Mantiklos "Apollo"

Mantiklos "Apollo"

Greece, Ancient

votive offerings

Archaic (Greek)

Mantiklos “Apollo” is an 8 inch (20.3 cm) bronze votive statuette of Apollo. The statuette is an offering to the god, Apollo, and is missing his right arm and lower half of his legs. In his left hand, there is a hole, possibly once held a bow. His body is disproportionate as was common in early Greek sculpture. He has an elongated neck supported by his long hair and large chest. His waist narrows down to his thighs and crotch which is where the inscription is. The inscription begins on his right thigh, moving towards his crotch before curving around to his left thigh. The letters then curl up back up to the crotch before ending on the right thigh. This type of script is called boustrophedon. The inscription is dedicated to the god Apollo, making this a dedicatory inscription. Votive offerings were used to thank the gods and their dedicatory inscriptions often used the verb ’ανέθηκε (dedicated) and the noun δεκάτας (tithe), which both are inscribed on Mantiklos “Apollo”.

ΜΑΝΤΙΚΛΟΣΜΑΝΕΘΕΚΕFΕΚΑΒΟΛΟΙΑΡΓΥΡΟΤΟΧΣΟΙΤΑΣΔΕΚΑΤΑΣΤΥΔΕΦΟΙΒΕΔΙΔΟΙΧΑΡΙFΕΤΤΑΝΑΜΟΙΙ (on the statuette) Μάντικλος μ’ ’ανέθηκε ϝεκαβόλοι ’αργυρτόξσοι τάς δεκάτας. τύ δέ Φοίβε δίδοι χαρίϝετταν ’αμοί (transcribed) Mantiklos dedicated me as a tithe to the far-shooting, silver-bowed one. You, Phoebus, might give most favorable things to me. (translation)

Unknown

https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/mantiklos-apollo-152660

700–675 B.C.E.

Amelia Verkerk; Christina Salowey (photograph)

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Part of Greek in the Wild: Inscriptions Explained

bronze (metal)

sculpture

Ancient Greek

votive offerings

Mantiklos "Apollo"

Thebes, Boeotia, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece

Boston, Massachusetts, United States