Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
This three-finned, large bronze projectile point was cast in a three-part mold. The casting seams are visible behind the barbs of each fin. There are casting flaws along the central socket. The tip is blunted, as if from impact; the edge of each fin is sharp. The individual fins end in a sharp undercut barb, which also has a tapered sharpened edge. One side bears a cast inscription in relief (ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟ) with Greek letters in retrograde, reading “of Philip” (1). This projectile point probably fit onto the wooden shaft of a large thrust or fired missile. It appears to be too large to fire from a conventional bow. One suspects that it was intended to be fired from a small crossbow or catapult-like device (2). Its reported findspot “near the city of Olynthos” and the presence of the inscription indicate that it was probably used during the siege of Olynthos by Philip II of Macedon in 348 BCE. Similar inscriptions are also found on Late Classical and Hellenistic sling bullets. The sentiment on this missile tip resembles the messages chalked on highly explosive 500-pound bombs dropped during World War II, which read, “Take that, Adolf.” This and other projectile heads in the Thessaloniki and Polygyros museums supposedly come from the Ritsos collection.
NOTES:
1. The Harvard object is similar to three published in Ancient Macedonia, exh. cat., Museum of Victoria, Melbourne; Queensland Museum, Brisbane; Australian Museum, Sydney (Athens, 1988) 215, no. 156 (Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, inv. nos. Ol. 3175, 34146, and 34147) from Olynthus, House A9, Rooms L and H, Avenue B; also published in D. Pandermalis, ed., Alexander the Great: Treasures from an Epic Era of Hellenism, exh. cat., Onassis Foundation (New York, 2004) 60, no. 13. Their lengths vary between 6.8 cm and 7.0 cm, like the Harvard projectile head. Additional projectile heads with the same inscription and of similar lengths are published in D. M. Robinson, Metal and Minor Miscellaneous Finds, an Original Contribution to Greek Life, Excavations at Olynthus 10 (Baltimore, 1941) 382-83 (Type C), nos. 1907-11, pl. 120.
2. For the use of these specific inscribed missile heads for smaller types of non-torsion catapults, known as gastraphetes, compare E. W. Marsden, “Macedonian Military Machinery and its Designers under Philip and Alexander,” in Ancient Macedonia 2: Papers Read at the Second International Symposium held in Thessaloniki, 19-24 August 1973 (Thessaloniki, 1977) 211-23, esp. 213-16, nn. 9-12; A. M. Snodgrass, Arms and Armor of the Greeks (London, 1967) 116-17; and id., Review of “Greek and Roman Artillery, Historical Development,” The Classical Review 21 (1971): 106-108, esp. 108.
David G. Mitten
