The iconography of the Mediterranean Triad in Roman art

The iconography related to the Mediterranean Triad has been largely neglected by modern writers, who have considered individual images in a piecemeal fashion. This thesis fills a gap in scholarship, examining a comprehensive array of images concerned with the cultivation of cereals, vines and olives, their conversion to bread, wine and oil and the transport and sale of these commodities. These images were produced in a wide range of media across the Roman world from the mid-first century BC to the end of sixth century AD. The aims are to determine what tasks were illustrated, whether the iconography provides a reliable guide to ancient practice (using the descriptions in the Roman agricultural handbooks as the benchmark), and to understand the patron’s intentions in commissioning the work. Key findings include the paucity of images related to olive cultivation and oil production, transport and sale, and the popularity of vine pests as a subject. The depictions reflect the agronomists’ prescriptions and fill many lacunae therein, but they provide an idealised picture of practice. Only some tasks are illustrated, there is no hint of crop failure, female workers are virtually absent, and the drudgery of labour is minimised. Most works were displayed in the domestic environment rather than the public space, except for funerary monuments. Patrons usually belonged to the ‘middling classes’, so the images cast light on the concerns and attitudes of a large section of the population who are absent from the literary record. An image was only rarely commissioned solely for decorative purposes. It was also a vehicle used to convey multiple deeper meanings. These messages would have been apparent to the ancient viewer when the depiction was seen in situ. The clues need to be decoded by the modern viewer before they can divine the patron’s intentions.