Dionysos Ancient and Modern: A Cult Statue of Dionysos from Piraeus (20 min)

Presenters

Olga Palagia, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Abstract

The excavations for laying the foundations of the Municipal Theater of Piraeus in 1883/1884 uncovered a fragmentary statue of Dionysos in Pentelic marble along with three inscriptions and a limestone altar, all enclosed within a large house with a peristyle court. The statue of Dionysos was originally over-life-size. The god is shown in a chiton and himation, with a panther skin draped over his right shoulder and fastened with his belt. The style of the statue is akin to that of the Great Altar of Pergamon of the second century B.C.E. The statue had been cut down in antiquity to be reused as building material, it was therefore not found in its original location. It is now kept in the garden of the Piraeus Museum.

One of the inscriptions found with the statue is a poem, the other two are honorary decrees dating from 185/184 and 176/175 B.C.E. They all document a private cult of Dionysos, administered and financed by the family of Dionysios of Marathon. The worshippers were called Dionysiastai and were prominent Athenian citizens who conducted sacrifices once a month. Dionysios of Marathon was honored for his sponsorship of the cult and for erecting a cult statue in accordance with an oracle. He served as the cult’s priest and was heroized after his death; his portrait statue was erected next to that of the god and to that of his father who had predeceased him and might have been the cult’s founder. Dionysios was said to have founded a temple (naos). No such building was found in the excavation and it is assumed to lie under the unexcavated area. Some commentators suggest that there was a second statue of Dionysos which might have served as the cult statue; its existence, however, is not established. Even though the Dionysiastai are not known to have organized any theatrical performances, the establishment of a modern theater on top of an ancient shrine of Dionysos can be taken as an omen of the suitability of that particular location for the rites of Dionysos.