Mars of Todi

The Mars of Todi is a near life-sized bronze warrior, dating from the late 5th or early 4th century BC, believed to have been produced in Etruria for the Umbrian tribe.

[1] The bronze warrior was an expensive votive offering likely placed at a religious sanctuary,[2] possibly to Laran, the Etruscan god of war.

[5] It is an example of the highest-quality "prestige" works from Etruria found in Umbria during this period,[6] and probably came from a workshop in Orvieto (Etruscan Velzna, Roman Volsinii).

[17] It is written in Umbrian in Etruscan characters[18] and marks the beginning of the epigraphic tradition in this part of Umbria.

[19] The man dedicating it, however, has a name that appears to have a Celtic origin,[20] an indication of Tuder's "cosmopolitian" character in the Archaic period.

The "Mars" of Todi , a life-sized bronze
Detail of the warrior's "large, empty face," as described by Otto Brendel [ 9 ]