Exhibitions on ancient Roman civilization are displayed at the Hall of International Cultural Exchange, which is located on the second floor of Suzhou Museum West. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]
The Suzhou Museum West has collaborated with the British Museum for a five-year exhibition themed on the history of world civilization.
The first show, which lasts from Sept 25, 2021 to Oct 9, 2022, is entitled Rome: City and Empire and features 267 exhibits from the British Museum, including 11 that were specially restored for the Suzhou Museum West.
This is the first time the British Museum's Roman series has been exhibited in Asia. The collection covers a wide range of precious cultural relics such as large sculptures, crafts, paintings, furniture and utensils, and gold and silver coins, tracing the origin and development of Rome and showing how the Roman Empire expanded its influence to Europe and Asia.
The exhibition also highlights some key figures who emerged during Rome's development, including Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Gaius Octavius Augustus, and Empress Faustina the Elder.
The Roman Empire covered an area of about 5 million square kilometers and had a population of 100 million at its peak, bringing its Latin language, laws, customs, monetary system and even religious beliefs to its colonies. However, there were still significant differences between regions within the Roman Empire, as the local inhabitants incorporated Roman culture into their own local cultures, thus creating new cultures with unique characteristics.
Address: Hall of International Cultural Exchange, 2/F Suzhou Museum West, 399 Changjiang Road, Suzhou New District
