CHILDREN IN THE VISUAL ARTS OF IMPERIAL ROME

"In official imperial art, Roman children are most often shown in depictions of peaceful public gatherings before the emperor, whereas non-Roman children appear only in scenes of submission, triumph, or violent military activity. Images of children, those images most fraught with potential in Roman art, underscore the contrast between Roman and non-Roman and as a group present a narrative of Roman identity. As Jeannine Diddle Uzzi argues in this study, the stark contrast between images of Roman and non-Roman children conveys the ruling elite's notions of what it meant to be Roman."--Jacket.