Marble statue of Chares, ruler of Teichioussa

It is rare to find a sculpture inscribed with the name of both the subject and the god to whom it was dedicated. The Greek inscription on the right side of the chair addresses the viewer in the first person: the statue tells us 'I am Chares, son of Kleisias, ruler of Teichioussa, the statue belongs to Apollo'. Apart from this statue, Chares is unknown in the historical record. Lined up along the Sacred Way were many other similar figures, some men, others women, varying only in details and scale. The statues were recorded and drawn by J.P. Gandy in 1821. Ten figures, including this one, were excavated and brought to The British Museum by Charles Newton in 1859. Similar statues were unearthed in later excavations and are to be found in the Mus