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Pyrgoteles

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thumb|Alexander Cameo Pyrgoteles () was one of the most celebrated gem-engravers of ancient Greece, living in the latter half of the 4th century BC. The esteem in which he was held may be inferred from an edict of Alexander the Great, which placed him on a level with Apelles and Lysippos, by naming him as the only artist who was permitted to engrave signet rings for the king. (Plin. H. N. vii. 37. s. 38, xxxvii. 1. s. 4.)

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Instance of
human
Gender
male
Languages spoken
Ancient Greek
Image
N-Herm - PYRGOTELES.jpg
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Pyrgoteles
Commons category
Pyrgoteles
name
Pyrgoteles
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Encyclopedic overview

6 sections
Contents
  • Works
  • Coin Dies
  • Forgeries
  • Impact
  • References
  • References

thumb|Alexander Cameo Pyrgoteles () was one of the most celebrated gem-engravers of ancient Greece, living in the latter half of the 4th century BC. The esteem in which he was held may be inferred from an edict of Alexander the Great, which placed him on a level with Apelles and Lysippos, by naming him as the only artist who was permitted to engrave signet rings for the king. (Plin. H. N. vii. 37. s. 38, xxxvii. 1. s. 4.)

== Works == Pyrgoteles was one of the three court artists authorized to depict Alexander the Great's figure in art (the others being Apelles for painting and Lysippos for sculpture). Pliny the Elder (Natural History 37.8) adds that Alexander had issued an edict forbidding anyone to engrave his image on emeralds, and other gems, outside of Pyrgoteles.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Pyrgoteles” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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