The Triumph of Tetricus

On a chariot pulled by four horses, the usurper emperor of Gaul from 271 to 274 Tetricus II carries a globe surmounted by a Victory, while his son, Caesar Tetricus II , holds a consular scepter.

On a chariot pulled by four horses, TetricusI , the usurper emperor of Gaul from 271 to 274,carries a globe topped with a Victory statue, while his son, Caesar Tetricus II, holds a consular scepter. Standing and crowned with laurels, they are heading towards a triumphal arch in honor of their victory against the Goths in Bordeaux in 272 AD. The two Tetricus were stopped by the Roman emperor Aurelian in 274.

What is the connection with Albret?

This marble bas-relief, kept at the Saint-Raymond Museum in Toulouse, is actually a fake sculpted in 1833 by Maximilien-Théodore Chrétin! Settled in Nérac since 1825, where he had a painting studio, Chrétin was appointed by the municipal administration to oversee the archaeological excavations of the Gallo-Roman villa of La Garenne. His discoveries were remarkable and initially praised by the scientific community, including Prosper Mérimée, but were later called into question. Chrétin confessed to the deception in 1835 during a sensational trial: the bas-reliefs and medallions were the fruit of his imagination!

The artist-forger!

It was after closer examination of the Latin inscriptions surrounding the bas-reliefs and medallions in Chrétin's discoveries, that scientists began to express doubts. Unusual elements appear:

– He mentions a temple dedicated to Jupiter, protector, victorious, and of Victory, discovered in the villa, located in the fortress of Nerae Aquae (Nérac), which was the residence of Tetricus I. Victory, located in the fortress of Nerae Aquae (Nérac), which was the residence of Tetricus II : this is the legend of an imperial villa in Nérac.

– On another bas-relief, he engraved behind Tetricus Ier a mysterious Nera, his wife, whom he invented to please the town of Nérac;

– An inscription of six letters, M.T.C.N.D.P, has no equivalent in the Gallo-Roman world Gallo-Roman world. At the court of Nérac, its meaning was revealed: it is in fact the initials of Maximilien-Théodore Chrétin Natif De Paris;

– Instead of the famous motto S.P.Q.R (Senatus Populusque Romanus), S.P.R.G.Q (Senatus Populus Romanus Gallicusque) in inscriptions, a formula unknown in Roman epigraphy.

The Villa de la Garenne and its mosaics, probably belonging to a wealthy notable, are authentic. However, Chrétin, by creating archaeological forgeries, wishes to glorify his discovery: an imperial villa of Tetricus I..