Candelabrum of Doryphorus

TNMM 682 ↔ CIMRM 508 & 509

Candelabrum of penthelic marble (H. 2.70), found in the sanctuary of the Syrian gods in 1803. At first at Rome in the house of a sculptor behind the Capitol, afterwards in Palazzo Giustiniani, further in the Coll. of Cardinal Fesch and from 1816 in Paris, Louvre, Inv. No. 2754.

The candelabrum has three legs, decorated with acanthus. On the three sides of the triangular base, the following representations:

1) Dressed bust of Sol with a crown of seven rays round his curly head.
2) Dressed bust of Luna with crescent on her head.
3) Bull, walking to the right.

In the top corners of this base griffon-heads. The shaft is richly decorated with acanthus-leaves.

Restorations: two griffon-heads and the upper part of the shaft.

Below Sol on the rim an inscription:

CIMRM 509

CIMRM II 508

About this triangular altar which was altered into a candelabrum cf. Bianca M. Felletti Maj in BCR LXXV 1953–1955 (1956), 143ff. Marble of the Penthelicon.

Restorations: the legs; the upper part of the shaft; two griffon heads completely and part of the third head. She assigns both reliefs and inscription to the third cent. A.D.

CIMRM II 509

Pater: 'si presentano due possibili soluzioni: o l'ara collocata nel IV secolo era stata dedicata un secolo prima come monumento mitriaco, o il termine pater indica un iniziato ai misteri del santuario.' (Felletti, o.c., 145).