03-10-2010, 10:55 PM
Crispus,
Like Duncan says, you pay your money and ride your ride. I put a degree of faith in sculptural evidence as a starting point because it is at least what a trained craftsman thought one looked like 2000 years ago. Because it is a "first edition" so to speak I can be reasonably sure that, aside from the effects of weathering, it hasn't been significantly altered or interpreted to fit someone else's agenda. Compare that to textural evidence which has been subjected to generations of copyists and translators. Even artifacts are not beyond "constructive ammendments" to fit assumptions.
Like Duncan says, you pay your money and ride your ride. I put a degree of faith in sculptural evidence as a starting point because it is at least what a trained craftsman thought one looked like 2000 years ago. Because it is a "first edition" so to speak I can be reasonably sure that, aside from the effects of weathering, it hasn't been significantly altered or interpreted to fit someone else's agenda. Compare that to textural evidence which has been subjected to generations of copyists and translators. Even artifacts are not beyond "constructive ammendments" to fit assumptions.
P. Clodius Secundus (Randi Richert), Legio III Cyrenaica
"Caesar\'s Conquerors"
"Caesar\'s Conquerors"
