Room IV. Egypt and Rome
Room IV. Egypt and Rome
This room, like the previous one, still conserves part of the original nineteenth century museum decoration.
It houses various Egyptian-inspired statues, which provide evidence of the strong influence exercised by pharaonic culture on the Roman imperial society of the first to third centuries A.D.
With the victory of Augustus at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. and the death of Cleopatra, Rome conquered Egypt which then become a province of the empire, one of the most important in terms of material and cultural wealth. Works and monuments, including the obelisks, were transported to Rome, in accordance with a policy of celebrating the conquest of the country, to adorn public buildings and private residences. Besides the importation of original works, a current of Roman artistic production developed, inspired by the traditional themes of Egyptian art, reinterpreted in classical language, and giving rise to original creations.