If the Apollonian and the Dionysian are, in the classical cultureantithetical and complementary terms, there can be no other character in the sample with which the ephebes of Pedro Abad have received all the honors for their permanent exposure to the Archaeological Museum from Cordoba. “The Mute Servants” mentioned in the title tells an ancient story and speaks to the 21st century viewer.
The Minister of Culture of the Government of Andalusia, Patricia del Pozochaired this Wednesday the opening of the temporary exhibition with which the two pieces, one exceptional for their artistic value, their conservation and the fact that they form a pair, they reach their final location after a long process. They date between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
The ephebes Apollonian And Dionysian They are now in the room that the Archaeological Museum of Córdoba devotes to Roman civilization. As the director explained, Irene Maclinoare made of bronze in pieces which were then soldered, with a technique known as soft wax, and show two naked young men.
Their expression said that from now on they would tell their story to the visitorsbecause you can guess a lot about the technique with which they were made, where they were located and their use, and even try to guess how they were carved.
Teenagers
The subtle musculaturewith a very soft modeling, denotes that they are adolescents. One of them, the so-called Dionysianbears this name because it presents on its head a garland of grapes and ivy, associated with the Greek (Dionysus) and Roman (Bacchus) god of came and excesses. He is missing most of his arms and some parts of his body.
On the other hand, the other ephebe received the name Apollonianaccording to the way of representing the god Apollo, who represented the path of balance and self-knowledge. Now, as Irene Maclino said, there may also be elements of Eros or Cupid, the god of love. The investigation continues.
One of the hypotheses, due to research around the ephebe of AntequeraThis is because they were cast in local workshops with molds from outside, but this process has yet to be shed light on. Florence, Berlin, Rabat and two from Naples complete the short list of preserved pieces, to which are now added those by Pedro Abad.
The IAPH restored them for two years with the sponsorship of the Magtel Foundation
It is the best preserved piece, since it is practically intact. He shows in his hand the remains of what could be a stem. Both figures, as we know, were decorative elements of the house of a rich family and carried trays, lamps or other elements in their hands. Its position is that of what is called the “contraposto”.
The Minister of Culture praised the value of the coins, because only eight Roman ephebes are preserved in the world, and there is only one pair with two coins of the same origin, and this is precisely the one that was found at Pedro Abad. He also thanked the work of the Police, the IAPH and the Magtel Foundationwhich allowed the parts to already be at your home.
It was in 2012, when agents of the National Police They intervened in the El Palancar farm, in Pedro Abad, in an operation before being sold on the black market. They were in the Archaeological Museum until 2020, where their exceptional value was already documented, although in a very precarious state of conservation.
From then on, they were taken to the Andalusian Institute of Historical heritage (IAPH), where a restoration was carried out using the most advanced techniques, and which was sponsored by the Magtel Foundation, whose president, Assistant Lopez Magdalenowas present at the meeting. Collecting the different parts, assembling them and repairing them was a long and patient process.
In November 2023, they could be seen for the first time in public during an exhibition at the Reina Sofia Museum from Madrid, completely restored. Their presence is not limited to public exhibition, since the Archaeological Museum of Córdoba has prepared materials and events to understand them.
Thus, the visitor first sees a video which recreates what the luxurious house what they did and what function they could perform and why their owners ordered them. Its use at banquets would be very relevant, according to research.
They also organized guided tours for families and children of different ages, because it is expected that the whole society is aware of the importance of the pieces presented today. Alongside them, a series of Roman bronzes from the same period were exhibited.
An international technical meeting, on November 7 and 8, entitled “Around the Roman bronzes: the ephebes of Pedro Abad’, in which around twenty experts will talk about the importance of the pieces and their relationships with other similar pieces.
