Pontius Pilate as a Late Antiquity and Early Medieval Judge – Iconographic Representations

Abstract

The image of a judge in Late Antiquity is shrouded in mystery as visual artefacts depicting court proceedings are scarce. Early Christian sarcophagi and miniatures adorning early manuscripts help in researching this topic. Illustrations of the trial of Jesus found there fully represent jurisprudence of the 4th and 5th century. Western artists had no knowledge of the hearing held at the beginning of the first century in Jerusalem, in a Roman province, hence they recreated what they knew from experience. The pictures presenting the trial of Jesus are probably the most important iconographic evidence of court proceedings in which a judge and an accused stand facing each other. Based on the iconography analysed, we can see that certain elements are recurrent. They include a curule seat, crossed legs of the judge, a laurel wreath, a table, presence of other persons wearing soldiers’ uniforms and clerks, whose role was probably that of a record taker. The image of Pilate in Late Antiquity is, in fact, a representation of early court scenes.