Female Divinity, Nemesis of Rhamnous Type

myminifactory

Rhamnous was an ancient Greek city situated in Attica along the coast, overlooking the Euboean Strait (Greece). Its impressive ruins lie northwest of the modern town of Agia Marina within the municipality of Marathon. The well-preserved Attic site was renowned in antiquity for its sanctuary dedicated to Nemesis, the implacable avenging goddess who commanded the most important place of worship in ancient Greece. The history of Rhamnous was significantly enhanced by Jean Pouilloux's meticulous study of the fortress and inscriptions from the site. Two temples situated close together at the site are dedicated to Nemesis and Themis. As the "Goddess of Rhamnous," Nemesis was revered and placated in an archaic sanctuary within the isolated district of Rhamnous, located in northeastern Attica. The cella of the large temple dedicated to Nemesis housed a cult figure of the goddess sculpted by Agorakritos, a student of Phidias. The marble block from which the sculpture was crafted is alleged to have been brought by the overconfident Persians for their triumphal stele. This iconic statue of the goddess stood within the cella of the temple and measured approximately 4 meters in height. Varro, a Roman historian, considered it the finest example of Greek sculpture. A badly damaged marble head from a cult statue of Nemesis was discovered by British architect John Gandy in the early nineteenth century. The head features perforations for attaching a gold crown and is now part of the British Museum's collection. Its stylistic similarity to the pediment sculptures of the Parthenon, crafted between 440-432 BC, is striking. Many parts of the original statue have been recovered and reconstructed from the numerous fragments found scattered about after the destruction of the cult image by early Christians. This allowed for the identification of eleven Roman copies on a smaller scale. The base of the statue, measuring approximately 90 cm in height and 240 cm in width, has also been reconstructed. A nearly-in-the-round scene on three sides of the base depicts the presentation of Helen to her mother Nemesis by Leda.