IGI3 460 Accounts of Pheidias' statue of Athena (final summary account)

Accounts of Pheidias' statue of Athena (final summary account)

IG I³ 460 Date: 438/7 BC

The overseers (epistatai) . . . ^[1] received these . . . silver money (argurion) (≥) 700 tal. (5) (≥) 520 dr.^[2] _____

Gold . . . . . . (≥) 200 dr. Kallaischros . . . dedicated . . . ^[3] _____

(10) Expenses: . . . (≥) 100 tal. (≥) 70 dr.^[4] _____

Finishing (apergasia)^[5] . . . (≥) 770 dr. _____

(15) Structure (katablema)^[5] . . . (≥) 30 tal. (≥) 300 dr. _____

Gold . . . for the statue . . . ^[6]

. . .

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References:

IG I³ 460 (Translated text) (IG Online) (PHI)

ML 54B

Fornara, Translated documents 114B

OR 135B

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Robin Osborne

Images: Acropolis Museum - (1)
Aleshire - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Account

Findspot: Acropolis (Acropolis Museum EM 6769)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] On the accounts of Pheidias' colossal statue of Athena see IG I³ 458. This is the final, summary, account, which should date to 438/7, the year in which the statue was apparently installed (FGH 328 Philochoros F121). It is a highly monumental inscription: the total of money spent is written in extremely large characters (4.3 cm. for the talents, 3.5 cm.. for the drachmas, as against 1.6 cm. for the standard script in other fragments) and the writing is extremely fine, and the surface of the stone carefully polished. It was clearly intended to make a statement, to gods and men, about the vast sums expended on the statue. [2] Enough of this, the total sum allocated to the statue, is preserved to show that it was between 700 and 1000 talents. The weight of the statue was 44 talents gold (FGH 328 Philochoros F121, cf. the rounded figures of 40 tal. given by Thuc. 2.13.5 and 50 tal. by Diod. 12.39). At a gold : silver ratio of 14 : 1 (for which see IG I³ 458, n. 3) this indicates a cost of 616 talents. The cost of the ivory and of other work on the statue will account for the difference between 616 and over 700 tal. [3] This gold dedicated by Kallaischros (who is unidentifiable) was perhaps either surplus to requirements for the statue, or more likely an addition to the money allocated to the epistatai from other sources. [4] Perhaps the total spend (i.e. total of two previously listed items?), broken down in what follows. [5] These seem to be costs relating to work on the statue (including labour costs, though the high sum for "structure" implies that material costs must also have been included). [6] This seems to be costs of gold purchase. The stone breaks off at this point. Probably an entry for the cost of ivory followed.

Added: 20 Jan 2016
Updated: 6 Aug 2024
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