Warriors

Description

The limestone block was found in the wall of the Late Roman fortress on the Münsterhügel. Large sections of this were made of spoils, incorporating reused parts of buildings, blocks from large burial monuments, and tombstones. The relief must originally have formed part of a victory monument. It is highly probable that it came, like the other spoils, from the Roman colonial town of Augusta Raurica. After it had fallen into decay in the C3 AD stones from it were transported to Basle by boat along the Rhine, despite prohibitions, and used as building material. The figures are shown in high relief, the ornament in low relief. Two Roman soldiers can be made out. The cupid flying from the left and the person on the right holding a tablet indicate a subject concerned with good fortune and victory. Two figures were represented on the left hand side of the block but only their feet and the hems of their garments are visible. They seem to be linked to each other by a chain.