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Roman Emperor's Giant Statue Found in Scotland?
12 Nov
Summary
- A giant gilded statue of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius may have stood in Scotland.
- The statue's leg, found in 1820, was carefully removed by Romans.
- New research suggests the statue marked the conquest of southern Scotland.
New research suggests that a colossal gilded statue of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius once graced the Scottish Borders. This discovery challenges previous assumptions that a bronze leg found in 1820 near Hawick was foreign loot. Experts now propose it belonged to an equestrian sculpture of Pius, erected to celebrate the Roman conquest of southern Scotland.
This finding, based on wider studies of Roman frontier statues, suggests the sculpture was deliberately dismantled by Romans as they retreated, not violently destroyed. Examination reveals careful removal, consistent with the abandonment of Roman conquests. The statue's commemoration of Pius's victories, marked by the title Imperator, highlights his significant investment in the Scottish campaign.
Antoninus Pius, an emperor known for his capable rule from AD 138 to 161, presided over a period of peace. His reign saw the construction of the Antonine Wall, extending Roman frontiers northwards. The careful removal and burial of this statue mirrors other instances in Roman Scotland, such as the Antonine Wall inscriptions and Inveresk altars.
