IEleus 505 Statue for Marcus Aurelius

Statue for Marcus Aurelius

I Eleusis 505 Date: 180-182 AD

The God Antoninus^[1]

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References:

I Eleusis 505 (Translated text) (PHI)

IG II² 3397 (PHI)

SEG 39.243A (PHI)

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Images: Cornell - (1)
Wikimedia Commons - (1)

Monument type: Base

Inscription type: Statue base

Findspot: Eleusis (Eleusis Museum E 1043)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This statue base was erected for Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180 AD), following his death and promotion to divine status. It was set up at Eleusis along with statues of Marcus Aurelius’ wife and daughters (I Eleusis 506-510). The group includes his daughter Lucilla (I Eleusis 506) and must therefore have been erected before she was executed for conspiracy in 182 AD. It thus formed part of the commemoration of Marcus Aurelius and his family at the beginning of the sole reign of his successor, Commodus, the first son to succeed his biological father as emperor since Titus in 79 AD. All of the bases were found near the eastern of the two Gates of the Panhellenes on the Great Court at Eleusis, except for I Eleusis 508, which was found next to the western gate (on these gates, see IG II³ 4, 217-218 with notes). Rough-picking on the back indicates that the base abutted a wall and cuttings on the architectural fragments of the eastern Gate suggest that the bases were mounted on its upper story. It seems likely that there were two statue groups, one for each arch, designed to match the pre-existing base for Hadrian on each arch (I Eleusis 453; see D. Willers in M. Flashar, H.-J. Gehrke, E. Heinrich, Retrospektive: Konzepte von Vergangenheit in der griechisch-römischen Antike, 1996, 187). On top, there are two cuttings for the feet of a bronze statue (left foot forward).

Added: 6 Mar 2026
Updated: 6 Mar 2026
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ID: AIO_3597