A Column of Hiero I at Delphi? Some Considerations on Plutarch, De Pyth. or. 397e

A Column of Hiero I at Delphi?

Some Considerations on Plutarch, De Pyth. or. 397e

Author: Eva Falaschi

Journal: Hermes 150.4

Year: 2022

Pages: 425-442

DOI: 10.25162/Hermes-2022-0028

Description: In the De Pythiae oraculis (397e) Plutarch mentions, according to the manuscript tradition, a bronze column of Hiero I of Syracuse, which stood in the sanctuary of Delphi and fell down on the day of his death. After retracing the interpretations of this passage both in the philological and archaeological studies and pointing out their problematic aspects, the author proposes a new reading of the text, suggesting that the monument involved was a statue of Hiero I instead of a column.

From a methodological point of view, the article proposed a good example of using literary sources in archaeology.

Keywords: Plutarch, Delphi, De Pythiae Oraculis, Hiero I of Syracuse, column, statue