Agora Object: S 3500
Inventory Number:   S 3500
Section Number:   ΕΛ 702
Excavation Number:   gawlinski:2002:f:8
Title:   Roman Portrait Head
Category:   Sculpture
Description:   Broken off at neck, missing most of chin, mouth and nose. Eyes damaged, but in good condition from eyebrows up.
Male head, larger than life-size, with thick curly hair and light beard. From ear to ear, elaborate diadem decorated with eight small busts in cuirass or toga, below it a wreath of small pointed leaves, and below this a fillet, all tied together at back of head. Lightly incised scraggly beard, in contrast to richly detailed hair, may suggest later reworking. Portrait of prominent Athenian? Crown of busts usually indicates priest of the imperial cult.
Probable date of late second to early third century AD.
(cf. Nat. Mus. no. 356; 161-180 AD).
Context:   East Trench; west edge.
Handling:   Be aware of the heavy weight of the head when moving.
Notebook Page:   1467
Dimensions:   P.H. 0.36; Diam. 0.86; H. (busts) 0.053
Material:   Marble
Date:   19 June 2002
Section:   ΕΛ
Grid:   U/6-22/2,4
Elevation:   87.99m.
Masl:   87.99m.
Lot:   Lot ΕΛ 198
Basket:   gawlinski:2002:b:10
Bibliography:   Museum Guide (2014), pp. 88-89, 91, figs. 51-52.
    Guide (2010), p. 9.
    Camp and Mauzy (2009), p. 59, fig. 58.
    Camp (2008), pp 88, 89, fig. 2.
    Hesperia 76 (2007) pp. 365-390, figs. 1-3, 12, 16, n. 1.
    Hesperia 76 (2007), pp. 654-655, fig. 28.
References:   Publication: Camp (2008)
Publication: Hesperia 76 (2007)
Publication: Museum Guide (2014)
Report: 2002 A Portrait of an Imperial Priest
Report: 2002 Excavations
Images (60)
Card: S 3500