Statue of Apollo Smintheus by Skopas of Paros in the Troad Region: Reviving a Past Style
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18688/Keywords:
Classical Greek sculpture, Skopas of Paros, Ancient Troad, Smintheion, Cult images, Asia Minor, marble statuary, ancient Greek religionAbstract
In the early 5th–4th centuries B.C., a number of famous sculptures by Classical Greek masters were set up in the region of the Troad in Asia Minor. Among them are included a bronze statue of Herakles by the sculptor Hegesias who worked in Athens in the early 5th century B.C., a marble statue of Eros by the famous Athenian sculptor Praxiteles, and a bronze statue of the Trojan prince Paris by the Greek sculptor Euphranor from the Isthmus near Corinth, all created for the city of Parion on the Propontis. In addition to the sculptures made for Parion, the marble cult image of Apollo Smintheus for his sanctuary at Chryse was created by the renowned sculptor and architect of the 4th century B.C., Skopas of Paros. Skopas was a reputed cult image-maker. A great number of cult statues created by him for temples and sanctuaries in the ancient world, are mentioned in the ancient sources. Focusing here on the Skopaic work for Smintheion, the article presents the history and iconography of the cult image of Apollo Smintheus for Chryse based on a) literary b) numismatic and c) recent archaeological evidence from Smintheion. It also examines and discusses the iconographic conception of this particular cult image indicating the artist’s choice of an archaistic representation, in comparison with other cult statues by Skopas. This group of sculptures suggests another stylistic approach taken by the sculptor, as opposed to the unique expression of pathos introduced by Skopas in ancient Greek art.
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