Piraeus Lion

The Piraeus Lion (Italian: Leone del Pireo; Norwegian: Pireusløven) is one of four lion statues on display at the Venetian Arsenal, Italy, where it was displayed as a symbol of Venice's patron saint, Saint Mark. The statue is made of white marble and stands some 3 m (9 ft.) high. It is particularly noteworthy for two lengthy runic inscriptions on its shoulders and flanks; these were likely carved by Scandinavians sometime in the 11th century AD.¹

History

It was originally located in Piraeus harbour of Athens. It was looted by Venetian naval commander Francesco Morosini in 1687 as plunder taken in the war against the Ottoman Empire, during which the Venetians captured Athens and Morosini's cannons caused damage to the Parthenon that was matched only by his subsequent sack of the city.² Copies of the statue can also be seen at the Piraeus Archaeological Museum and the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

The lion was originally sculpted in about 360 BC,³ and became a famous landmark in Piraeus, Athens, having stood there since the 1st or 2nd century AD. Its prominence was such that the port eventually became referred to in Italian as Porto Leone ("Lion Port") as the port's original name ceased to be used.⁴ It is depicted in a sitting pose, with a hollow throat and the mark of a pipe (now lost) running down its back; this suggests that it was at some point used as a fountain. This is consistent with the description of the statue from the 1670s, which said that water flowed from the lion's mouth into a cistern at its feet.