ATHLETE, HYMEN OR MELEAGER? AN INTAGLIO FROM OLBIA

An intaglio found during National Museum in Warsaw excavations at the Olbia Pontica site in 2018 depicts a young male figure with a torch. This gem, made of carnelian, is dated to the end of the first century BC and the beginning of the first century AD. The identification of the figure engraved on stone considers three different possibilities: athlete, Hymen and Meleager, and discusses it in the context of an unknown possible sculptural model for the representations as well as remarks on personal choice of subjects to be engraved on gemstones. The find is contextualized from a historical and archaeological point of view within Roman-period Olbia Pontica. It is postulated that the gem may have belonged to a high-ranking Roman officer or a member of the local elite, and it is important testimony for the early presence of Romans in Olbia or at least their contacts with the indigenous population.