Metal plate beneath Linothorakes or Spolades

[Paullus Scipio]

Ruben/Mein panzer wrote;

"The Louvre website actually shows the origin as the Levant."

Museum websites regularly get things like provenance and date wrong, especially on older items with fuzzy provenances. I believe that Rostovtzeff was the first to publish this figurine, and he states it is from Mesopotamia.

I too was a little surprised when Ruben described the origins of this statuette as Mesopotamia since, as I vaguely recalled ( and posted), I was under the impression it was from the Syria region, so I did a little checking. Lysimachos' original posting referred to 'Syria' also. Duncan head, in AMPW (1982 - long before websites!) also states this bronze statuette is from Syria. OTOH, N. Sekunda, in "The Seleucid Army" (1994) states that it is from Mesopotamia, but goes on to say that Roztovtzeff thought it might represent a Parthian in 'Yale Classical Studies 5 (1935) p.234 and fig 46)....note that he does not say that Roztovtzeff thought it from Mesopotamia.....Sekunda then goes on to state that Seyrig also thought it Parthian (in SYRIA 47; 1970 pp109-110)

It seems to me that the latter are guessing the origins of an un-provenanced piece, and its similar companion, based on nothing more than the fact that the statuette has both 'Hellenistic' and 'Parthian' elements. Certainly the piece looks almost purely Hellenistic, but then so did much early Parthian artwork.