Scipio, Mummius
and the Politics of Plundered Art

Jennifer S. Kendall (University at Buffalo, SUNY)

In 146 BCE Carthage and Corinth were sacked and destroyed by the Romans. As a result, thousands of pieces of art came under the authority of the victorious generals, Scipio Aemilianus and Lucius Mummius. While Scipio is praised for his appreciation and cultivation of Hellenic art, the primary sources label Mummius as ignorant and unschooled.

This paper examines the motivations behind Scipio and Mummius’ choices for their use of plundered art and how those decisions advanced their ideological and political agendas.

The primary sources glorify Scipio and vilify Mummius through descriptions of their use of plundered art. They praise Scipio for not taking the plunder as his own private property. In addition, Appian, Cicero, and others state that Scipio returned many works of art to the cities of Sicily sacked by the Carthaginians. They add that he was not only generous to the Sicilians, but also to the troops with his large donatives. The city of Rome also benefited from Scipio’s generosity through his lavish triumph, game sponsorship, and manubial buildings.

Although Mummius did not take plundered art as private property, Polybius notes that he abused it by allowing his soldiers to use Corinthian masterpieces as game boards and Dio Chrysostom states that in his ignorance, Mummius mislabeled several statues. Velleius Paterculus calls him an outright country bumpkin. In addition, Mummius gave away works of plundered art to many who asked in order to enrich his friends and clients. To further advance his fame, he set up plundered sculpture all over Italy and the provinces, gilded the ceiling of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, and embellished buildings throughout Rome. With their lavish art installment, these buildings became known as aedifica Mummiana.

Despite the positive depiction of Scipio and negative one of Mummius in the primary sources, both triumphant generals understood the political and ideological advantages in the placement of plundered art and utilized it to its full potential. Drawing on the actions of earlier Roman generals, Scipio used the plundered art from Carthage to advance his call for a return to the mores maiorum. Mummius on the other hand, followed the example set by the Attalids and their use of sculptural propaganda and not only promoted his victory over Greece but also Rome’s new role as the custodian of its cultural heritage.