Examines the styles and contexts of portrait statues produced during one of the most dynamic eras of Western art, the early Hellenistic age. Often seen as the beginning of the Western tradition in portraiture, this historical period is here subjected to a rigorous interdisciplinary analysis. Using a variety of methodologies from a wide range of fields - anthropology, numismatics, epigraphy, archaeology, history, and literary criticism - an international team of experts investigates the problems of origins, patronage, setting, and meanings that have consistently marked this fascinating body of ancient material culture.

Part I. Preface and Acknowledgments: Part II. Introduction: 1. Early Hellenistic portraiture Ralf von den Hoff and Peter Schultz; Part III. The Transformation of the Classical Legacy: 2. Praxiteles and fourth century Athenian portraiture Aileen Ajootian; 3. Attic grave reliefs and portrait sculpture in fourth century Athens Johannes Bergemann; Part IV. Styles and Patterns of Representation: 4. Naturalism and classicism Ralf von den Hoff; 5. Portraits of women in the early Hellenistic period Sheila Dillon; 6. The Daochos monument at Delphi: the style and setting of a family portrait in historic dress Wilfred Geominy; 7. Fashion and meaning: beardless portraits of artists and literati in the early Hellenistic period Stefan Schmidt; 8. The emergence of ruler portraiture on early Hellenistic coins: the importance of being divine John H. Kroll; 9. Alexander, Philitas, and the Skeletos: Poseidippos and truth in early Hellenistic portraiture Andrew Stewart; Part V. Patrons and Settings: 10. Early Hellenistic portrait statues on the Athenian acropolis: survival, reuse, transformation Catherine M. Keesling; 11. Human achievement and divine favor: the religious context of early Hellenistic portraiture Ralf Krumeich; 12. Space and visualization of power in the Greek polis: the award of portrait statues in decrees from Athens G. J. Oliver; 13. Leochares' Argead portraits in the Philippeion Peter Schultz; Part VI. Out of Athens: Egypt and the Spread of Hellenistic Styles: 14. Berenice II in Athens Olga Palagia; 15. The philosophers of poets in the Sarapieion at Memphis Marianne Bergmann.