Piraeus Artemis

Piraeus Artemis refers to two bronze statues of Artemis excavated in Piraeus in 1959, along with a large theatrical mask (possibly in honor of Dionysus) and three pieces of marble sculptures. Two other statues were found in the buried cache as well: a larger-than-lifesize bronze Late Archaic Apollo (Piraeus Apollo) and a similarly sized bronze fourth century-style Athena. Both statues are now exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus.

Piraeus possessed a primary seaport, Cantharus, and, due to the foreign influence of trade and the mercenary garrison on Munychia hill, the city was also entry point for new cults in Attica. It has been theorized that this cache was a shipment that may have been overtaken when the Roman general, Sulla, sacked Piraeus in 86 B.C.E. However, since the various statues date from a time span of approximately five centuries, it could not have been shipped on private commission. It is possible that these bronze cult statues all come from one sanctuary that had been dedicated over the centuries before the collection was removed in the first century B.C.E. The cache could have been transported to Piraeus from almost anywhere, though as there are two representations of Artemis and one of Apollo, it's thought that the cache may be from Delos, the divine twins' birthplace.

Both Artemis statues are thought to be Hellenistic due to the hairstyle and stance, and both show a full-bodied Artemis with a long skirt that covering her legs. While the Artemis A figure is similar to the others in the collection and larger than life, the Artemis B statue is somewhat smaller than life-size.

Artemis, a virgin goddess who kept away from men and civilization, signifying the wild aspect that was always apparent in Ancient Greek culture, came to be worshipped as a huntress and a sanctifier of solitude.

She was associated with young women and girls and biological maturation, and both Piraeus Artemis statues show the goddess as a curvaceous woman, not a wild young girl. The anger of the goddess was also feared and recounted in legends, and part of the worship consisted of appeasing the goddess. The statues convey this aspect; though in both depictions Artemis's stance is approachable, she carries her weapon, showing her ability to quickly withdraw favor. Often worshipped close to territorial frontiers and a little aways from settlements, female worshippers of Artemis were frequently in danger; a necessary aspect that came with worshipping the goddess.

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