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Message:: [QUOTE="GinoLR, post: 24720727, member: 128351"][ATTACH=full]1581220[/ATTACH]On this sestertius of Trajan, rev. legend REX PARTHIS DATVS, one can see the personification of Parthia kneeling, and receiving from Trajan her new puppet-king Parthamaspates. On official Roman imagery like coin-types, for example, gestures and attitudes of characters are strictly codified. The origin of this codification being probably theatre, because actors used to wear masks and declaim verses, and could not express thoughts and feelings through voice tone and facial expressions, like today's actors. The captive or prisoner's attitude is standing handcuffed, or sitting with a hand on the forehead. The kneeling attitude, with extended arms, denotes accepted submission to Rome's imperium, as "friend and ally of the Roman People" from now on. On Republican denarii it is the attitude of Aretas III, king of the Nabataeans, of "Bacchius Judaeus", of Bocchus, king of Mauretania (while Jugurtha is shown standing in the captive's attitude). Under Augustus, the Parthian who returns Crassus' standard to Rome is kneeling in the same attitude - does it mean a kind of friendship treaty was concluded? The same kneeling attitude with an extended arm is also used for provinces being restored by the emperor... Next up : another kneeling person or personification[/QUOTE]