Ceiling Tile with Heliodoros, an Actuarius Artist: Unknown

ca. A.D. 200–256

Ancient Art

On view, 1st floor, Dura-Europos

This tile from the ceiling of a house bears a Greek inscription that identifies the bearded man by name, Heliodoros, and occupation, actuarius (an official responsible for distribution of wages in the Roman military). The use of Greek to identify a Roman official is typical of the multicultural environment at Dura-Europos. The style and technique of the figure—the frontal pose, large eyes, subtle shading, and earth-toned pigments—recall other painted decoration in the city’s buildings.

Medium

Clay with painted plaster

Dimensions

12 × 17 5/16 × 2 5/8 in. (30.5 × 44 × 6.7 cm)

Credit Line

Yale-French Excavations at Dura-Europos

Accession Number

1933.292

Geography

Excavated in Dura-Europos, Syria

Culture

Syrian, Dura-Europos

Period

Roman (3rd century A.D.)

Classification

Paintings

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance
Excavated by the Yale-French Excavations at Dura-Europos (block L7 A31, House of the Scribes), present-day Syria, 1928–37; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn.
Bibliography
  • Jennifer Chi and Sebastian Heath, eds., Edge of Empires: Pagans, Jews, and Christians at Roman Dura-Europos, exh. cat. (New York: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, 2011), 50, no. 15, fig. 2–14
  • Lisa R. Brody and Gail Hoffman, eds., Dura-Europos: Crossroads of Antiquity (Boston: McMullen Museum of Art, 2011), 356, no. 49, pl. 49, ill. cover
  • Simon T. James, The Excavations at Dura-Europos,1928 to 1937: Final Report VII, 7 (London: British Museum Press, 2004), xxvi, 40, pl. 3
  • Susan B. Matheson, Art for Yale: A History of the Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2001), 114, fig. 111
  • Handbook of the Collections, exh. cat. (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 1992), 271, ill
Object copyright
No Copyright - United States
Additional information

Object/Work type

figures (representations), histories (visual works), tiles

Subject

men

Inscriptions

Greek inscription to right of head: Heliodoros, actuarius

Technical metadata and APIs

IIIF

Open in Mirador

View IIIF manifest

The International Image Interoperability Framework, or IIIF, is an open standard for delivering high-quality, attributed digital objects online at scale. Visit iiif.io to learn more

Linked Art

API response for this object

Linked Art is a Community working together to create a shared Model based on Linked Open Data to describe Art.