magistrate from Aphrodisias. It is a fantastic statue and opened my eyes to some of the artistic develpoments going on in the Late Empire!

That is true, the mosaics found in villas in Britannia at this time are magnificent

[PSEUDO ROMANUS]

I see.

[Diocle]

I would to find some good saint Ambrogius and saint Augustine......I'm searching.......

[Diocle]

Sorry Joar, for this duble post, but I found a good Saint Ambrose! If the Saint doesn't interest you, please tell me, I'll stop my search, no problem!

Saint Ambrogio was born in Trier or Augusta Treverorum, in 339 or 340 AD and died in Milan in 397. I'll not add more informations about his life, because probably they are not needed, I'll say only that the Saint who was also Bishop of Milan, was one of the most important figures of the church in IV century, famous is the so called 'Humiliation' of Theodosius the Great by the Saint.

In the years 379 - 386 AD was built for his inspiration, the great Basilica of Saint Ambrose in Milan, which is today the most famous church of Milan. The Basilica of Saint Ambrose preserves the remains of the Saint in the Sacello of Saint Vittore in Ciel d'Oro. Here there is this very interesting Late Antique Mosaic which is considered a real protrait of the saint still alive, in fact the Sacello was built when Ambrose was still alive.

Here the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio today in Milan (I'm not going to talk about the church, because it wouldd be off-topic and because I well know that sadly one of the most boring experience in the life of an human being is listening an architect speaking about architecture!!....but the history of this ancient church is very, very, very interesting!!!)

[Diocle]

Joar sorry if I continue to upload here pictures but frequently I visit your gallery of protrait and....well! It is a real dream!

So now I found on an Archeology Magazine this mosaic, it protrays an athlete, it is from III century and it is located at Aquileia.
The face is really a masterpiece, I'm not asking for any specific historical character (actually I always imagined the face of Maximinus Trax exactly like this!) but I hope that if you would need some cue for some face, also this kind of images might be useful!

[tomySVK]

Although I´m not an expert on female´s fashion and hairstyles, here are some images of the empresses from the Third century AD: 1. - 3. Julia Domna (wife of Septimius Severus, late Second century AD - early Third century AD), 4. - 5. Cornelia Salonina (wife of Gallienus), 6. - 7. Ulpia Severina (wife of Aurelian). I hope it will help.

[Joar]

Thanks, boys!

[Joar]

I was asked if I could come up with a portrait I thought would be fitting for a son of Julian, so I used this older one and spiced it up a bit. There's two versions to chose from; with and without a beard.

[Gandalfus]

Hooray for Joar!!! I already use your Julian ones... But this is great!!
+ rep

[Diocle]

Thank you very much Joar!! To install them I have only to change the names and put them (or the one I chosed) in the right folder? The name must be that of the son of Julian o.c.!?!

[Joar]

Thank you very much Joar!! To install them I have only to change the names and put them (or the one I chosed) in the right folder? The name must be that of the son of Julian o.c.!?!

Well, unfortunately these do require that you have some sort of software ( Photoshop or GIMP etc. ) that enables you to view images in the .tga format.

All portraits of RTW/BI starts with the number 000. Say Julian has a son, and when he comes of age, you can then go to the Roman portrait files and rename the ones you've downloaded with the current one. Say that it's got the number 122, you'll then have to rename the Julian's son ones with that number. You'll have to rename the young, the old and the dead one. Also make sure to place them in the two folders:

data/UI/roman/portraits/portraits

and

data/UI/roman/portraits/cards

[Diocle]

Thanks Joar I've the Graphic Programs needed!
My main dubt was the correct folder now you solved it! Thanks 'Master' Joar!!! Wonderful protraits!!!

[Oznerol]

Thanks Joar, I will surely use it when "Augustus Flavius" (My Julian's savegame son) comes of age.

Wonderful job.

+rep