Eburnei nuntii: The Consular Diptychs and the Imperial Diplomacy of the 6th Century

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Eburnei nuntii: The Consular Diptychs and the Imperial Diplomacy of the 6th Century
Cristini, Marco

From the journal Historia Historia, Volume 68, December 2019, issue 4

Published by Franz Steiner Verlag

article, 17269 Words
Original language: Italian
Historia 2019, pp 489-520
https://doi.org/10.25162/historia-2019-0025

Abstract

This article deals with ivory consular diptychs dating around the first half of the sixth century. All these diptychs but one depict consuls appointed in Constantinople, but they were all found in the former Western Roman Empire, mainly in cities belonging to the Frankish Kingdom. Considering their chronology and sixth century history, this paper shows that consular diptychs were often sent by the emperor to Germanic kings or Roman senators as diplomatic gifts. A specific focus is dedicated to the Barberini Diptych, which arrived in Gaul together with a Byzantine embassy. The Frankish king Clovis is portrayed as a consul on its left panel.

Author information

Marco Cristini

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