10-16-2016, 03:25 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-16-2016, 05:18 AM by Paullus Scipio.)
Some comments on the rather nice find. Thanks for posting, and the reference to its companion statue 
Everything about this statue indicates a date of late 3 rd/2nd century, perhaps even later. The relatively small epomides/shoulder pieces, the thunderbolt emblems - typically Ptolemaic, though not unique to them, the style of 'pteryges', and above all the girdle tied in a 'knot of Hercules'. All these features would later be copied by the Romans.
The girdle with 'knot of Hercules' is indicative of senior rank/General, and it may be that a Hellenistic King is being depicted.( It is CERTAINLY not a 'hoplite'.
As to the material of the armour, I'd agree with Dan that it is impossible to be certain. It may represent a leather 'spolas', but a couple of features cause pause. 'Non-muscled' bronze cuirasses are not unknown, and the depicted nipples are usually found only on Bronze or iron cuirasses. On balance of probability, I'd tend to come down in favour of a bronze or iron cuirass. Hinges would not be visible, because they were normally on the left side, here hidden by the cloak.
For an idea of how the complete statue would have looked, see below. The marble statues ( two different ones) of Marcus Nonius Balbus are from Herculaneum, where he was honoured as a great Benefactor. Note the upraised hand gesture and 'girdle of Hercules'. The heads are different because the 'elder' one looking rather like J. Caesar is actually an 18 C replacement for a missing head. ( for which you'll often see the two statues labelled as Father and Son)
The same pose and almost identical statues exist of Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, with the same hand gesture.....
Everything about this statue indicates a date of late 3 rd/2nd century, perhaps even later. The relatively small epomides/shoulder pieces, the thunderbolt emblems - typically Ptolemaic, though not unique to them, the style of 'pteryges', and above all the girdle tied in a 'knot of Hercules'. All these features would later be copied by the Romans.
The girdle with 'knot of Hercules' is indicative of senior rank/General, and it may be that a Hellenistic King is being depicted.( It is CERTAINLY not a 'hoplite'.
As to the material of the armour, I'd agree with Dan that it is impossible to be certain. It may represent a leather 'spolas', but a couple of features cause pause. 'Non-muscled' bronze cuirasses are not unknown, and the depicted nipples are usually found only on Bronze or iron cuirasses. On balance of probability, I'd tend to come down in favour of a bronze or iron cuirass. Hinges would not be visible, because they were normally on the left side, here hidden by the cloak.
For an idea of how the complete statue would have looked, see below. The marble statues ( two different ones) of Marcus Nonius Balbus are from Herculaneum, where he was honoured as a great Benefactor. Note the upraised hand gesture and 'girdle of Hercules'. The heads are different because the 'elder' one looking rather like J. Caesar is actually an 18 C replacement for a missing head. ( for which you'll often see the two statues labelled as Father and Son)
The same pose and almost identical statues exist of Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius, with the same hand gesture.....
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
