A Marble Statue of ‘Leto and Her Children’ From Tripolis Ad Maeandrum

Abstract

Tripolis, located in the western Anatolia, within the Yenicekent district of Buldan, Denizli Province, played a crucial role in geographical, political, and social interactions among Lydia, Caria, and Phrygia. The paper focuses on a statue of Leto, discovered almost intact within the drainage system of the Latrina in 2020. The statue iconographically corresponds to depictions of Leto running with her twins, Artemis and Apollo, which are attested on other archaeological finds from Tripolis, such as Roman imperial period coins and seal impressions, thus revealing the significance of the cult of Leto for the ancient city. The discovery of this sculptural work provides the first three-dimensional confirmation of the motif and further reinforces the strong presence of the cult of Leto in the city. When examined in relation to nearby cities, the cult of Leto in Tripolis confirms the widespread influence of the cult of Mother Goddess in the sculptural tradition, following the evidence from Hierapolis and Herakleia Salbake. Typologically, the statue shares characteristics with the limited number of known examples in Anatolia, particularly the Leto statue from Cremna. This study evaluates the typological, stylistic, and iconographic features of the statue within the context of the cult of the goddess. The mythological reasons behind Leto’s depiction in a running posture with her children are examined in light of previous research, and the resulting iconographic implications are discussed. An additional noteworthy aspect of the statue is the presence of a sculptor’s signature inscribed on the front of the plinth, which provides valuable evidence of local sculptural production in Tripolis. Stylistic analysis of the statue suggests a dating to the first quarter of the 3rd century AD, while the features of the inscription’s letter forms further support this proposed chronology. © fabrizio serra editore.