1During the 2001-2006 excavation seasons at the Apollo sanctuary at Claros approximately 300 fragments of votive terracotta figurines have been found. Some of them represent female deities: among them, Aphrodite (1-4), Cybele (7) and kourotrophoi (5-6) that possibly represent Artemis and the Nymphe Nysa (?) could be identified.1 All of the terracottas were found in the Artemis sector of the sanctuary (fig. 1), excepting the kourotrophos figurine 5, which was found in a bothros located in the western sector of the sanctuary probably dedicated to Dionysos.2

Fig. 1. – Claros, sanctuary of Apollo: Sector of Artemis.

2The Aphrodite terracotta figurines are the most numerously represented in the collection and may suggest the presence of her cult in Claros. They were found together in a structure called “fountain structure”(?) at the sector of Artemis (fig. 1). Therefore it is possible to suggest that the structure where these figurines were found might be dedicated to Aphrodite.3 In this group 4 Aphrodite figurines representing different iconographic types are examined.

1. Standing Aphrodite (fig. 2). Sector of Artemis, Missing right arm, left forearm. H. 8.1 cm. W. 3.6 cm. Fabric: reddish yellow; traces of madder pink, yellow and brown paint on drapery. Hollow. Back moulded (?), flattened. The back part of the figure shows traces of the fingers of the coroplast. No vent. She leans to her left against a pillar, weight on right leg, right hip outthrust, elbow rests on pillar. Left leg crossed over right. Lower part of the figure is draped in a himation that covers the left arm; thick, diagonal folds on the level of the hip, the rest part is transparent. Head tilted up and slightly turned to left. Face is small. Hair arranged in high, rounded mass in front. No base. Middle 4^th century BC.

Fig. 2. – Standing Aphrodite 1 (Museum of Ephesus; inv. no. 3/3/01).

3This type of Aphrodite, which indicates the influence of monumental sculpture,4 began in the earlier periods and continued until the 2^nd century BC with several variations.5 Similar semi-nude figures are sometimes represented leaning on a pillar and holding a mantle.6 Parallels to the figurine are common in Asia Minor and South-Italy.7 This type was also produced in Amathus where a quite similar example of an Aphrodite figurine was found at the sanctuary of Aphrodite.8

2. Standing Aphrodite (fig. 3). Sector of Artemis. Missing head and right arm. H. 11.2 cm. W. 4.2 cm. Fabric: reddish yellow, fine clay. Traces of white slip and madder yellow paint. Hollow. Back moulded. No vent. Weight on the right leg, left leg advanced. Torso and left leg are nude. She lifts the drapery behind left shoulder and carries around back; upper edge of the drapery is folded down and brought to front at hip to cover entire right leg with horizontal folds, ends at groin with looped folds. Torso is slender. No base.

Fig. 3. – Standing Aphrodite 2 (Museum of Ephesus; inv. no. 11/3/01).

4It seems that the figurine is quite close to the “Pudica Type”, which is associated with the goddess’s bath or with her birth from the sea.9 The drapery held in the goddess’ right hand is wrapped over her weight-bearing, right leg, covering her genitalia. Similar nude or semi-nude representations of Aphrodite from the Hellenistic and Roman periods are well known.10

3. Sitting Aphrodite (fig. 4). Sector of Artemis. Missing head and feet. H. 7 cm, W. 3.9 cm. Fabric: pink, micaceous and sandy. Traces of madder yellow paint at back and shoulder. Solid. Vent at the bottom as a little circular hole. Nude. Left arm at side; right hand holds an unidentified object probably a pomegranate or a flower on the level of the breast. Although torso is slender, stomach is baggy.

Fig. 4. – Sitting Aphrodite 3 (Excavation House of Claros; inv. no. KL 04, 11).

5There are parallel figurines from several sites in Greece and Asia Minor.11 Similar seated, naked figures are classified as “hierodouloi” by D. Burr Thompson,12 while, on the other hand, S. Reinach and E. Pottier identify the type as “Oriental Aphrodite”.13

4. Aphrodite and Eros (fig. 5). Sector of Artemis. Preserved: Aphrodite’s head and part of neck, Eros’ head and arm. H. 5.6 cm, W. 3.7 cm. Fabric: red clay including mica. Traces of white slip and pink paint. Figure holds a child probably on her left shoulder. Eros leans to Aphrodite’s head with his right arm and head, his facial details indistinct. Aphrodite’s face oval with triangular forehead; eyes prominent, lids slightly lifted, nose smooth, mouth narrow, lips full. As coiffure parallel waves radiate downward covering the ear. Eros has the same hair style. 4^th century BC.

Fig. 5. – Aphrodite and Eros 4 (Museum of Ephesus; inv. no. 1/3/01).

6The iconographic type of a female with a child seated on her left shoulder is of Ionian origin and is usually used for Aphrodite and Eros in Ionia.14 The parallels for this figurine could suggest to restore a figure of Himeros at the right of Aphrodite.15 Other Eros figurines, represented alone or riding on a dolphin, were also found in the same area of excavation.

5. Kourotrophos (fig. 6). Sector of B.O.A (Batı Onur Anıtları / West Honorific Monuments). Complete. H. 6.5 cm, W. 2.8 cm. Fabric: reddish yellow, micaceous. Back unmodelled, hollow. No vent. She sits carrying a baby on her left breast with left arm. Tiny figure of a baby shown horizontal. Head of the woman covered by a long veil (mantle?) which falls loosely over the shoulder ends on the lap leaving the arms. Face is small, facial details are indistinct. The himation forms a wavy drapery on the knees. The lower part of the chiton is slightly detailed by vertical folds. No base. Middle 4^th century BC.

Fig. 6. – Kourotrophos Nymph Nysa 5 (?) (Museum of Ephesus; inv. no. 24/22/02).

7The kourotrophos figurine16 was found in an area of approximately 3 square-meters with a hundred chous, black-glazed pottery fragments of the 4^th century BC, Megarian bowl fragments of the early Hellenistic period, and coins of Colophon that are dated 350-300 BC.17 That archaeological context suggest a datation within the 4^th century BC for the figurine 5. Also, its stylistic parallels from Ephesos and Halicarnassos belong to a similar date.18 The excavations carried out in this sector have shown that the area mentioned above is a bothros associated with the cult of Dionysos. It can be suggested that the kourotrophos figurine found in the bothros might represent the Nymph Nysa who carries a baby Dionysos on her lap.19

6. Artemis Kourotrophos (fig. 7). Sector of Artemis. Missing head and lower part of the body. H. 4.5 cm., W. 4.2 cm. Fabric: very pale brown. Hollow. No vent. She carries a baby with her left hand. The head of the baby, shown frontally, leans against her mother’s left breast. A veil falls over the shoulder. The arms of the baggy figure of baby are shown parallel. It has a rounded face with deep eyes, full lips. Right arm of the woman is parallel to the body, hands and fingers are prominent. 4^th century BC.

Fig. 7. – Artemis Kourotrophos 6 (Excavation House of Claros; inv. no. KL 02, 6).

8The figurine is stylistically different from 5 because of its frontal position and the physical appearance of the baby figure.20 It was probably dedicated to Artemis Claria as a votive offering in relation to her epithet “Kourotrophos”, one of the most significant epithets of the goddess worshiped in the aspect of nursing mother and protector of the babies. This epithet of the Goddess comes from one of the myths, which declares that she suckles her brother Apollo as the first wet nurse. Therefore, it is believed that Artemis is the protector goddess of the newborn babies.21 In addition, in Laconia, the festivals called “Tithenidia” (nursing mother) used to be celebrated in honour of Artemis.22

7. Cybele (fig. 8). Sector of Artemis. Missing head and upper part of the body. H. 10 cm., W. 7.1 cm. Fabric: reddish yellow including full mica, traces of white slip and madder brown paint on the knees of the figure and throne. Back is missing. Hollow. She sits with a small lion which have preserved only as a back part on her lap and a phiale on her right hand.23 She wears a chiton depicted with thick, horizontal folds on the knees. The lower part of drapery is composed diagonally between the legs.

Fig. 8. – Cybele 7 (Excavation House of Claros; inv. no. KL 04, 13).

9The cult of the mother goddess Cybele preceded the cult of Apollo in this territory. The cave located on the northeast of the sanctuary might have been a cult center of the goddess.24 Moreover, a relief of Cybele was found at the exterior of the cave which is located in a place where the valley can be seen completly.25 This location of the cave is in accord with her epithet of a goddess of wild animals and of nature.