Allegory relating to the Pamphili family 1605 - 1662

This engraving, made by Johann Friedrich Greuter, presents us with an allegory linked to the Pamphili family. Note the figure of Roma, helmeted and regal, holding aloft a winged victory. This recalls the ancient Roman concept of "Victoria," often depicted in triumphal arches and coins, embodying military success and divine favor. Adjacent to her, another female figure offers a laurel wreath, a symbol of triumph since the times of Apollo and Daphne. In the background, soldiers holding spears and flags create a dense composition. The wreath, initially a symbol of athletic and poetic excellence, morphed into a signifier of military conquest and imperial glory. Its cyclical journey mirrors that of symbols themselves. Like the emotional intensity conveyed through gestures in classical sculpture, these motifs carry within them a potent psychological charge, engaging viewers on a visceral level. Such imagery shows how symbols resurface, adapt, and acquire new resonance across disparate eras, weaving a complex tapestry of cultural memory.