Les Muses de Larissa : une nouvelle inscription votive thessalienne d’époque hellénistique sur la fondation d’un sanctuaire

Abstract

This paper is the first publication of a votive epigram inscribed on one of the most important objects stored in the Diachronic Museum of Larissa, a relief stele reused as a capital during the Byzantine era. The sculpture portrays the nine Muses surrounding a divinity placed within a cave, who could be identified with Apollo. The inscription and the relief are incomplete, which causes some difficulties with the interpretation. We present some possible reconstructions of the text, and a preliminary iconographic commentary, attempting to replace this object in its monumental, archaeological, cultural and religious context: a dedication of the people to the Pierids seems to be linked to the foundation of a cult of the Muses in Larissa by a wealthy citizen who, in exchange for his generosity, hopes to obtain a priesthood.