Eternal Ravenna by Massimiliano David

 

Eternal Ravenna with the subtitle From the Etruscans to the Venetians was published by the Italian publishing house Brepols in 2013 (hardcover). This beautiful (and expensive) book is published in a large format (25 x 33 cm) and it is lavishly illustrated. The pictures are the result of a new photographic campaign undertaken by BAMS Photo. The new pictures in the book are taken by Basilio and Matteo Rodella.

The text is written by the Italian scholar Massimiliano David, who teaches Late Antique Archaeology at the University of Bologna. His book is available in three languages: English, German, and Italian. This review is based on the English version of the book. The English translation is done by Christina Cawthra and Jo-Ann Titmarsh.

The main text is divided into seven chapters, which follow a chronological line from the Etruscans to the Venetian period, as indicated in the subtitle. Ravenna was founded by the Etruscans (the name of the city is an Etruscan word), but we do not know when it was founded. The Republic of Venice controlled Ravenna for more than sixty years (1441-1509). Here is the table of contents:

** Chapter one: THE CITY OF SARCOPHAGI AND MOSAICS
** Chapter two: FROM THE MISTS TO THE SHADOWS
** Chapter three: THE FIFTH CENTURY
** Chapter four: FROM A CENTRE TO AN OUTPOST

** Chapter five: HEADING TOWARDS NEW GEOGRAPHIES
** Chapter six: BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN
** Chapter seven: LOSING THE SEA

At the end of the book there are four short sections: (1) illustrations and maps; (2) notes with references and additional comments; (3) a general bibliography; and (4) an index of names.

The bibliography betrays the author’s origins; most works listed here are in Italian, but there are a few works in German and English. Among them I must mention two works by Deborah Mauskopf Deliyannis: Ravenna in Late Antiquity (2010, 2014) and Agnellus of Ravenna: The Book of Pontiffs, an English translation of an important account that was written in Latin by the historian Andreas Agnellus between 830 and 840. The English translation was published in 2004.

Eternal Ravenna covers all the major locations of the city. They are presented in text and shown in pictures. As mentioned earlier, the book is lavishly illustrated. There are more than two hundred pictures in this book; most of them are large - one picture often gets one page - and they are all in colour (only a few old maps and drawings are in black-and-white). In other words: the quality of the illustrations is extremely high.

In order to demonstrate how comprehensive the pictorial coverage of each location is, I will mention a few examples:

** The so-called Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is shown in a series of wonderful pictures on pp. 78-101 (more than twenty pages)

** La Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo is shown is a series of excellent pictures on pp. 112 plus 115-123 plus 194-197 (more than ten pages)

** The Mausoleum of Theodoric is shown in a series of fabulous pictures on pp. 130-136

** La Basilica di San Vitale is shown in a series of wonderful pictures on pp. 142-167 (more than twenty pages). The famous mosaic which shows Emperor Justinian and his court appears on pp. 148-149, while the equally famous mosaic which shows Empress Theodora and her court appears on pp. 150-151

** La Basilica di Sant’Apollinare in Classe is shown in a series of excellent pictures on pp. 170-189

In addition, we have the so-called Palace of Theodoric on pp. 208-209 and three fine objects on page 49: the sarcophagus of Julia Prima, the sarcophagus of Olia Tertulla, and the sarcophagus of Gaius Didius Concordianus. A final example is the funerary monument of Publius Longidienus, who worked as a ship carpenter. There are two pictures of this monument on pp. 34-35.

I like this book, first and foremost because of the fabulous illustrations. The text is informative, but unfortunately it does not measure up to the high standard of the illustrations. There are many flaws, and they occur throughout the book. Who is to blame for this? I am not always sure: the author, the translators or the book-editor? The flaws can be divided into five categories.

THE FIRST CATEGORY:
Factual mistakes

** A paragraph on page 52 begins: “When power passed into Diocletian’s hands in 285…” We do not know when this emperor was born or when he died, but we do know when he ruled: from 284 to 305. Why does David not know this?

** The caption to illustration # 54 A and B describes a solidus (a coin) issued by Honorius (page 62). The caption begins: “On the observes…” The front of a coin is called the obverse, while the back is called the reverse. Perhaps the translators are to blame for this?

** On page 64 we hear about “the sixth consul of Honorius.” It should be the sixth consulship of Honorius. The same mistake appears on page 69. Obviously, the translators do not know the difference between a consul and a consulship.

** On the same page Galla Placidia is described as “the emperor’s stepsister.” In fact she was his half-sister: they had the same father (Theodosius) but not the same mother.

** On the same page we are told that Constantius died in 421, “leaving Galla a widow and Honoria and Valentinianus orphans.” The two children did not become orphans, because their mother was still alive. They became fatherless.

** A paragraph on page 70 begins like this: “With the return of Galla Placidia and her children to Italy in 426…” In fact, they returned in 425. Valentinianus was crowned as the future emperor in Rome on 23 October 425. His mother was with him, because he was only a boy at the time. He was born in 419, so he was only six years old when this ceremony took place. Why does David not know this?

** On page 138 the author presents the famous sarcophagus of Seda, who died in 541. David quotes the inscription in Latin and adds an English translation, which runs as follows: “Here lies in peace the illustrious Sayda, eunuch and cubicularium of King Theodoric, who lived for some forty years and was buried on the fourth day before the Ides of March in the year in which he was Consul Basilius the younger, during the fourth indiction.”

There are several problems here:

(1) The name of the man is Seda, not Sayda. (2) His title is cubicularius, not cubicularium, i.e. he was a high civil servant, often translated as chamberlain. (3) The latter half of the translation is completely wrong. Here is what it should be:

“He was buried on the fourth day before the Ides of March in the year when Basilius the Younger was consul, during the fourth year of the indiction.”

Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius was the last Roman consul. He served in 541 and surprisingly he did not have a colleague. Seda was never a consul, as the faulty English translation implies. The name of the consul is used to determine the year in which Seda died. An indiction is a period or a cycle of 15 years. This concept was introduced in the western empire in AD 312, during the reign of Constantine. When we have the Latin expression “quarta indictione,” it means in the fourth year of the current 15-year cycle. None of this is explained in the book. Who is to blame for the faulty translation of the Latin inscription? The author or the translators? I do not know. I only know the translation is wrong.

** Bishop Agnellus is mentioned several times. On page 69 we are told he served 557-570, which is true. But on page 203 we are told he died in 569, which is false. The author insists on the false date when he continues: “Four years had gone by since Justinian’s death and one since the Longobards had entered Italy by force.”

Justinian died in 565, so five years had gone by since this event. The Longobards invaded Italy in 568, so two years had gone by since this event. The author is inconsistent: he gives two different dates for the same event.

** Agnellus the historian is mentioned several times. On page 209 his first name is given as Andrea, which is wrong. The wrong name also appears in the index. On page 9 his first name is given as Andreas, which is true. Again we can see the author is inconsistent.

** The so-called “Donation of Constantine” is mentioned three times (pp. 214, 221, and 222). We are never told that this document is a forgery. How can David mention this document three times without telling us that it is a hoax? Does he think it is genuine?

** On page 215 there are two pictures. The pictures are fine, but the captions are wrong. The caption for # 171 (the upper picture) should be: “Sarcophagus of Archbishop Felix” (not Damian), while the caption for # 172 (the lower picture) should be: “Sarcophagus of archbishop Gratiosus” (not Felix).

THE SECOND CATEGORY:
Unfortunate statements

** On page 28 David mentions the small town of Cesena and adds the following words: “In a letter Cicero, the orator’s brother, refers to Cesena pejoratively.”

The full name of the orator is Marcus Tullius Cicero. He is known as Cicero. The full name of his brother is Quintus Tullius Cicero. He is known as Quintus. In a note David refers to Ad Fam. XVI, 27. If you check this reference, you will see it is a letter from Quintus to Tiro, Cicero’s secretary, written in December 44 BC. By the way, the name of the town is Caesena (not Cesena). David should know this: the correct name appears on a map at the end of his book: # 2, page 260 (but the wrong name appears on another map: # VII.2, page 264). Moreover, Quintus does not criticize the town; he criticizes the two consuls of that year, Hirtius and Pansa.

The standard commentary on Cicero’s letters is edited by D. R. Shackleton Bailey. Regarding this letter he says: “Caesena was a small town near the Rubicon in Cisalpine Gaul… But what put this locality into Quintus’s head there’s no knowing.”

David’s statement about Cicero (which is, in fact, about Quintus) is most unfortunate, because it is inaccurate and because it does not add anything to our understanding of Ravenna’s history.

** A strange passage appears on page 30 and again on page 34: “… under Julius and Claudius.” I know Claudius, who ruled 41-54. But who is Julius? Several emperors took this name, because they wished to be connected with Gaius Julius Caesar, but no emperor is known by this name. Since this passage appears two times, it is not just a misprint. It must be a misunderstanding.

** David seems to believe that Pope Leo the Great saved Italy from Attila and the Huns. He says so twice (pp. 105, 205). This is what Leo and the Catholic Church want us to believe, but it is wishful thinking. The pope did not have the power to stop Attila. Other factors were at work here. For more information, see The Enemies of Rome by Philip Matyszak (2004, 2008), chapter 17, in particular page 278.

THE THIRD CATEGORY:
The Italian version of ancient names is not always translated into English

** In the text we have the Greek historian Dio Cassius, but in the notes we have “Dione Cassio.” Notes to chapter 2, page 272, notes 47 and 60.

** In the text we have the Roman poet Martial, but in the notes we have “Marziale.” Notes to chapter 2, page 273, note 87.

** Note 41, page 273, refers to “the usurper Giovanni Primicerio.” His name is Ioannes. In English he is known as Joannes or simply John. His title is primicerius notatiorum, i.e. a senior civil servant.

** Notes to chapter 4, page 273. Note 32 says: “Su Procopio CAMERON 1996.” The translators forgot to translate this note. The Italian text means: On Procopius, CAMERON 1996.

** Most of these examples are found in the notes, but some of them pop up in the main text. On page 52 we have the “Coliseum” instead of the Colosseum, and on page 138 we have the banker “Giuliano Argentario” whose real name is Julius Argentarius. The latter mistake also appears on page 190 and in the index!

** On page 190 we have “general Narsete.” In English he is known as Narses, and on page 203 we have “general Baduario,” whose real name is Baduarius.

** On page 210 we have “Archbishop Felice,” whose real name is Felix. The same mistake appears on page 213 and in the index!

** On page 214 we have “Archbishop Grazioso,” whose real name is Gratiosus, and “Archbishop Valerio,” whose real name is Valerius.

As far as I can see, the English translation is quite good when it comes to general information. The translators are professional, but they are not really familiar with the world of ancient Greece and ancient Rome.

THE FOURTH CATEGORY:
Unfortunate layout of text and illustrations

Some publishers of picture books pay great attention to the layout of the text. They make sure the text comes to a full stop at the bottom of a page. This is not the case here. The text is routinely interrupted by a series of illustrations, sometimes a long series of illustrations. Here are two examples where the text is interrupted in the middle of a sentence:

** Page 64 – cited as ///// supporting – page 69
** Page 77 – a sort ///// of monumental hegemony – page 104

Sometimes it is worse: sometimes the text is interrupted in the middle of a word! Here are three examples:

** Page 140 – the so- ///// called – page 168
** Page 168 – deco- ///// rative – page 190
** Page 190 – Justin- ///// ian – page 198

THE FIFTH CATEGORY:
Misprints

** Page 76: “Saint John th Evangelist.” We want “the.”
** Page 190: “an eulogy.” We want “a eulogy.”
** Page 205: “Emperor Mauric.” We want “Maurice.”
** Page 213: “Rio de Janeiro cannot be judge on its favelas.” The correct form of the verb is “judged.”

In the old days, before the computer, accidents like these could happen, and they could be forgiven. But nowadays we work with computers, and almost every computer program for writing will issue a warning, a red line or a blue line under the word, if it is misspelled or if it is not found in the dictionary. It seems the author or the translators or the book-editor ignored a warning against these misprints, and this sign of careless proofreading cannot be forgiven.

CONCLUSION

Ravenna is a fascinating city. It is famous for sarcophagi and mosaics from ancient times (the Roman Empire, the kingdom of the Goths, and the Byzantine Empire). It is also famous because it is the place where the Italian poet Dante Alighieri spent his last years (1318-1321). There are many monuments in Ravenna from different periods and many of them are well preserved. If you are interested in art and/or history, there is a lot to see and to do in this city.

Eternal Ravenna is not a guidebook. You do not want to take it with you when you are going to Italy. In the first place, it is much too big and much too heavy. It is not very handy at all. Secondly, there is no practical information about where the monuments are located or when they are open to the public. For these things you need a traditional guidebook (or you can simply use the internet).

Eternal Ravenna is written and published for the armchair traveller who wants to study the art and history of Ravenna without leaving his or her home. But the book is much more than that. If you are planning a trip to Ravenna, you can use it to prepare your visit. The text gives you background information, while the illustrations show you what to look for when you get there. After a visit to Ravenna, this book will be a weighty and wonderful souvenir.

How many stars does this book deserve? When I consider the illustrations, my answer is five stars. No doubt about it. But when I consider the text, my answer is only three stars. There are many flaws here. Taken one by one, they may seem trivial. Taken together, they become a serious problem. How could the author, the translators, and the book-editor fail to notice and correct the flaws I have documented in this review? When I consider the book as a whole, I think it deserves a rating of four stars.

PS. The Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna is a deluxe product in two volumes edited by Patrizia Angiolini Martinelli and published by Franco Cosimo Panini in 1997. The price is about £ 388! The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna is a deluxe product edited by the same scholar and published by the same publisher in 1996. The price is about £ 165! A bilingual book about both these monuments edited by Gianfranco Malafarina is available at a much more reasonable price (about £ 11): La Basilica di San Vitale e il Mausoleo di Galla Placidia // The Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (2008, reprinted 2012).

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Massimiliano David,

Eternal Ravenna: From the Etruscans to the Venetians,

Brepols, 2013, 288 pages

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For more information about Ravenna, see my blogs:

Ravenna by Corrado Ricci

Ravenna: A Study by Edward Hutton

Ravenna: The Palace of Theodoric

Ravenna: Piazza del Popolo

Ravenna: Piazza Garibaldi

Ravenna: Sites to See and Prices to Pay

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Two important monuments in Ravenna

This bilingual guidebook about two important monuments in Ravenna was published by the Italian publishing house Franco Cosimo Panini in 2008 and reprinted in 2012. As I write this review (in 2014) it is still available.

 

The text as well as all captions are printed in two languages, Italian and English. The English translation is done by Wendell Ricketts from CITI Traduzioni in Modena.

There are 126 pages and the format is 17 x 24 cm. The book is lavishly illustrated: there are 120 colour photos plus 65 floor plans and diagrams. The photos are taken by the Italian photographer Paolo Robino.

The editor is the Italian journalist and art critic Gianfranco Malafarina, who has edited several bilingual books for Franco Cosimo Panini, including La Villa Farnesina a Roma // The Villa Farnesina in Rome (2003) and Il Duomo di Modena // The Cathedral of Modena (2009).

 

The book about Ravenna, which is under review here, is divided into two parts:

*** Part one, la Basilica di San Vitale, pp. 5-92, i.e. more than 80 pages with text and 69 illustrations - plus a few pictures with no number.

*** Part two, the so-called Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, pp. 93-125, i.e. more than 30 pages with text and 33 illustrations - plus a few pictures with no number.

Floor plans and diagrams accompany each illustration, placing it in its context and identifying its exact position in relation to the rest of the building. To give just one example: on page 48 there is a very helpful drawing of the presbytery and the apse in Basilica di San Vitale. In short: the quality of the illustrations is extremely high.

The brief bibliography on page 126 includes a book in Italian by Antonio Paolucci: Ravenna. Una guida d’arte, published in 1971. This book is also available in English: Ravenna: An Art Guide, published by Edizioni Salera in 1973.

To the works listed in the bibliography I wish to add the following: Ravenna: Art and History by Giuseppe Bovini (Longo, 1991, new edition 2008); Ravenna in Late Antiquity by Deborah Mauskopf Deliyannis (Cambridge University Press, HC 2010, PB 2014) and Eternal Ravenna: From the Etruscans to the Venetians by Massimiliano David (Brepols, 2013).

Part one about the Basilica di San Vitale is divided into 12 short sections:

# 01. General History
# 02. The Exterior
# 03. The Large Cloister
# 04. The Ardica and the Vestibules

# 05. The ambulatory
# 06. The Women’s Gallery
# 07. The Central Chamber
# 08. The Cupola

# 09. The Floor
# 10. The Presbytery
# 11. The Apse
# 12. The Vault of the Presbytery

Here is a quote from page 11:

“Wonderfully blended with the mosaic decorations and sophisticated quality of the marble panels and sculptural work, the architectural design creates enchanting contrasts of light and shadow, giving rise to a space that is both dramatic and dynamic, a space that seems to extend infinitely, enveloping and projecting visitors into a divine dimension.”

Here is a quote from page 13:

“Thanks to the geniality of its layout, the brilliant colors of its mosaics decorations and the richness prospective created by the pinwheel arrangement of the interior, designed to create an illusion of infinite space, San Vitale constitutes one of the most exquisite expressions of Byzantine architecture and decorative arts, deftly united in a marvellous synthesis.”

The famous mosaic which shows Emperor Justinian and his court gets four pictures: # 47 the total view; # 48 the soldiers; # 49 Bishop Maximianus; # 50 Justinian. The equally famous mosaic which shows Empress Theodora and her court also gets four pictures: # 51 the total view; # 52 Theodora; # 53 two ladies; # 54 five ladies. I have three comments to the presentation:

(A) Regarding the former panel, I notice that the editor does not try to identify any figures except Justinian (in the middle) and Maximianus, whose name is written above him. Some scholars think we can see Belisarius, Narses and/or Julius Argentarius in this mosaic. Perhaps they are right.

(B) Regarding the latter panel, I notice that the editor does not mention Theodora’s dress. The decoration on the lower part of her dress shows the three wise men offering gifts to Mary. The same motive is used on the sarcophagus of Isaac the Armenian, which is mentioned and shown two times: pp. 8 and 28.

(C) Regarding both panels, I notice that the editor does not mention the shoes. The emperor and the empress wear better and more colourful shoes than the other figures. Apparently, one way to indicate their high rank is by giving them better shoes!

Part two about the so-called Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is divided into four short sections:

# 1. General History
# 2. The Exterior
# 3. The Interior
# 4. The Cupola

Here is a quote from page 97:

“According to one legend, the celebrated American songwriter, Cole Porter, on honeymoon in Ravenna at the end of the 1920s, was so taken by the atmosphere in this small mausoleum that he composed the melody for ‘Night and Day’ while imagining Galla Placidia’s star-strewn sky.”

Here is a quote from page 99:

“In the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the dynamism of the space merges flawlessly with the mosaic and sculptural elements, creating a sublimely emotional atmosphere that invites meditation and reflection and which transmits the same spiritual vitality that surely animated the imperial figures who commissioned its construction.”

As you can see from the above, this guidebook has a very systematic approach. The editor will take you by the hand and walk you through both monuments, step by step. I like this book. The illustrations are excellent and the captions are informative. But I have to mention a few things about the English translation which bother me. There are mistakes and misprints. In addition, there are several cases where the Italian version of ancient names has not been translated into English.

** On page 7 we read about “Illiria and Norico.” In Latin and in English these provinces are known as Illyricum and Noricum.

** On page 8 we read about the rich banker “Julian.” In Latin and in English this man is known as Julius.

** The sarcophagus of Isaac the Armenian is mentioned and shown on page 8 (illustrations # 4 and 5). According to the Italian caption it is from ca. 420. According to the English caption it is from the second decade of the 5th century, which amounts to the same thing. But this person died around 643, as we are told on page 28. This means the sarcophagus is from the 7th century.

** The caption to illustration # 5 on page 22 says: “The large cloister seen from the bell town.” When the caption is repeated on page 23, we get the correct form: “The large cloister seen from the bell tower.”

[Incidentally, the editor forgets to tell you that nowadays the large cloister is a part of the National Museum (located next to the church). If you wish to enter this area, you must buy one more ticket. Do not worry about it: the National Museum is absolutely worth a visit.]

                                                  
** The caption to illustration # 20 on page 42 says: “The cuple.” When the caption is repeated on page 43, we get the correct form: The cupola.

** The headline on page 48 says “The presbitery.” The false spelling seems to be inspired by the Italian word “Il presbiterio.” In the text we have the correct form “presbytery.” Unfortunately, the false spelling pops up again on page 88.

** The caption to illustration # 36 on page 59 is flawed in several ways: a word is missing and two words are misspelled. I have added the missing word and the correct spelling in square brackets:

“Above the lunette two winged victory angels [hold] a clipeurs [clipeus], or shield, containing the cross from which are suspended two Ω’s, a typical glorification decive [device] of classic derivation.”

** The caption to illustrations # 51-54 on page 75 says: “With respect to the previous panel, this scene appears more variegated…” It would be better to say: “Compared with the previous panel, this scene appears more variegated…”

** On page 96 we have the following passage: “With her children, Valentinian and Eudossia, Galla sent the Emperor a series of warm letters…”

Valentinian is the son of Galla Placidia, who later became Emperor Valentinian III. Eudossia is the Italian version of the Latin name Eudoxia. Her first name is Licinia and she is not the daughter of Galla Placidia; she is the daughter of the eastern Emperor Theodosius II; she was born in 422 and married Valentinian in 437. She outlived her husband and died in 462. The text should be emended as follows:

“With her son Valentinian and her daughter-in-law Licinia Eudoxia, Galla Placidia sent the Emperor a series of warm letters…”

[For more information about Galla Placidia and her family, see Galla Placidia: The Last Roman Empress by Hagith Sivan (Oxford University Press, 2011).]

These flaws are minor, i.e. they do not disturb the meaning and the message of the book, but they mar the impression of a work which is otherwise perfect. I am disappointed to see them repeated in the reprint of 2012. I hope they will be corrected in the next printing.

If you are an armchair traveller, I am sure you can enjoy this book. If you are planning to go to Ravenna, this book can help you prepare the visit. Take it with you when you have a chance to go. It is not too heavy to carry in a shoulder bag. Take it out when you are standing outside one of these monuments, which are located next to each other, and let the book guide you through them, step by step. Use the pictures and the captions to understand what you see. In this way you will not be overwhelmed by the huge amount of decorations and details.

Ravenna is a charming city with many interesting monuments. The two cases presented here are among the top 10 attractions. With this excellent book in your hand you will be able to make the most of your visit.

PS. You are allowed to use a camera inside these monuments. In Basilica di San Vitale you may even use a flash, if you feel you need it. However, in the mausoleum of Galla Placidia the rules are different: you are not allowed to use a flash, even though the interior is a bit dim. Therefore you should know that it may be difficult to take good and sharp pictures inside this building.

 

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Gianfranco Malafarina, editor,

La Basilica di San Vitale e il Mausoleo di Galla Placidia //

The Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna,

Franco Cosimo Panini: Modena, 2008, reprinted 2012, 126 pages

 

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For more information about Ravenna, see my blogs:

Basilica di San Vitale (1)
Basilica di San Vitale (2)

Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe (1)
Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe (2)
 

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