11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Oldest and Most Unique Example of the ‘Etrarchic Embracement Motif’ is on Display for the First Time

A relief depicting two Roman emperors’ embrace of Diocletian and Maximian during a ceremonial event, each other welcomes visitors for the first time after 23 years in the Kocaeli Archaeology Museum.

For the first time, this rare artifact offers visitors an exceptional glimpse into the grandeur and political intricacies of the Roman Empire.

The relief was unearthed during rescue excavations in Kocaeli’s Cukurbag neighborhood, following the devastating 1999 Marmara Earthquake. Eight relief panels, two statues, and 12 pieces of statues were found during the rescue excavations initiated in 2001 by the Kocaeli Museum Directorate. They were put on display for the first time in 2022.

The relief, which was found in the same period and restored using 10 separate broken pieces, depicts the scene where Roman emperors Diocletian and Maximian embrace each other after getting off the chariot during the “adventus” ceremony at the entrance to the city.

 The Adventus ceremony is an ancient Roman tradition celebrating the rulers’ entrance into a city.

Serkan Gedük, branch manager of the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, explained that the restored work depicts an imperial procession approaching from both sides.

Photo: AA

“One of the scenes depicts adventures, or parade, held at the entrance to the city, with Emperor Diocletian on the left and Emperor Maximian on the right embracing each other. We see that both emperors are depicted in magnificent attire, wearing a belted, sleeved tunic decorated with gold bands, trousers and a tasseled imperial cloak. Their short-cropped hair and beards are one of the most important scenes in terms of representing a typical example of the third-century Roman soldier emperors,” he said.

Gedük explained that the depiction of embracement symbolized the new multiple governance system of the Roman Empire, known as the tetrarchy (rule of four emperors in groups of two), which Diocletian implemented in Nicomedia, and the political harmony between the co-emperors.

Gedük noted that no emperor had ever been depicted so physically close in Roman art before.

“It is derived from the right-hand shaking motif, which is a common iconographic symbol of marriage in Roman art and literature, and we can describe it as a sign of political harmony. This panel belongs to the Tetrarchy Period. It is the oldest and most unique example of the ‘Tetrarchic embracement motif’ from various sculpture groups erected everywhere in the Roman Empire,” he added.

Photo: AA

Gedük, who pointed out that they obtained a lot of information about that period from the reliefs, said that they could understand from these reliefs how the horse carriage that Maximianus rode was used at that time and what kind of ceremonial carriage it was.

An exceptional chance to explore the artistic and historical significance of the embrace of the ancient Roman emperors is presented by the unveiling of this ancient masterpiece.

Now, guests at the Kocaeli Archaeology Museum can explore the fascinating realm of Roman ceremonial art and political symbolism while also getting a close-up look at this incredible relic.

Cover Image: Relief of the “Embrace scene of two emperors” depicting the Roman emperors Diocletian and Maximianus together, unearthed in Kocaeli in 2001, Kocaeli Archaeology Museum, Türkiye. Photo: AA

Related Articles

Roman-era structures unearthed in northwestern Turkiye dam site rescue excavations

18 May 2024

18 May 2024

Rescue excavations at the Reşitköy Dam site in the northwestern Turkiye province of Balıkesir have unearthed Roman structures, including a...

Ancient Roman Soldier’s Wrist Purse: A Unique Find in Former Enemy Territory

24 June 2025

24 June 2025

Archaeologists in South Moravia have unearthed a remarkable and historically significant artifact: a bronze fragment of a Roman soldier’s wrist...

The latest excavations in the ancient city of Dülük will shed light on the history of different religions

11 October 2021

11 October 2021

It is thought that the ancient city of Dülük, one of the 25 oldest settlements in the world, will shed...

Archaeologists in Egypt unearth Roman-era cabin and royal sphinx statue

6 March 2023

6 March 2023

An Egyptian archaeological mission discovered a sphinx statue inside a Roman-era limestone cabin excavated in Egypt’s south. The artifacts were...

13.000 Ostraca Discovered in Upper Egypt

20 December 2021

20 December 2021

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism announced that a German-Egyptian mission at the Al-Sheikh Hamad archaeological site in Tel...

Archaeologists Find Mysterious 2,800-year-old Channels in Jerusalem

30 August 2023

30 August 2023

Archaeologists excavating in Jerusalem have uncovered a network of mysterious channels dating back to the days of King Joash and...

Researchers may have found 3,000-year-old evidence of Yue (Amputation), one of the five punishments practiced in ancient China

4 May 2022

4 May 2022

According to the South China Morning Post, researchers in China believe a skeleton discovered in a tomb in the country’s...

Mysterious ruins discovered at the bottom of Lake Van, Türkiye’s largest lake

16 August 2023

16 August 2023

At the bottom of Lake Van, Türkiye’s largest salty soda lake with 3,712 square kilometers, divers discovered a cemetery and...

Statue heads of “Aphrodite” and “Dionysus” were found in Aizanoi Ancient City in Turkey’s

30 October 2021

30 October 2021

The statue heads of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and Dionysus, the god of wine, were unearthed in...

The Discovery of a Historic Wooden Shipwreck in the North Sea

27 January 2025

27 January 2025

A section of a wooden shipwreck was uncovered near Rantum, a coastal village located on the island of Sylt in...

Archaeologists Uncovered a Unique Ancient Roman Winery with Marble Tiling and Fountains of Grape Juice

17 April 2023

17 April 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique ancient Roman winery at the luxurious Villa of the Quintilii, just to the south of...

Excavations in Poland uncover Goth graves filled with ornate jewellery

17 August 2023

17 August 2023

A 2,000-year-old Goth burial site filled with ancient jewels has been discovered in Wda Landscape Park (Wdecki Park Krajobrazowy) near...

In Lowbury Hill Mystery of Anglo-Saxons buried 1,400 years ago may soon be solved

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

The mystery surrounding the remains of two Anglo-Saxons buried 1,400 years ago in south Oxfordshire, identified as a man and...

A Dancing Muses statue 2175 years old was found in the ancient city of Stratonikeia, known as the city of eternal loves

7 December 2023

7 December 2023

The latest discovery in the ongoing excavations in the Ancient City of Stratonikeia, known as the city of eternal loves...

The Highest Prehistoric Petroglyphs in Europe Discovered at 3000 Meters in the Italian Alps

20 November 2024

20 November 2024

The highest petroglyphs in Europe were found at Pizzo Tresero (Valfurva) in the Stelvio National Park in the northern Italian...