''The Orator'', also known as ( Italian), ( Etruscan) or (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

), is an Etruscan bronze sculpture from the late second or the early first century BC. Aulus Metellus was an Etruscan senator in the

Roman republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

, originally from

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part ...

or Cortona. The Aulus Metellus sculpture was found in 1566 with the exact location being debated, but all sources agree the sculpture was found either in or around

Lake Trasimeno Lake Trasimeno ( , also ; it, Lago Trasimeno ; la, Trasumennus; ett, Tarśmina), also referred to as Trasimene ( ) or Thrasimene in English, is a lake in the province of Perugia, in the Umbria region of Italy on the border with Tuscany. T ...

in the

province of Perugia The Province of Perugia ( it, Provincia di Perugia) is the larger of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising two-thirds of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Perugia. The province covered ...

on the border between

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

and

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

, 177 kilometers (110 miles) from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The statue is exhibited in the

National Archaeological Museum of Florence The National Archaeological Museum of Florence (Italian – Museo archeologico nazionale di Firenze) is an archaeological museum in Florence, Italy. It is located at 1 piazza Santissima Annunziata, in the Palazzo della Crocetta (a palace built ...

Description

The statue is 179 cm in height and 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 right ankle and heads diagonally upwards to above the left calf. The statue also wears a pair of boots called calceus senatorius, a type of footwear worn by senators and high ranking magistrates made of red leather. The statue stands in a contrapposto pose with one leg supporting the bulk of its weight. The hair of the statue is cut short and combed to the left. The left arm rests at its side with the hand raised and opened slightly, while the right arm is stretched out, bent at the elbow, its palm open and the fingers spread out. The statue wears a ring on its left ringfinger, which is believed to be a scarab ring. Since the statue was made out of seven parts, you can see the seams, where they were attached to each other.

Inscription

On the Aulus Metellus statue there is an inscription written in the

Etruscan language Etruscan () was the language of the Etruscan civilization, in Italy, in the ancient region of Etruria (modern Tuscany, western Umbria, northern Latium, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lombardy and Campania). Etruscan influenced Latin but was eventua ...

. The inscription reads "" ('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').

Purpose

The Aulus Metellus statue was made for the purpose of a votive offering. 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. 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. Honorary statues weren’t just for decoration of a public place, but they had political and social function. There is some debate about the family that originally owned the statue and their socioeconomic status. Spivey and other sources state that the Aulus Metellus statue belonged to a wealthy family due to the statue being made out of expensive materials (i.e. bronze) and the level of craftsmanship present in the statue. Shiell states the Aulus Metellus statue belonged to a more average Roman family.

Gallery

File:L'Arringatore2.jpg, Detail of inscription File:Arringatore 14 iscrizione.JPG, Detail of inscription File:Arringatore 12.JPG, Detail of head File:Arringatore 13.JPG, Detail of left hand

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orator Etruscan sculptures Hellenistic and Roman bronzes National Archaeological Museum, Florence

Description

Inscription

Purpose

See also

Gallery

References