The Candelabrum of the Sons of Antiochus
Heius's Cupid acquires its religious status due to its placement in a sacrarium, ancestral tradition, and its similarity to a famous statue at Thespiae. Not all objects in Verr. II 4 have such a heavily determined sacred pedigree.
The candelabrum that Verres steals from the sons of Antiochus is one example of an artifact of dubious status. It is not taken from an established place of worship, but is merely an object that is designated for future dedication. Nevertheless, for Cicero it is yet another example of an outrageous theft from the gods. It is so important that it marks a transition in Verr. II 4 from describing Verres taking things from private households to his attacks on actual temples.[198] The incident, which brought considerable diplomatic embarrassment to Rome, is thereby an escalation of the former governor's activities.The story starts when the future Antiochus XIII stops off in Sicily on his return from a diplomatic mission to Rome. The prince arrives in Syracuse with many splendid objects and aims to impress the governor with his riches (Verr. II 4.62):
Vocat ad cenam deinde ipse praetorem; exponit suas copias omnis, multum argentum, non pauca etiam pocula ex auro, quae, ut mos est regius et maxime in Syria, gemmis erant distincta clarissimis.
[The prince] subsequently invited the praetor to dinner. He displayed all of his riches—much silver, also not a few golden goblets—which, as is the custom of kings, especially in Syria, had been decorated with the most splendid gems.
The prince's ostentatious display of wealth is something we should expect from a man of his rank and origin. It is also what makes him one of Verres's targets.
The guest, furthermore, comes to realize that he has not seen everything (Verr. II 4.64):
Candelabrum e gemmis clarissimis opere mirabili perfectum reges ii, quos dico, Romam cum attulissent, ut in Capitolio ponerent, quod nondum perfectum templum offenderant, neque ponere potuerunt neque vulgo ostendere ac proferre voluerunt, ut et magnificentius videretur cum suo tempore in cella Iovis Optimi Maximi poneretur, et clarius cum pulchritudo eius recens ad oculos hominum atque integra perveniret: statuerunt id secum in Syriam reportare ut, cum audissent simulacrum Iovis Optimi Maximi dedicatum, legatos mitterent qui cum ceteris rebus illud quoque eximium ac pulcherrimum donum in Capitolium adferrent.
Pervenit res ad istius aures nescio quo modo; nam rex id celatum voluerat, non quo quicquam metueret aut suspicaretur, sed ut ne multi illud ante praeciperent oculis quam populus Romanus.The kings about whom I am talking had brought to Rome a candelabrum fashioned with remarkable craft out of the most gleaming gems to dedicate in the Capitolium. Because they found that the temple was not yet finished, they were neither able to dedicate it nor did they want the common people to find out about it. They wanted it to seem more magnificent when it was dedicated in the shrine of Jupiter Optimus Maximus at the right time and to seem more gleaming because its beauty would appear whole and fresh to human eyes. They decided to take it back to Syria with them so that, when they heard that the cult image of Jupiter Optimus Maximus had been consecrated, they would send legates, who, along with other things, would take the extraordinary and most beautiful gift to the Capitolium. The matter somehow came to that man's [Verres's] ears: for the king had wanted to keep it [the candelabrum] under wraps not because he was afraid of anything or had any suspicions, but so that not many people would lay eyes on it before the Roman people.
The start of the description is pitched at Verres's level of appreciation. It shows that he sees a beautiful accumulation of precious materials. The candelabrum is described as consisting of the “most gleaming gems” and is an object of “remarkable craft.” The superlatives make it clear that this is a prime target for Verres. The status of this object is further elevated by a slip in word choice: the sons of Antiochus, though technically princes, are described as “these kings” (reges ii)[199] This is a gift from kings fit for the king of the gods.
With the statement that the candelabrum was to be dedicated to Jupiter, Cicero cuts to the religious side of the narrative. The rambling discussion aims to obscure the central problem with the candelabrum: it is less than clear whether the object was actually sacred.
A gift for the gods becomes divine property upon dedication, but intended dedications have no special status from a strictly legal point of view.[200] Cicero, however, makes intent substitute for religious ritual and tries to convince his audience that Verres is guilty of temple robbery because the object will one day be dedicated.[201] This is a stretch, and the orator has to come up with an elaborate explanation for why the object even ended up on Sicily. The temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus had not been fully restored yet, so the votive offering could not be dedicated. It also could not stay in Rome since its donors wanted to only put it on display in a finished temple. The princes therefore return with it until they can delegate someone to bring it back to Rome when the time is right.[202] The effect of this elaborate explanation is that it is repeatedly impressed upon the audience that the item simply did not stay in Rome because of bad timing and not because there was any doubt about its intended use.The object is a gift for Jupiter that will dazzle the people of Rome. Therefore, as the end of the passage in particular emphasizes, it is not meant for the enjoyment of anyone else. Even when the prince wants to impress Verres, he does not show him the candelabrum or make any mention of it. Yet, news of its existence “somehow came to Verres's ears,” as Cicero puts it. The candelabrum is therefore marked out as a special object. It is not something to impress guests with; it is sacred and intended for the eyes of a specific audience.
Verres begs and pleads to see the magnificent object, and the prince eventually agrees to send the candelabrum to the governor's house for inspection. It seems implausible that he would part with such precious cargo even for a brief while when he did not even want to show it to him at dinner in their own house, but Cicero does not discuss such concerns. Instead the narrative of the theft gives him an opportunity to once more stress the beauty of the object and emphasize that it belongs in a temple (Verr.
II 4.65):Antiochus... nihil de istius improbitate suspicatus est; imperat suis ut id in praetorium involutum quam occultissime deferrent. Quoposteaquam attulerunt involucrisque reiectis constituerunt, clamare iste coepit dignam rem esse regno Syriae, dignam regio munere, dignam Capitolio. Etenim erat eo splendore... ea varietate operum... ea magnitudine ut intellegi posset non ad hominum apparatum sed ad amplissimi templi ornatum esse factum. Cum satis iam perspexisse videretur, tollere incipiunt ut referrent. Iste ait se velle illud etiam atque etiam considerare; nequaquam se esse satiatum; iubet illos discedere et candelabrum relinquere. Sic illi tum inanes ad Antiochum revertuntur.
Antiochus had no suspicions about that man's [Verres's] ill-intentions. He ordered his men to bring it to the governor's residence covered up as well as possible. After they had brought it to him and had set it up with the wrappings cast aside, Verres began to shout out that it was an object worthy of the kingdom of Syria, worthy of a royal gift, worthy of the Capitolium. For it was the case that from its splendor, its intricacy and its size one could understand that it had not been made for human use, but for the decoration of a very impressive temple. When it seemed that Verres had seen the object long enough, Antiochus's men set about to take it back. That man said that we wished to study it over and over again and that he in no way had had enough. He ordered them to go away and leave the candelabrum. So they returned to Antiochus empty-handed.
Again we are told that the object should stay hidden from sight. Even Verres's act of looking at it for an extended period of time is inappropriate. He is not a visitor to Jupiter's temple in Rome, hence the object is not meant for his enjoyment. When the object is unwrapped, we are told twice that it belongs in a temple: once by Verres's initial reaction and then by the narrator. Here another detail is added: not only is the object stunningly beautiful, it is also very large.
By keeping it in his house, Verres places it in an inappropriate setting.[203]In the case of the candelabrum, Cicero provides us a comparatively rich amount of information about the artifact, but still does not leave us with a clear picture of what it looks like. The orator's main concern is with the religious status of the object. He therefore repeatedly emphasizes that the candelabrum was meant for dedication and highlights the prince's efforts to restrict people from viewing it. For Verres the enormous size and the gleaming gems would have been the most important features. The episode therefore again showcases how alien the former governor's approach to objects is. It also makes the case that Verres even stole from Jupiter himself, a god who normally does not become a target in the speech. Furthermore, he deprives the citizens of Rome of something that was meant for their eyes. Although the theft was committed on Sicily, it has a far wider reach. Cicero's rhetorical treatment of the candelabrum has made it sacred before it has actually been dedicated. The repeated emphasis on Jupiter, the Capitoline, and the intended Roman audience for the object support this rhetorical sanctification: Verres has entirely overstepped his bounds.