Today, our society is greatly influenced by the ancient Roman republic. While we try our best to update technologies from the ancient world, some ancient innovations have been left alone. The Romans did an excellent job efficiently utilizing their resources, and because of this we still see traces of the Roman world in our everyday lives. A good example of this is this bronze fibula. The bronze fibula was hand crafted by romans who specialized in working with metals. The size of the fibula is relatively small, fitting comfortably in an open hand. Looking at the object, it is clear that the bronze fibula served a similar purpose to the modern-day safety pin. This fibula was most likely used by the romans to pin a variety of different cloaks worn by roman soldiers, citizens, and members of the roman elite.
(DePauw Univ. artifact 2024).
This artifact shows us that the safety pin, or rather the bronze fibula, was being used by the Romans over 2000 years ago. This clever design hasn’t been significantly updated since! This cloak pin, or fibulae, served the same purpose as it does today: A convenient way to hold pieces of clothing together. The complete bronze fibula includes a pin and a clip, making the design practically congruent to the modern safety pin.
(Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1991)
This artifact alone reveals a connection between ourselves and the Romans, but this ancient safety pin plays a second, more symbolic role. Whether it is military strategy, art, government, clothing, or culture, Roman influence can be seen in the largest and smallest details of life on earth today. This safety pin is a great example of the little things from Roman culture that influence modern daily life.
The clothes we wear today say a lot about who we are and where we come from. Certain articles of clothing, especially accessories are often glamorized to be used as symbols of wealth for those who can afford it. Oftentimes, fibulae and other ancient Roman accessories included “inscriptions or decorations, which link them to the imperial sphere”(Johansson 1994 223-242). Fibulae belonging to members of the roman elite were often inscribed with Latin proverbs that were meaningful to these elite members of Roman society. Today, the wealthy may wear necklaces, watches, glasses, or other articles of clothing from expensive “name brands” in order to show off their wealth. In ancient times, fibulae with inscriptions served the same purpose. Senators, consuls, and other elite individuals could afford to have their fibulae inscribed, and wore them with pride; showing off their achievements and wealth.
Roman influence can surely be seen today in our society. The bronze fibula serves as a symbol of the great impact that the Roman Empire has made on our world. The Roman Empire’s ability to have such an impact so far removed from its time can be greatly attributed to the power and influence the empire had in its glory days. The bronze fibula is also a great example of the Romans influence back then. Bronze Fibulae “were glamorous enough to be appreciated and imitated in the lands far away from the Danube frontier of the Empire” (Curta/Gândila, 51-81, archeology Bulgaria, 2011). Existence of Roman fibulae in lands far from the empire can be linked to Roman military campaigning in other lands. Consequently, the Romans’ use of these fibulae as status symbols also spread throughout the ancient world widening their sphere of cultural influence. This far reaching cultural influence is what ultimately led to the Empire’s legacy surviving for thousands of years, and it’s what’s lead todays society to be so similar in many ways to the Romans.
sources:
Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1991. “One Hundred Twenty-first Annual Report of the Trustees for the Fiscal Year July 1, 1990 through June 30, 1991.” Annual Report of the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 121: p. 32. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/256014
Johansen, Ida Malte. “Rings, Fibulae and Buckles with Imperial Portraits and Inscriptions.” Journal of Roman Archaeology 7 (1994): 223–42. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047759400012587.
Curta, Florin, and Andrei Gândilă. “Too much typology, too little history: a critical approach to the classification and interpretation of cast fibulae with bent stem.” Archaeologia Bulgarica 15, no. 3 (2011): 51-81. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/AndreiGandila/publication/289464374_Too_much_typology_too_little_history_A_critical_approach_to_the_classification_and_interpretation_of_cast_fibulae_with_bent_stem/links/651b141a3ab6cb4ec6b494c8/Too-much-typology-too-little-history-A-critical-approach-to-the-classification-and-interpretation-of-cast-fibulae-with-bent-stem.pdf
DePauw University Classics World 