Damophon

Damophon of Messene (Greek Δαμοφῶν ), son of Philip, was a Greek sculptor of the 2nd century BC, the a large number of idols created for his home town of Messene, partly in the difficult Gold Ivory technology ( Chryselephantin ) or in imitation the same gold and marble.

Life and works

Over the period of creativity there is no precise information. While in the past dated him in the 4th century BC, it is preferred today a later dating to the 2nd century BC to the famous statue of Zeus Damophon of Phidias in Olympia, after the ivory had become brittle, have repaired. Pausanias mentions the following works of Damophon:

• In Messene: Statue of the Mother of the Gods Rhea of Parian marble
• Statue of Artemis Laphria
• Marble statues in the sanctuary of Asklepios Asklepios and his sons Apollo, the Muses, Heracles, Epaminondas, Tyche and Artemis Phosphoros

• In Aigion: Statue of the god in the temple of Eileithyia
• Statues in the sanctuary of Asklepios Asklepios and Hygieia

• Megalopolis: Statues of Athena and Artemis in the Temple of Demeter and Kore
• Wooden statue of Hermes
• Wooden statue of Aphrodite ( the hands, feet and face, however, insisted marble )

• In Lycosura: Group of figures of Demeter and Despoina, each seated on a throne, surrounded by Artemis and the Giant Anytos

Of his works fragments from Messene and Lycosura are received, the base and other parts of the figure group. While the base is still remained at the scene, the statue fragments are in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Casts of these are exhibited in the Museum of Lycosura.

Swell

• Pausanias: Travel in Greece, 4, 31, 6-7; 4, 31, 10; 7, 23, 6-7; 8, 31, 2; 8, 31, 6; 8, 37, 3