Drawing of a boat
((:navis))
| Description of Drawing (English): | boat |
|---|---|
| Findspot: |
Smyrna, Basilica
(Agora.1)
|
| Drawing Category: | Boats |
| Writing Style: | charcoal |
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| Bibliography: | Bagnall, R. S. et al., Graffiti from the Basilica in the Agora of Smyrna (2016): 321. |
| Commentary: | Dipinto of a ship located at the center of the back wall of Bay 31. The drawing is damaged by a very large hole in its center that has destroyed large parts of the hull, the mast, and the sail. The vessel is sailing on port tack. At the stern, a very stylized helmsman (κυβερνήτης) is placed on a structure decorated with a large cross and other crossing lines, possibly identifiable as a quarterdeck. The prow terminates in a curved and raised ἀκροστόλιον. The mast seems to be composed of a single, thick, and vertical line toward the center, partially visible above the lacuna. The sail is large and roughly trapezoidal. Its flat top corresponds with the yard, which was not drawn as a separate element. The sail is decorated with a series of horizontal lines, the τοπεῖα, used to attach the sail. Two convex lines at the right end might instead symbolize the πρότονοι, used to fasten the ship at the prow and at the stern. |
| Suggested Citation: | AGP-SMYD00311, The Ancient Graffiti Project, <https://ancientgraffiti.org/Graffiti/graffito/AGP-SMYD00311> [accessed: 21 Nov 2024] |
| Contributions: |
Editor: Roger S. Bagnall Principal Contributor: Roger S. Bagnall Last Revision: 2016-10-03 |
