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Statue of Moschine, front view (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College) -
Statue of Moschine, 3/4 view (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College) -
Statue of Moschine, side view of torso (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College) -
Statue of Moschine, foot. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College) -
Statue of Moschine, inscription (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Statue of Moschine, Priestess of Artemis
- Date
- 50-25 BC, Hellenistic
- Museum
- Izmir, Archaeological Museum, 582
- Museum Inventory No.
- 582
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- Izmir 582
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture
- Sculpture Type
- Human Figure, Draped Woman
- Inscription Text
Ἄρετμι, Σὰρδεις σῶζε διηνε[κ]ὲ[ς] εἰς ὁμόν[οιαν] Μοσχίνης εὐχαῖς Διφίλεω θυγατρό[ς].
- Inscription Translation
O Artemis, do thou ever preserve Sardis in concord through the prayers of Moschine, daughter of Diphilos.
- Inscription Comment
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- AT
- Locus
- AT Precinct
- Findspot
- Found in 1929 "in a house situated near the north side of the temple area" (Sardis VII, 65).
- Description
The priestess stands twisted slightly to her l., her r. foot drawn back and resting on the toes. She wears a chiton, himation, and platformed sandals, and stands on a square inscribed base.
The himation is drawn from her r. to her l. side across her body in such a way as to be pulled smooth over her r. knee and her l. thigh, where the folds of the chiton are revealed beneath. Graceful U-shaped folds fall over her l. thigh and are contrasted with the vertical folds of the chiton underneath, and with the diagonal folds of the himation elsewhere. One end of the himation was wrapped around her l. arm, which extended forward; the other end was flung over her l. shoulder. The chiton has narrow vertical folds over the chest and deeper ones near the feet, especially between the legs. There is a double-bordered round neckline.
The stance, and the drapery to some extent, are reminiscent of the Anzio maiden. A date of 41-31 B.C., a period of civil strife which would explain the inscription, has been suggested by Buckler and Robinson, and of 35-25 B.C. by Hanfmann and Polatkan.
- Condition
Marble.
The head is missing, also the I. forearm below the elbow and r. arm from above the elbow. Some breaks have occurred on the surface, particularly at the breasts and lower chiton. Both ends of the base are also chipped.
- Dimensions
- H. including plinth 1.42; Th. at waist 0.28, at feet 0.43; Th. of sandal soles 0.03.
- Comments
- Cf. also Magie, Roman Rule, 373ff., 1242, 1579. For the Anzio maiden see Richter, Sculpture, fig. 336.
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Published: Sardis VII, 65-66, no. 50, fig. 41, pl. 10 from which the translation is taken; A.D. Nock, Diis Electa, 256 on the inscription; Aziz, Guide Musee Smyrne, 46, ill.; Hanfmann-Polatkan, Sculptures, where it is compared to statues of the family of L. Valerius Flaccus (Humann-Kohte-Watzinger, Magnesia am Maeander, 198ff., figs. 198-200).
- Author
- NHR