The Wondrous Journey of Cicero's Head to Sardis: Hellenic Identity and Biculturalism in a Greek Imperial Epigram

Abstract:This paper examines an inscriptional epigram from Sardis (04/02/05 Merkelbach-Stauber), which was designed to accompany a bust of Cicero set up by a Greek named Polybios in the 2nd century c.e. The epigram, I argue, fuses Hellenistic poetological imagery with the echo of a Roman declamatory topos concerning Cicero's decapitation by playfully suggesting that Cicero's head had miraculously traveled from Rome to Sardis. Reflecting on the implications of this imaginary voyage, I explore the complex dynamics of Polybios' epigram, which is exceptional in expressing a Greek's admiration for a Roman figure, against the backdrop of the period's bicultural discourse.