He’s gorgeous, he’s purple, and he is Alexander’s least favorite orator! But he’s my favorite: Demosthenes you ornery bastard!
Roman culturally, and Greek by design, this enormous (1.9 cm) gem shows the glowering visage of Demosthenes. After strengthening his voice and polishing his diction by training with a mouthful of pebbles (have to try this), Demosthenes focused his ire on Athens’ burgeoning threat to the north: Philip of Macedon. He was right to be concerned, as a decade later Philip and his son Alexander brought the Greek world to heel and moved East. His distinctive portrait was a posthumous invention of early 3rd century B.C. Athens, grateful (if late) for his decades-long fiery defense.
Amethyst is not the most common choice for intaglios, and this one has the special distinction of being signed by Dioskourodes – a Greek engraver under Roman employ, and leading talent of his day. The gem’s modern history is no less illustrious, known and drawn since the 1600’s, eventually part of the famous Sangiorgi collection, and a star of Christie’s 2019 sale before going to its new home in the Getty.
