Thesis title: Στολή βασιλική. Per uno studio dell’habitus dei sovrani ellenistici tra realtà e rappresentazione
This study examines the habitus (understood as the ensemble of garments, attributes, and insignia of power) of Hellenistic kings and queens. In response to the fragmented nature of previous scholarship, the research aims to provide a comprehensive collection of iconographic and literary evidence relating to royal habitus, adopting a diachronic perspective across the entire Hellenistic period.
The dissertation is structured into three main sections: the first two are devoted to the analysis of power insignia and garments of kings and queens, respectively; the third focuses on ruler cults and the forms of habitus that developed within this context. A catalogue of concise entries on major works representing rulers with the garments and attributes under study is appended to the main text. In the analysis of the habitus of the Argead dynasty - an essential model for the later Hellenistic basileus - exceptional finds from the tombs of Vergina are also taken into consideration. Particular attention is given to the pivotal role played by Alexander the Great in shaping a reformed “royal costume”. Finally, an appendix is dedicated to the debated identification of certain figures depicted in the renowned “oecus H” of the Villa of Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale.
The systematic analysis of the evidence offers new perspectives and interpretive suggestions concerning specific issues, such as the identity of figures in certain representations or the meaning and use of particular garments, insignia, or attributes (e.g., the diadem, strophion, veil, peplos, spear, scepter); at the same time, it contributes to broader scholarly discussions concerning the role of habitus as a means of self-representation in the processes of legitimizing and communicating monarchical power.