SEG 58.157 Inventory of sculpture

Inventory of sculpture

SEG 58.157 Date: ca. 169/8 to 135/4 BC

Fragment a

Face A (front)

. . . ^[1] . . . sweets . . . relief of a Centaur . . . Kouretes^[2] uninscribed space (5) two female – and . . . relief of Chares^[3] . . . and Comedy^[4] uninscribed space . . .

Face B (right)

. . . (10) . . . . . . . . . offering trench (eschara)? . . . torch? . . . (15) . . . . . .

Fragment b

. . . near . . . and child . . . Asklepios (20) . . . and Hygieia . . . servant . . . from the . . . of Phalakros or of a bald man . . . on which Asklepios (25) . . . Pentelic marble and . . . another . . . [in or near the Ny]mphaion . . . Piraeus stone . . . child (30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and (35) . . . of Hermes . . . and in the other . . . the starting block (balbis) . . . of a bronze statue . . . holding (40) . . . Hymettian marble things . . . Hymettian marble . . . Pentelic marble . . . . . . of Hermokles (45) . . . halls or in a hall (exedrai) . . . Artemis . . . holding . . . floor-length chiton . . . sitting (50) . . . halls or in a hall (exedrai) . . . acrolithic or jewel-bedecked Muses . . . of Hermokles . . . alabastron . . . Hermaphroditos (55) . . . Artemis . . . of a maiden^[5] . . . [dedication (?)] of Timarchides . . . of – . . . [dedication (?) of Euch]eir or [of a right] hand (60) . . . Hymettian marble.

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References:

SEG 58.157 (Translated text) (AIO)

SEG 26.139 (PHI)

Tracy, ALC 150e

DNO 2630

DNO 2546

DNO 3596

DNO 3627

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Images: Agora Excavations - (1, 2, 3, 4)

Monument type: Block

Inscription type: Account

Fr. a - Findspot: Agora (Ag. I 2309)
Fr. b - Findspot: Agora (Ag. I 1005)
Fr. b - Findspot: Agora (Ag. I 1007)
Fr. b - Findspot: Agora (Ag. I 5916)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This inscription consists of two fragments from a block or base inscribed with an inventory of sculptures. Fragment a preserves the right portion of face A and the left portion of face B. Fragment b preserves the right portion of face B or of face C and the left portion of an uninscribed face. The mason is Tracy’s ‘Cutter of Agora I 6006,’ who was active ca. 169/8 to 135/4 BC. D. Clay, Hesperia 46, 1977, 259-67 (= SEG 26.139) interprets it as an inventory from a gymnasion, probably the Ptolemaion gymnasion, which served as the headquarters of the ephebes in this period and was located somewhere to the east of the Agora (see AIO Papers 12, p. 3). Key for this interpretation is the presence of a starting block (balbis) at l. 37 and a lecture hall (exedra) at ll. 45, 50. On this interpretation, the various statues recorded reflect the emphasis on culture and learning in the gymnasia of the Hellenistic Age. For well-preserved inventories from the Hellenistic gymnasion on Delos, see I Délos 1417 with J.-C. Moretti, Bulletin de Correspondence Hellénique 121, 1997, 125-51. J. Ma, Tekmeria 6, 2008, 7-16 (= SEG 58.157) argues that the inventories belong to a shrine or shrines from the south slope of the Acropolis, perhaps the Asklepieion or the sanctuary and theatre of Dionysos Eleuthereus for fragment a and the Asklepieion for fragment b. This is based on the presence of Comedy (l. 7), Asklepios and Hygieia (ll. 19-20, 24), a shrine of the nymphs (l. 27, worshipped in the Asklepieion, cf. IG II³ 4, 1804). He interprets the balbis as a low base and the exedra as a dining hall. [2] The Centaur is probably Cheiron, teacher of heroes. The Kouretes were armoured spirits who guarded baby Zeus in the Cretan mountains. [3] Chares (l. 6), Hermokles (ll. 44, 52), Timarchides (l. 56), and Eucheir (l. 59) might be interpreted as sculptors (Clay) or dedicators (Ma). [4] The statue of a personification of Comedy (l. 7) was presumably accompanied by one of Tragedy. Cf. the statues of the Iliad and Odyssey from the Athenian Agora (SEG 29.192, IG II² 4313). [5] The ‘maiden’ (l. 56) is perhaps Athena Parthenos.

Added: 19 Aug 2025
Updated: 19 Aug 2025
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