Ex voto of Daochos, Marble sculpture group at Delphi Archaeological Site, Greece
The Ex voto of Daochos is a marble monument consisting of a long base that once held nine standing figures, eight depicting family members and one showing Apollo. Each statue carried an inscription identifying the person and describing their accomplishments.
Daochos II, son of Agias, a politician from Pharsalus and supporter of Macedonia, dedicated the monument while serving as hieromnemon at the Delphic sanctuary from 336 to 332 BCE. It was probably set up between 339 and 334 BCE inside the Treasury of the Thessalians, built around 361 BCE by Agelaus. The statues were found fragmented in 1894 during the Great Excavations.
The base carried verse inscriptions naming each figure and listing victories: Agias won the pankration at Olympia, five times at Nemea, three times at the Pythia and five times at the Isthmus. Telemachus, a wrestler, records killing the strongest of the Tyrrhenians. Daochos I states he ruled Thessaly for 27 years by law, not force.
The monument stands in the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, northeast of the temple of Apollo, behind the column with the Dancers of Delphi. Recent studies place it inside the Treasury of the Thessalians, built around 361 BCE by Agelaus, so look for the treasury rather than a free-standing base.
The base's first position held a seated figure with a lyre and no inscription; scholars long took it for Athena, patron of Pharsalus, before E. Will argued it was Apollo, matching the dedication "to lord Phoebus". The statue of Agias, victor in the pankration, is attributed to the workshop of Lysippus.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,820 contributors worldwide.