Bronze Statues on the Athenian Acropolis: The Evidence of a Lycurgan Inventory

Abstract

IG II2, 1498–1501A, an inventory list compiled by the treasurers of Athena, provides important evidence for bronze statuary on the Acropolis of Athens. The inscribed stele is preserved in five fragments, two of which join. It is likely to have been composed during the reorganization of the Acropolis proposed by Lycurgus in 335 B. C., and reflects a conscious policy of enhancement and rejuvenation of Athena's sanctuary through the manufacture of new dedications and cult equipment for the Acropolis. Since none of the 25 listed statues has survived, the descriptions provide valuable insight into the types of statues present on the Acropolis in the fourth century B. C. A remarkably large proportion (20%) of the listed statues are depictions of children. The number of cult-related sculptures such as owls and Palladia are, however, fewer than might have been expected. Several of the statues are described as being in some state of disrepair, which may indicate dedication dates as early as the beginning of the fourth century. Prosopographical information concerning the dedicants may also be gleaned from these inscriptions.