If we turn to the Bible, we’d easily find the verses expressing the ideas of good treatment to foes-enemies, avoiding the violence on them, and that every act of establishing the peace with the enemies could be blessed by God. “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (Peter 3:9). Luke writes. “Therefore be merciful just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36), and finally Matthew tells the story of Christ’s teaching, “You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45). And probably one of the reasons why in the bottom panel of procession barbarians- “evils” are not depicted kneeled or in the pose of begging or hardly suffering in torture in the defeated posture, are the following verses: “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice”, (Proverbs 24:17) and "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:8). The Swedish theologian Ulrich Luz states that the ideas expressed in the current verses “considered the Christian distinction and innovation”, “Love thy enemies” is what separates Christianity from all earlier religions.

So the unknown artist or artists who created this masterpiece and were, as we supposed, from the Christian workshops opened by the court of Justinian, were aware of the new religion and used this motif to stress the image of the Emperor not only as the skillful warrior, triumphant in the “Roman” meaning of this word, but also “victorious” in “Christian” meaning-“peacemaker” who is blessed, who did not hate and decimate his enemies and is “good to them”. This stressed peaceful character of Justinian stands out when we compare to the Roman art samples (Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus) where the foe is physically and emotionally enduring agony, and the imperial power is expressed in cruelly killing the barbarians and there is no place for mercy. Even comparing the Barberini Ivory with the much earlier artefacts such as the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin (2254-2218 B.C.E.) and Narmer Palette (3200-3000 B.C.E.), as the three artworks have the same narrative- “triumph of the ruler over his foe” and the same iconography in the meaning of “divine victory”. In ancient samples the figures of foes in miseries occupy large parts of the composition, but in case of the Byzantine ivory the very moment of forgiveness and mercy to the enemy-barbarian is pictured avoiding the bloody crowded scenes and human sufferings, even the participants of the procession below seem to be joyful to be the part of Justinian’s empire.

Why did the artists select this character exactly during Justinian’s age and for Justinian himself? At that time rather, the individual preferences of the patron were evaluated more than the artistic goals of the artist himself. The time this diptych was created Justinian ended the long-lasting war with the Sassanid Persia with the “The Perpetual Peace”(ἀπέραντος εἰρήνη), signed in 532 between the East Roman Empire and Sassanid Persia, and this diptych was a great tool of propaganda for the Emperor to represent his political decision as his own “victory”, forming the image of the almighty and wise ruler of Byzantine Empire which prefers peace and established order. More likely the bag with the money on the left panel indicates exactly the amount of gold Justinian paid for the peace with Sassanids. Justinian’s period was not peaceful at all: wars, rebellions, riots, invasions and the own ambitions of the Byzantine Emperor to build the second Roman Empire, so perhaps for stressing the equivalent of victories in these narratives which found their reflections on the Barberini ivory, artists included totally three images of Victories in only one diptych- the one in the procession- Romanised, with “trophy” the other in the hands of the general in the left panel and the last one in the process of crowning the emperor.

Our statement on this artwork to be of propaganda purpose becomes stronger when we explore a bronze panel (Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens) from the same historical period. The latter’s composition is almost the replica of the Justinian image, the curves, the position on the horse, the gestures of the central figure with the Barbarian on the left. Thereby, the image of “peacemaker” and “peace-defender” Emperor was in need for that time so they repeated it again. Another historical fact which strengthens our theory on the Christian nuance of this ivory is the juridical reforms by Justinian. According to his “Corpus Juris Civilis", numerous provisions served to secure the status of Christianity as the state religion of the empire, uniting Church and state, and making anyone who was not connected to the Christian church a non-citizen. The very first law in the Codex requires all persons under the jurisdiction of the Empire to hold the Christian faith. So for the implementation of these rules Justinian could use numerous artworks just like Barberini ivory, mosaics in Ravenna and the repetition of the ivory composition on the bronze plaques as an example for the citizens of his vast empire how the words and the order of Christ should be followed by and that he is the one who deserves the crown of the Christian emperor who treats his foes with wisdom and kindness.