Mattei Athena at The Louvre, Paris

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The Athena Mattei stands out as an extraordinary Roman replica of a Greek statue that has remarkably survived over time. This figure is a precise copy of the Piraeus Athena, a fourth-century BC bronze statue created by either Cephisodotus or Euphranor, discovered in 1959 and now housed at the Mattei collection. The former goddess of war is depicted here in a more benevolent attitude, wearing a helmet and across her chest, the aegis - the skin of the goat Amaltheia - bordered with snakes and adorned with Medusa's head. Through the softness of her face, the casual arrangement of her peplos and the welcoming gesture with which she greets the worshiper, the Peaceful Athena offers a softer, more humane image of the goddess compared to those from the fifth century BC. However, she retains the attributes of the warrior goddess, protector of Athens: a Corinthian-style helmet that has been pushed up, and the aegis, given to her by her father Zeus. Worn across her chest like a sash, the aegis is adorned with Medusa's head and bordered with snakes, reminding us of Medusa's terrifying crown of serpents instead of hair. Perseus decapitated the gorgon, offering the head to Athena who then wielded it as a formidable weapon in her hands. This monumental statue is a replica inspired by a Classical Greek bronze made around 350 BC, attributed to either Cephisodotus or Euphranor based on comparisons with other works. A notable exception exists - the original Greek statue upon which the Athena Mattei is based still exists: a large bronze discovered at Piraeus near Athens in 1959. The original statue reveals the liberties taken by the copyist who, working in marble, had to alter the position of Athena's right arm from its extended forward position in the original. To avoid supporting the arm with an awkward brace and alleviate its fragility, Athena's hand now rests on her hip. Although the copy is an adaptation, there is no doubt that these works are connected. The Piraeus Athena was buried in the first century BC, leading many to wonder how the copy could have been created if the original was invisible. This has led to the hypothesis that the Louvre Athena is a copy from the second century BC.