The Four Tetrarchs

The portrait of the four tetrarchs is a piece that, in comparison to the grandeur size and style of the Piazza San Marco, is humble and easily overlooked. The reality is that the sculpture is millennia old and a historically important piece of art. Created around 300 A.D., the sculpture of the four tetrarchs was created to honor and represent the novel and short-lived political system of the late Roman Empire between 293 A.D. and 313 A.D. (Indivisible Enemies). In 293, Diocletian created the tetrarchy, or the system of four rulers comprising two senior leaders, Augusti, and two younger leaders, Caesars (Tetrarchy). The statue, carved of the precious Egyptian stone, porphyry, resided in Constantinople until 1204 when the Venetians took the portrait during their crusades in the Byzantine Empire (The Four Tetrarchs). The possession of the four tetrarchs and their location in the Piazza San Marco lend insight into not only the history of Venice, but also the values of Venetian society and the history of the late Roman Empire.

            In their theft and display of the portrait of the four tetrarchs, Venetians provide insight into the mindset of the Venetian Empire during the thirteenth century. As an expansive empire and an enduring republic (Martin and Romano), Venetians not only desired to conquer the Byzantine Empire, but to emulate it as well. The Roman Empire and the succeeding Byzantine Empire combined to make the most powerful empire that the West had ever seen. In addition, the Roman Empire experimented with government that was not based on a monarchy, dabbling in shared power. Because of their unorthodox ruling style and their widespread empirical success, the Romans formed an ideal model for the Venetians. Additionally, the display of the tetrarchs, an experiment in shared power, provides a commentary on the importance of Venice’s status as a republic. Among the abundance of looted treasurers, the Venetians chose to display the tetrarchs instead of a symbol or statue of a sole ruler.

            More than just an inspiration for the Venetian government, the portrait of the tetrarchs served as a symbol of Venetian power. In displaying the stolen foreign leaders, the Venetians are displaying their victory over one of the most powerful empires in world history. As much as the tetrarchs represent an empire that Venice admired, they equally represent Venetian dominance and a failed empire that Venice aspired to surpass. Their placement among the splendor of the Piazza San Marco serves to further diminish the statues, elevating Venice in comparison.

             The portrait of the four tetrarchs not only reveals Venetian history, but a sliver of Roman history as well. The sculpture itself is radically different from the preceding Roman art (Portraits of the Four Tetrarchs). Where Roman sculpture was marked by incredible realism and attention to detail, the four tetrarchs are created as symbols rather than depictions of real people. All four faces are nearly identical, excepting the beards of two of the tetrarchs. Additionally, the figures are of similar height and stance and disproportionate. The artwork evokes the Byzantine and medieval art that would come about centuries later. While medieval artwork followed unrealistic schemas in order to convey religious messages, the sculptor of the four tetrarchs rejected realism in order to convey a political message: solidarity and shared power in order to strengthen the Roman Empire (Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs).

            The relatively small, ancient portrait of the tetrarchs that resides in the Piazza San Marco tells a tale of Roman history, Venetian history, and Venetian values during the thirteenth century. The imperial porphyry is carved in a style ahead of its time, and the symbolism reflects the idea that shared power and a rejection of individualism could strengthen an empire. The display of such a symbolic piece of art in Venice speaks to the power of the Venetian Empire and the aspirations that came from the history of the Roman Empire. The modest sculpture adds an important thread to the tale of history that Venetians weave throughout the city and Piazza San Marco in particular.

Works Cited

1. The Four Tetrarchs. Web. http://venice11.umwblogs.org/the-four-tetrarchs/
2. Indivisible Enemies. Web. http://europebetweeneastandwest.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/indivisible-enemies-the-portrait-of-the-four-tetrarchs-in-venice/
3. Martin, John and Dennis Romano. Venice Reconsidered: The History and Civilization of an Italian City-State. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000. Print.
4. Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs. Web. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/portraits-of-the-four-tetrarchs.html
5. Tetrarchy. Web. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/ruins/tetrarchy.html