La cultura figurativa delle poleis del Golfo di Taranto: forme e funzioni della scultura

The paper deals with marble sculptures from the Greek poleis on the Ionian Coast. While Taranto and Metaponto yielded a series of sculptures dating from the Archaic to the Hellenistic period, other sites such as Satyrion and Heraclea yielded relatively few marble works, although typologically interesting. After reexamining the evidence, the author concludes that during the Archaic and Classical periods, marble was used almost exclusively for public monuments such as cult statues and architectonic sculptures. During the Hellenistic period, however, private commission became more important, especially in the case of Taranto with its rich funerary sculpture. As can be demonstrated, both local and foreign workshops are attested.