The imperial portraits from Malta : their contextual significance

Abstract

The discovery in 1881 of the remains of an ancient 'domus' in Rabat, Malta, just outside the fortified city of Mdina is of great importance not only for the archaeological and artistic heritage of the Maltese islands but also for the history of ancient art in general, and of portraiture and mosaic in particular. This paper is concerned with two imperial portraits, one of Claudius and another of a female member of his house (hitherto identified with his mother Antonia the Younger) found together in the context of that house which, for its architectural quality, refined mosaic repertory and other furnishings, has unfortunately not been paralleled by similar discoveries on the archipelago since then. My purpose here is to discuss very briefly the two portraits and to share with you a few reflections on their contextual significance.