Drawing of an axe
((:securis))
| Description of Drawing (English): | axe |
|---|---|
| Findspot: |
Smyrna, Basilica
(Agora.1)
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| Drawing Category: | Other |
| Writing Style: | Graffito/incised |
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| Bibliography: | Bagnall, R. S. et al., Graffiti from the Basilica in the Agora of Smyrna (2016): 133. Chaniotis, A. 2014. “Graffiti and Social History of Aphrodisias.” AAIA Bulletin 10: 16–21. |
| Commentary: | Graffito of a πέλεκυς (or labrys) located at the eastern face of Pier A20 looking into Bay 10. The graffito is incised over the painted tabula ansata T10.1. The ax’s haft and head are plain, their outline rendered in very deep etched lines. The haft is straight and slightly tapering toward the top. The head is roughly straight at the top and concave at the bottom. The two rounded blades are symmetrical. The iconography of this graffito is very similar to that of graffito DP78.2. The survival in Late Antiquity of the iconography of the labrys as a symbol of paganism referring to the Carian Zeus has been recently discussed by Angelos Chaniotis in relation to a graffito found at Aphrodisias; see Chaniotis 2014: 16–21, esp. fig. 16, p. 21. |
| Suggested Citation: | AGP-SMYD00101, The Ancient Graffiti Project, <https://ancientgraffiti.org/Graffiti/graffito/AGP-SMYD00101> [accessed: 21 Nov 2024] |
| Contributions: |
Editor: Roger S. Bagnall Principal Contributor: Roger S. Bagnall Last Revision: 2016-10-03 |
