Marble portrait head of priest wearing laurel wreath

Agora Museum, Athens, Greece

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Material: Marble
Date range: 235-245 AD
Origin: Greece

The laurel wreath shows that the man is a religious official, probably a priest of Apollo, the god most strongly linked with laurel. Such wreaths were worn during sacred rituals and festivals to express purity and divine authority. Because laurel was sacred to Apollo, it marked the wearer as someone acting between humans and the gods.

Portrait sculptures of priests had several religious roles, such as offerings in sanctuaries, memorials for respected service, and symbols of lasting sacred authority. The carefully carved laurel wreath highlighted the priest’s high status and his duty to preserve the community’s relationship with the gods through ritual.

Museum label reference: Portrait head of a priest, 235-245 A.D. He wears a laurel wreath. (S 564)

Original Text: Εικονιστική κεφαλή ιερέα, 235-245 μ.Χ. Φέρει στεφάνι δάφνης

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Roman period marble portrait head of a priest crowned with sacred laurel wreath

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Source:  Athens, Greece