Empathy in Roman Commemorative Art

Public monuments in ancient Rome, such as triumphal arches and honorific columns, often depicted images of foreigners, captives, and women as symbols of the defeated Other. Although usually seen as a form of imperial propaganda, my analysis brings attention to how such representations were received by their intended audiences, many of whom were the same conquered peoples the monuments portrayed. I show how a subtext of empathy coexisted with the more overt imperial themes deployed on the monuments to highlight the agency of ancient artists in their creation.