The Orator

Aule Metele (The Orator)
Year 110-90 BCE
Medium bronze sculpture
Dimensions 179 cm (70 in)
Location National Archaeological Museum, Florence

The statue called The Orator (English) is also known as L' Arringatore (Italian), or Aulus Metellus (Latin), Aule Meteli (Etruscan). The sculpture was made out of bronze during the late second or the early first century BCE and is a Etruscan work of art.[1] Aulus Metellus was an Etruscan senator in the Roman republic, originally from Perugia or Cortona.[2] The Aulus Metellus sculpture was found in 1566 with the exact location being up for debate, but all sources agree the sculpture was found either in or around Lake Trasimeno in the province of Perugia on the border between Umbria and Tuscany,[2][3] 177 kilometers (110 miles) from Rome.

Description

The statue of Aulus Metellus is 179 cm in height[1] ( or 5'10" in Imperial measurements). The statue wears a toga exigua, consisting of a short sleeved tunic underneath a close fitting toga, slung over the left arm and shoulder while leaving the right arm free for movement. The hem starts over the left ankle and heads diagonally upwards to above the right calf.[4] The statue also wears a pair of boots called calceus senatorius. This type of foot wear was worn by senators and high ranking magistrates and it was distinguished by the red leather.[5] The Aulus Metellus statue stands in a contrapposto pose with one leg supporting the bulk of the statue's weight.[6] The statue's mouth is open to express that he is speaking with his eyes fixed forward. The hair of the statue is cut short and combed to the left.[6] The statue has its left arm resting at its side with the hand raised and opened slightly,[6] while the statue's right arm is stretched out, bent at the elbow, its palm open and the fingers spread out.[2]

Inscription

On the Aulus Metellus statue there is an inscription written in the Etruscan language. The inscription reads “auleśi meteliś ve[luś] vesial clenśi / cen flereś tece sanśl tenine / tu θineś χisvlicś” (“To (or from) Auli Meteli, the son of Vel and Vesi, Tenine (?) set up this statue as a votive offering to Sans, by deliberation of the people”).[7]

Purpose

The Aulus Metellus statue was made for the purpose of a votive offering.[1] A votive offering is an object given to any god of a panhellenic religion as payment for the successful fulfillment of a prayer. This object could be anything from a handmade effigy or, if the giver of the offering is wealthy, a commissioned statue.[8] This idea of the statue being a votive offering is debated and some historians say the statue was an honorary statue, intended for public viewing rather than an offering to the gods.[6]

There is some debate about the family that originally owned the statue and the socioeconomic status of said family.[2][6] Spivy and other sources state that the Aulus Metellus statue belonged to a wealthy family due the statue being made out of expensive materials (i.e. bronze) and the level of craftsmanship present in the statue.[2][9] Shiell states the Aulus Metellus statue belong to a more average Roman family.[6] Shiell's claim about the statue is largely conjecture with no support evidence.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 1913-1982., Janson, H. W. (Horst Woldemar), (2004). History of art : the Western tradition. Janson, Anthony F. (Rev. 6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice-Hall. ISBN 9780131828957. OCLC 51460547.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Spivey, Nigel (1997). Etruscan Art. Thames and Hudson Ltd London. pp. 174–176. ISBN 0-500-20304-0.
  3. ↑ Curry, Virginia (2012). Familia in Eternam: The Intimate Imagery of The Egalitrian Etruscan Couple. ProGuest LLC. pp. 88–90.
  4. ↑ Hughes, Lisa (January 2001). REMEMBERING THE DEAD: THE LIBERTI OF LATE REPUBLICAN MUNICIPALITIES AND COLONIES OF ITALY. pp. 93–94.
  5. ↑ Carlson, Mark (2002). Footwear of the middle ages.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shiell, William (May 2003). Reading Acts the Lector and the Early Christian Audience. Waco Texas: ProQuest.
  7. ↑ Koen, Wylin (2000). Il verbo etrusco: ricerca morfosintattica delle forme usate in funzione verbale. p. 112.
  8. ↑ Mikalson, Jon (2009). Ancient Greek Religion. pp. 1–31.
  9. ↑ Jessup, Erin (2012). Dental Disease in Roman Period Individuals from the Sodo and Terontola, in the Territory of Cortona, Italy. HeritageBranch. pp. 33–34. ISBN 978-0-494-90758-0.
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