English: The temple of Despoina in the goddess’s sanctuary at Lykosoura, Arkadia, contained a group of four larger than life-size statues by the famous Messenian sculptor Damophon, who was renowned for his skill in making acrolithic statues. The form and composition of the group is known both from its depiction on a coin issued by Megalopolis in the Roman imperial period, and from the extensive description by the travel writer Pausanias, who visited the sanctuary in the middle of the 2nd c. A.D.

Despoina and Demeter were shown seated on a shared throne at the centre of the composition. Demeter held a torch in her right hand and leaned on Despoina’s shoulder with her left arm. Despoina held a scepter and had the cista mystica on her knees. Next to Demeter, the goddess Artemis was depicted standing, accompanied by a hunting dog and dressed in a fawn-skin, as ‘Prosphoros’ and ‘Kynegetis’, holding a torch in one hand and two snakes in the other. Next to Despoina stood the armed Titan Anytos, who reared her, according to mythology. The throne was covered with cloth and had figures of Tritonesses carved in the round on the backrest and arms. The kouretes were depicted on the goddesses’ footstool, and the Korybantes on the base of the throne. Together with the pedestal, the Lycosoura group was about 6 m. high, and was made of Doliana marble. The National Museum houses the heads of Demeter (inv. no. 1734), Artemis (inv. no. 1735) and Anytos (inv. no. 1736), part of Despoina’s himation (inv. no. 1737) and four statues of Tritonesses (inv. nos. 2171, 2172, 2173, 2174, 2175) that adorned the goddesses’ throne. Parts of the torsoes and arms of the figures and parts of the throne are kept in the Lycosoura Museum. 190-180 B.C.

National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Athens, Greece. Text CREDIT: Museum inscription.