 Although armed, the barbarian warriors, usually identified as, are depicted as helpless to defend themselves.The theme of depicting a battle between the Goths and Romans was popular in the mid second century, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.After this period there was a transition from mythological battle scenes to historical battles where the deceased person in the sarcophagus was specifically commemorated in the relief.Various aspects of the execution of the work accentuate the contrast between the Romans and the Goths.