Statue of a youth. Tarquinia. Late 4th - 3rd century B.C., bronze. Gregorian Etruscan Museum.
“The statue, originally fixed on a stone base, is missing the left arm and two fingers of the right hand; these latter were broken in ancient times. On the arm there is an incomplete Etruscan inscription mentioning a votive offering to Selvans and to Śuri, etymologically the “black”, a sort of underworld Apollo for the Etruscans. Votive offerings depicting seated children have been found in the ancient Etruscan shrines of Lake Trasimeno [cf. Graziani Putto], Vulci, and Cerveteri. On account of the mature appearance of the face, this bronze work has hypothetically been identified with the mythical Tagetes, the prophet-child with the wisdom of an elder, who prodigiously appeared from ground ploughed too deeply by a farmer in Tarquinia and who was the first to dictate to the principes Etruriaethedisciplina etrusca, or rather the foundations of the Etruscan religion, subsequently codified in sacred books.
Considering the high quality of the statue and the fact that the bulla or amulet it wears was an attribute of high-ranking youths during puberty, it would in any case have been dedicated by an eminent personage to an urban shrine in ancient Tarquinia.” (x)
[id: photo of statue described above, which depicts a seated youth wearing an amulet and turning to look behind themselves. end id]
Mars of Todi. Todi, Monte Santo area. End of 5th century B.C., bronze. Gregorian Etruscan Museum.
“This extremely rare example of ancient bronze statuary depicts a warrior dressed in a breastplate and leaning against an iron lance, in the act of performing a propitiatory libation with a patera before battle (the patera and the remains of the lance are currently on display in a cabinet). It is made up of parts cast separately using the lost wax technique and then soldered together, with multi-material insertions to enhance its naturalistic effect. The dedicatory inscription, in the language of the ancient Umbrians but in the southern Etruscan alphabet (ahal trutitis dunum dede) recalls that the statue was given as a gift (dunum dede) by a certain Ahal Trutitis, possibly an individual of Celtic origin. Probably produced in a workshop in Orvieto (Volsinii), it displays references to Attican models from around the third quarter of the fifth century B.C., especially in the circle of Phidias, although with generic aspects of Polycletian form. It was discovered in Todi in 1835, buried between slabs of travertine, possibly after having been struck by lightning. It was acquired by the Papal Government in 1836.” (x)
[id: photo of the bronze statue described above, which depicts a warrior in a breastplate leaning against a lance, which is not shown in the photo, with his right hand outstretched. end id]
Statuette of a young woman. Late 6th century B.C.; bronze. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The artist was clearly inspired by archaic Greek korai, votive statues of young women, a connection especially noticeable in the typical frontal pose with right hand extended and left hand holding the garment. However, the sculptor was not especially concerned about the accurate depiction of costume. The Greek himation (cloak), for example, is misrepresented. The folds so prominently visible from the front are absent on the back of the statue, perhaps an indication that the artist was looking at a two-dimensional source such as a relief sculpture or vase painting rather than a sculpture in the round. In any case, he clearly was more interested in rich surface embellishment than in realistic rendering of drapery and produced a wealth of engraved details in the hair, jewelry, sewn seams, decorated hems, and drapery folds. The pointed shoes (calcei repandi), here elaborately rendered with meticulously detailed laces and floral ornament, are distinctively Etruscan. The figure’s left foot is a modern restoration. (x)
Λ3239 Kissamos, Health Center. Found and donated by D. Vouterakis 1985. Decorative marble group of Aphrodite and Eros sitting on a rock playing guitar. The composition is iconographically unique. Although Eros is often depicted with a guitar or lyre (on lamps, figurines, mosaics, wall paintings, etc.), the depiction of Aphrodite with musical instruments is rare. It probably decorate an atrium. Date: Second half of 1st century A.D.
Λ418, Kissamos, Raisakis plot 2005, Naked marble torso of Aphrodite wearing a diadem. Roman copy of a Hellenistic prototype from the end of 4th century B.C. It belongs to the type of Capitoline Aphrodite (modest Aphrodite).
(Λ419) Found in Kissamos, eastern Roman baths, 2005. Marble statue of a young Pan with characteristics of a Satyr. He is holding a hare in his right hand. Roman copy of a Late Hellenistic prototype. Its style is similar to that of the Satyr (694). Date 2nd century A.D
This statue was found crushed in the Roman baths, possibly from the 365 A.D earthquake, this photo is from the excavations - part of the museum exhibition.
The Earthquake of 365 A.D.
During the night of July 21, 365 A.D. a terrific earthquake of 8.5 Richter magnitude destroyed Kissamos and other Cretan and Mediterranean cities. It triggered a tsunami that reached the Nile delta and is a possible cause of the uplift of Western Crete. This earthquake signalled the decline of the city and the end of the ancient, pagan world in this area.
Finds from the destruction level include coins and ceramics in accord with the chronology of the earthquake, four human skeletons crushed under the ruins, and intense burning on the floors from fires probably caused by fallen oil lamps. The first evidence of survival are outdoor ovens and cooking hearths constructed on top of the destruction debris.
