are shown as members of processions (as on the big friezes of the Ara Pacis) they
do not perform their specific cults. They only represent and symbolize the large num-
ber of the Roman priesthoods and their cooperation in a moment – mostly a big
event under the rule of the emperor – important for the Roman community.Realities of Religious Life Beyond the Evidence
of Public Monuments
Frequently private monuments take up elements of the official imagery. Beyond
these common traits, however, images from the private sphere can shed light on
aspects of Roman religious life otherwise unknown in the iconographic record.
Occasionally, there is room for the depiction of the whole familia(Fröhlich 1991:
pl. 28 figs. 1–2) carrying out the sacrifice; even the communal meal following the
sacrifice (Fröhlich 1991: pl. 48 fig. 1) can be shown. A small-scale statuary group
in the Vatican Museum (fig. 12.3) is a rather extreme instance of such glimpses into
a religious reality that differs widely from the one presented by official monuments.
As has been clearly demonstrated by H. R. Goette (1986) this figure is not at all a
172 Katja Moede
Figure 12.3 Testing a sacrificial animal (Rome, Musei Vaticani) (photo: Vatican Museums).