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Marble drum with mountain god, Tmolus, inscription at top, overview. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College) -
Marble drum, inscription above image of mountain God, Tmolus. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Mountain God, Tmolus, on Drum
- Date
- Hellenistic?, Hellenistic
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- IN60.019
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture
- Sculpture Type
- Other Architectural Piece, Human Figure, Mythological Figure
- Inscription Text
Φυλῆς Τμωλίδος.
- Inscription Translation
- “Of the phyle Tmolis”
- Inscription Comment
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- PN
- Trench
- PN
- Findspot
- PN N-S wall between rooms B and C, from early 5th C. A.D. villa.
- Description
Near top of drum, in two lines, are the words ΦΥΛΗΣ ΤΜΩΛΙΔΟΣ. Below the inscription is a sculptured relief of the river god, Tmolus, reclining on a rocky projection representing the mountain. He is naked except for a corner of drapery falling over his r. thigh; three other folds of the cloth are draped over the rock. He reclines on his l. arm, his r. leg is bent up at the knee, and the l. foot is tucked under the r. one. The proportions of the god are stocky; his legs seem too small for the broad torso.
Modeling is careful, although not excellent. The fine letters of the inscription indicate a Hellenistic date.
- Condition
Marble.
Head and l. arm of Tmolus missing, also r. arm below elbow. The tree against which he leans also missing except part of trunk and a few leaves. Anathyrosis on bottom of drum partly chipped. Top surface has dowel hole 0.06 W. and a channel.
- Dimensions
- H. of drum 0.88; diam. 0.615; H. of letters 0.03; total H. of relief 0.54; W. of relief 0.41.
- Comments
- See Also
- See also: M14, No. 573.
- Bibliography
- Author
- NHR