ABSTRACT
The large number of 2nd century CE sculptures from the province of Achaea reflect the prosperity of the local society (or at least of a significant part of it) and reveal the attitude of the inhabitants toward their cultural heritage. This chapter focuses on sculptures of and for “ordinary” people, defined here as non-imperial men and women. Athens remained the artistic center of the province in the 2nd century, although local workshops in other parts of Achaea were also active and often working under strong Attic influence. Sculptures can be divided into two broad categories: honorary and funerary. Honorific statues include portrait-statues erected in agorai and/or the great sanctuaries of the province, such as Olympia and Epidaurus. In general, portrait heads follow the “period face” trend; however, a large number of portrait-statues representing intellectuals, such as those of the kosmetai, refer to the glorious Classical Greek past, to the “viri illustri” of the Classical and Hellenistic periods. This trend continued well into the 3rd century CE. Based on current evidence, it appears that statuary types are limited to those referring to the past, such as the himatiophoros of the “arm sling” variant, representing the active, educated citizen, while the togatus type was avoided. Sculptures associated with the commemoration of the dead are numerous and varied. The himatiophoros and the “Large” and “Small Herculaneum Woman” types are typically represented on grave stelai, thus, continuing earlier Hellenistic traditions. In addition, sarcophagi were new products of Athenian and various local workshops working under strong Athenian influence. Depictions of mythological scenes on marble sarcophagi, whose use spread amongst upper-class citizens from the middle of the 2nd century onwards, reveal the sentiment of historical nostalgia for the age of heroes and cultural excellence.
