A Fine Roman Bronze Patera, Augustan, early 1st century A.D.

D. J. Crowther LTD., London, 1968

private collection, Switzerland, acquired in 1980

private collection, by descent from the above

acquired by the present owner from the above

The warrior depicted in the tondo is probably Othryades, the sole Spartan survivor of the Battle of the Three Hundred Champions, which took place in 546 B.C. This battle was fought by the 300 finest warriors from each of the two sides, Sparta and Argos, who were fighting for control of the city of Thyrea, which Sparta had previously lost at the Battle of Hysiae in the mid-seventh century B.C. Having claimed victory for Sparta, Othryades stripped the dead Argives of their armour and set up a trophy (tropaion). On of the shields he inscribed a record of his victory using the blood of his own wounds. The myth of Othryades and the Battle of the Champions later became a paradigm for Spartan valour, and was well-known throughout the Hellenistic period. For a similar iconography of Othryades on an intaglio, see https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/244893.

Roman bronze paterae with centred medallions are scarce. All of the known examples, except for one with floral ornamentation (Münzen & Medaillen AG, Basel 1954), depict mythological or cult scenes in the tondo, including an example in the British Museum with Scylla attacking Odysseus’ companions (inv. 1897,0726.7: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1897-0726-7). Similarly, a patera in the Israel Museum portrays the mythological scene of Thetis riding a sea-centaur while bringing weapons to her son, Achilles. Another one, found at Tafas in the Hauran (Syria), shows a lion and musician before a cult-statue of Priapos (https://www.persee.fr/doc/syria_0039-7946_1924_num_5_3_3051). Three further paterae with medallions, bearing a Chimera, a ritual, and a mythological scene, are preserved in the archaeological depot at Pompeii (inv. nos. 1928, 10282 and 11654; e.g. see S. Tassinari, Il vasellamo bronzeo di Pompei, 1993, pl. 117). Finally, two others, which were made in a slightly different technique, depict the head of Medusa (BM, inv. no. 1882,0405.1, and Christie’s, London, December 6th, 1960, no. 179).

The scarcity of bronze paterae with medallions, the close proximity of their findspots (almost all of them were found or said to have been found in or around Pompeii), their similarities in style, and the early Imperial period to which they have been dated, all indicate that these exclusive vessels are likely to be product of a single centre of production probably located in Southern Italy. However scarce paterae with medallions are, both their style and their treatment of the subject suggest that they were derived from the Hellenistic tradition of silver bowls decorated with central medallions.