http://collections.mfa.org/collections/314146/objects/rdfClassical Arthttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1203851/resize%3Aformat%3Dfullhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1016167/resize%3Aformat%3DfullArchitrave relief from the Temple of Athena at Assos with a scene of Herakles and Centaursabout 540–525 B.C.AndesiteThe taenia and regula (without guttae) of a Doric architrave are at the top of the block, a similar taenia at the bottom, and a narrower, raised band at the right end. Within this frame appears the adventure of Herakles with the centaurs of Mount Pholoë. The upper part of the centaur Pholos, the host of Herakles, is preserved at the left end. He is bearded, nude, and has human forelegs. He holds a large wine cup in his right hand, and lifts his left in a gesture of astonishment.In front of him Herakles, beardless and nude, stands in profile to the right, bending forward, with his left leg advanced. He is drawing his bow, while before him three centaurs flee rapidly to the right. All three are bearded and have human forelegs. The first and third look back as they run, and carry what appear to be clubs, one in his right, the other in his left hand. The centaur in the middle is without a weapon, stretching out one arm in front and one behind him. The lower parts of all three centaurs are exactly alike; the left foreleg is advanced and the equine hind legs are placed side by side. The hind legs of two of the centaurs overlap the thigh of the following figure.Broken in two, the relief is incomplete and broken irregularly, at the left end; the upper right-hand corner has been broken off. The surfaces are worn, both chipped and weathered. The surfaces are now a crusty brown.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151022/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1223295/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAureus with bust of ProbusA.D. 276–282GoldObverse: bust of Probus, facing left, laureate and cuirassed, wearing mantle, holding eagle-tipped scepter in right hand.IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVGReverse: Hercules standing, nude, carrying the Erymanthian boar over his left shoulder.HERCVLI ERY MANTHIOhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/501084/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/732231/resize%3Aformat%3DfullBust of an older man1st century B.C.TerracottaBust of a mature man slightly turned to the right with a healed wound on the left side of forehead and a mole below the left eye. Captured details of the skin texture and sagging flesh indicate that the face from the top of the forehead to the base of the neck was taken from life with the sitter in vertical position. The nose, ears and front of the neck were cast separately and attached. Portions, such as the eyebrows and eyes, were reworked by hand. The rest was sculpted by hand in several sections: nape and sides of the neck, back of the head, and bust. A dark slip covers the entire surface.The bust is in excellent condition, except for a few minor surface losses and a larger break at the back of the neck.Thermoluminescence has been performed on the bust twice, in 1997 and 2002, indicating that the clay was fired between 700 BC and AD 300. http://collections.mfa.org/objects/155696/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1000973/resize%3Aformat%3DfullCameo with Livia holding a bust of Augustus (?)A.D. 14–37TurquoiseBust of Livia in the guise of Venus Genetrix, with closely clinging drapery slipping off her left shoulder. Beside her is a youthful male head, which must originally have belonged to a bust or full-length figure, alternately identified as a bust of the deified Augustus, or as one of her sons, Tiberius or Drusus I. The cameo has been set into a modern setting. The lower part of the gem is damaged, and a portion of the original has clearly been lost.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/155690/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1083827/resize%3Aformat%3DfullCameo with the death of Meleager16th century A.D.Shell and goldThe death of Meleager with 27 figures. White on pinkish violet shell cameo set in a gold mount as a pendant.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/187394/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/856758/resize%3Aformat%3DfullCameo with the wedding of Cupid and Psyche, or an initiation rite50–25 B.C.TryphonOnyxLayered onyx. Cameo. The wedding of Cupid and Psyche. Incised Greek inscription: "Tryphon made it."http://collections.mfa.org/objects/155692/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1222035/resize%3Aformat%3DfullDekadrachm (Demareteion) of Syracuse with quadrigaabout 470–465 B.C.SilverObverse: Quadriga right, horses walking, driven by charioteer holding goad in right hand, reins in both hands. Above, Nike flying right, crowning the horses. In exergue, lion running right. Border of dots.Reverse: Head of Arethusa to right, laureate, wearing earring and necklace with pendants. Hair waved in front, turned up at back, one loose lock behind ear; ends of hair gathered up and tied with double cord. Inscription in Greek around.Around whole: four dolphins.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/1205/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1222037/resize%3Aformat%3DfullDekadrachm of Kingdom of Egypt with bust of Berenike II, struck under Ptolemy III246–222 B.C.GoldObverse: Bust of Berenike II right, wearing necklace and veil over back of head. Border of dots. Reverse: Cornucopia filled with fruits, bound with fillet with fringed ends, between two six-pointed stars. In field between cornucopia and fillet ends: EInscription in Greek around. Border of dots.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/3102/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1221060/resize%3Aformat%3DfullDenarius with head of C. Julius Caesar, struck under M. Mettius44 B.C.SilverObverse: Head of C. Julius Caesar, wreathed, right. At left, lituus.CAESARDICT QVARTReverse: Juno Sospita, spear in right hand, shield in left, standing in biga galloping to right. MMETT[IVS] (in exergue)Magistrate/moneyer: M. Mettiushttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/162037/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1012854/resize%3Aformat%3DfullDrinking cup (kylix) depicting scenes from the Odyssey550–525 B.C.the Painter of the Boston PolyphemosCeramic, Black FigureSide A: Circe and the companions of Odysseus, eight figures. Circe appears in center mixing her potion for Odysseus' men. The men have animal heads and arms, but retain their human lower bodies. Eurylochus escapes the scene at far right and Odysseus enters at far left. Side B: Odysseus in the cave of Polyphemos, seven figures. Polyphemos is the central figure, kneeling on one knee in a state of drunkenness. Odysseus' companions bring more wine from the left. Odysseus appears at right with an oinochoe containing more wine. Athena stands behind Odysseus, as his guardian. Meaningless inscriptions. A large break in B. Entire foot restored.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153469/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1000616/resize%3Aformat%3DfullEarring with Nike driving a two-horse chariotabout 350–325 B.C.Gold, enamelEarring in form of Nike driving a two-horse chariot (biga). The figures are modeled in the round and form a pendant suspended from a disc in the shape of a honeysuckle palmette. Wearing a belted chiton (tunic), a full-length skirt, and several items of jewelry, Nike leans forward, her left hand pulling on the reins of the horses, whose front legs rear sharply. The features on the goddess's face are crisp and her expression resolute, while the animals appear startled and tense. Raised as if in flight, Nike's elaborate, feathery, and finely chased wings provide an elegant counterbalance to the dynamic composition.The ornament is composed of more than a hundred individual elements soldered together. The bodies of the figures are crafted from gold sheet that is embellished with wirework details and small gold balls. The honeysuckle palmette is fashioned into curved petals and circular stamens outlined with fine twisted wires; remnants of enamel survive on several of the stamens. In the center of the leaf is a tear-shaped fruit encrusted with dense gold granulation. A hoop on the underside was probably attached to an ear wire, which is now missing. http://collections.mfa.org/objects/155707/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1016161/resize%3Aformat%3DfullFunerary monument for an athleteabout 550 B.C.Marble from Mt. Pentelikon, Greece, and modern plaster restorationA youth in profile to the right has his left foot advanced. He wears an olive wreath with fruit and leaves, and he holds up two pomegranates on a stem in his raised left hand. The flexed right arm and hand (with wrist muscles preserved) held an aryballos suspended from a leather strap. Hair is rendered as a smooth mass, except for the row of spiral curls over forehead and temples. Tongues on the shoulder, lotus flowers and buds around the body, and crescents radiating from the bottom are carved in low relief on the aryballos. Above the youth's head are the remains of an inscription that runs vertically upward. It gives the first two letters of his name, ("Tho"). Five fragments, three large and two small, are preserved, but a considerable portion of this stele of a young athlete is missing. Fragment A comprises the head and left forearm of the youth, with the lower part of the panel above. B is the right hand with the strap of the aryballos. C includes the body from the waist to the right knee, with the remains of the aryballos. D is the right ankle, and E is a bit of spiral molding and fillets from the top of the shaft. Sides and back of the stele are smoothed, while the background of the relief is hollowed out into a curving surface above and at the sides. Save where there are damages (notably to the aryballos), the surfaces are in excellent condition. They have an even yellow patina.Scientific Analysis: Harvard Lab No. HI264: Isotope ratios - delta13C +1.67 / delta18O -3.19, Attribution - Probably Pentelikon, Justification - Fine grained marble.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151018/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1203851/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHead of Aphrodite ("The Bartlett Head" )about 330–300 B.C.Parian marbleSo-called Bartlett Head of Aphrodite, associated with the style of Praxiteles. Important and rare original example of late Classical or early Hellenistic sculpture. Neck is worked for insertion into a full length statue, now lost. Well preserved except for a small break at the tip of the nose.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151059/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1008898/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHermaphroditeabout 20 B.C. to A.D. 40Marble, probably from the Greek island of ParosHermaphrodite was the product of the union of Venus and Mercury, whose names in Greek, Aphrodite and Hermes, were combined to form the name Hermaphrodite. Hermaphrodite combined the sexual attributes of both males and females and was worshipped as a deity at least from the fourth century B.C.Depictions of Hermaphrodite holding Cupid (in Greek, Eros, who was also Aphrodite's son) may refer to a nurturing aspect while depictions of the exposed phallus may have had an apotropaic significance aimed at warding off evil.This half-life-size statuette of a standing Hermaphrodite wears an "Egyptian"-style haircloth, broken at the sides; and a cloak over the right shoulder, which comes around back to cover his left hand on which the lower part of Eros sits. Hermaphrodite raises the robe to reveal its male genitals, a gesture known as anasyrmenos. There are remains of a bronze pin in the Eros where the upper body would have been attached.A finger is broken off the Hermaphrodite's right hand, most of his left foot missing.From the Villa of the Contrada Bottaro near Pompeii. See also 1980.201-206 and 33.499 for additional objects from this site in the Museum of Fine Arts' collection.Scientific Analysis: Isotope ratios - delta13C +5.228 / delta18O -2.778, Attribution - Paros-1.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/150262/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1000609/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHomerlate 1st century B.C. or 1st century A.D.Marble (probably from Mt. Pentelikon near Athens)Rare pseudo-portrait of Homer of late Hellenistic date, probably based on the earlier baroque style of the second century Pergamene School. This is an Invented image of the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Unruly hair, knitted brow, suggest the intensity of the sage; treatment of the eyes reflect the ancient tradition of the blind bard.The base of the neck is worked for insertion. Most of the nose is missing, as is a fragment from the right side of the neck. Otherwise, the preservation of the surface is almost perfect, and the sculpture has a clean, very light yellow appearance.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151122/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/746843/resize%3Aformat%3DfullJar (pelike) with Odysseus and Elpenor in the Underworldabout 440 B.C.the Lykaon PainterCeramic, Red FigureOdysseus, having slain two rams, seated on a rock conversing with the shade of Elpenor. Hermes stands at the right. Reverse: Poseidon pursuing Amymone.[Label text]:Homer tells us in the Odyssey about Odysseus' journey to the underworld to learn how to return to his homeland of Ithaca. While in Hades, Odysseus meets Elpenor, the youngest member of his crew. Elpenor had died on the island of the witch Circe; half-drunk and half-asleep, he fell from the roof of Circe's house. The scene of their reunion in the Underworld is pictured on this pelike. Having not received the proper funeral rites on Circe's island, Elpenor persuades Odysseus to give him a proper burial. Odysseus has sacrificed the two rams that lie at his feet to honor Elpenor and to keep the other spirits in Hades from tormenting him. Hermes stands behind Odysseus in his typical winged helmet and boots and with his caduceus. Although the messenger god does not appear in Homer's telling of the story, it is appropriate for him to be a part of this scene as he often acted as a guide to the souls in Hades. The painter shows Odysseus deeply concentrating on the words of the dead sailor while Elpenor speaks. The mysterious scene of Hades depicted here was once highlighted in white pigment to draw out the details of the rocky landscape of the underworld. On the opposite side of the vase, Poseidon, the god of the seas and enemy of Odysseus, pursues Amymone, one of the fifty daughters of King Danaus and Europa. Poseidon carries the fisherman's spear that often identifies him in art. Her kingdom having no water, Amymone went in search of it. In the scene represented here, she carries a water jug. Poseidon fell in love with Amymone and rewarded her for her affection by creating the spring of Lerna. The result of their affair was Nauplius, a great sailor. The woman behind Poseidon is perhaps one of the many sisters of Amymone.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153840/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1016163/resize%3Aformat%3DfullLibation bowl (phiale mesomphalos)about 625 B.C.GoldOne of the earliest surviving examples of a phiale in precious metal and a rare example in gold, this vessel is simply decorated, segmented into nine lobes and embellished with bands of beading on parts of the interior. On the exterior, just below the rim, an incised inscription in archaic Corinthian dialect reads: "The sons of Kypselos dedicated [this bowl] from Heraklea." http://collections.mfa.org/objects/238352/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1012012/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMale torso (Mercury?)1st half of the 1st century A.D.Marble from Mount Pentelikon near AthensThe large-scale male torso bears the weight of the body on the left leg; the right hip swings outwards. As a result of this contrapposto stance, the left hip, left buttock and right shoulder are slightly lowered and the spinal column curves in an S-shape to the right. Condition: Breaks along the bottom of the neck, right upper arm, left arm above the elbow, genitalia, and left knee and right thigh. Remnant of a strut visible on the back of the right thigh. Veins and inclusions in the marble. Surface mottled with pale brown stains and gashes throughout. http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151145/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1000608/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMantiklos "Apollo"about 700–675 B.C.BronzeA votive statuette of Apollo evidenced by the inscription on the front of the thighs of this standing nude male figure; inscribed in archaic Boeotian characters "Mantiklos donated me as a tithe to the far shooter, the bearer of the Silver Bow. You, Phoebus (Apollo) give something pleasing in return." There are marks of attachment on the top of the head and a hole for attachment in the forehead. The hole in the left hand has been identified as support for a bow. It has been suggested also that the figure was a warrior, wearing a helmet and carrying a spear in the left hand and a shield on the right arm.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/152660/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1146358/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMixing bowl (bell krater) with the death of Aktaion and a pursuit sceneabout 470 B.C.the Pan PainterCeramic, Red FigureTwo sided red-figure bell krater used for mixing wine and water. Side A: Artemis shooting an arrow at Aktaion who has fallen to the ground attacked by his hunting dogs. Aktaion was a hunter, and the goddess of the hunt killed him by turning him into a stag, so that his own dogs tore him to pieces. This elegant rendering of the myth, with Artemis drawing her bow for the coup de grace, and the helpless hero sinking beneath the onslaught of the hounds, is considered one of the greatest of all Athenian vase paintings.Side B: The artist is named the Pan Painter after this scene of the goat-god Pan chasing a young shepherd wearing a fawn-skin (nebris), and a rustic sun hat. The god of flocks obviously has love on his mind, perhaps inspired by the ithyphallic herm standing on a hill in the background. Herms were stone or wooden shafts with the head of the god Hermes, rudimentary arms, and a large carved phallos. Apart from their religious significance, which is poorly understood, they often served to mark boundaries and the intersections of roads. The rustic setting of this herm relates it to Priapos, or some other god of fertility. Pan is not represented in Athenian art until after the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., when he was said to have caused a "panic" in the Persian ranks. When one remembers that, like the Persians, Aktaion was punished for his pride, and that his death occurred on the slopes of Mt. Kithairon, the site of the Persian defeat at Plataia, the entire vase becomes a symbol and a memorial of triumph of Athens over Persians. Condition: Broken and repaired.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153654/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/863753/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMixing bowl (calyx krater) with the killing of Agamemnonabout 460 B.C.the Dokimasia PainterCeramic, Red FigureBoth sides of this vase illustrate tragic scenes from the story of King Agamemnon's return to Mycenae after the fall of Troy.While Agamemnon was away at war, his wife Klytemnestra took as her lover Agamemnon's cousin Aegisthos. On the king's return home, Aegisthos and Klytemnestra plotted to kill Agamemnon. In one scene, Aegisthos gets ready to plunge a sword into Agamemnon, wet from the bath and trapped in a net. Klytemnestra carries an ax to assist her lover. Three other women witness the horrific crime. These women are perhaps Chrysothemis and Elektra, Agamemnon's younger and older daughters, and Kassandra, his slave. Following the first brutal murder, the honorable children of Klytemnestra and Agamemnon avenged the death of their father. Orestes, whipped to action by his sister Elektra, enters the palace to kill Aegisthos who was seated playing the lyre (barbitos). Elektra stands to the right encouraging her brother's actions, while her mother Klytemnestra rushes in with a double axe aimed at her son's head.The Aeolic columns under the handles suggest the palace of Agamemnon and Klytemnestra at Mycenae.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153661/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1228216/resize%3Aformat%3DfullNecklace mounted with gold coin of Emperor ValensA.D. 364-378GoldThe pendant with the gold coin or solidus of Emperor Valens (AD 364-378) is set in a palmette and dart mount and comes with a figure “8” loop-in-loop chain with a Herakles know fastener.Only the obverse of the coin is visible, the reverse is blocked by a gold sheet disc.Obverse legend: DNVALENS PERFAVG (Dominus Noster Valens Perpetuus Felix Augustus)Reverse ?: RESTITVTOTRREI PVBLICAE?)http://collections.mfa.org/objects/168668/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1016162/resize%3Aformat%3DfullOil flask (lekythos) with a woman working woolabout 480–470 B.C.the Brygos PainterCeramic, Red FigureAn elegant woman is seated pulling out a skein of wook from her wool basket (kalathos). She wears earrings, bracelets on both arms, a diadem, and an Ionic chiton and himation. She has an elaborate hairstyle, with part of her hair tied up in a bun, and long strands pulled down in the front. She pulls a long strip of wool out of a basket on ground before her. A hair-bag (sakkos) and mirror are hung up in field. The mirror is decorated with a head in profile drawn in outline, which probably represents a relief on the back of the mirror. The object hanging off her chair may be a wool-carder. Above her in the field is the Greek inscription: "the girl [is pretty])" (HE PAIS KALE).http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153786/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1001442/resize%3Aformat%3DfullPlate with boar walkingabout 640–630 B.C.CeramicA boar to right above a ground line, with varied filler surrounding (Wild Goat Style); radiating tongues in exergue. A zigzag band separates the upper and lower fields.East Dorian "segment" plates, like this example, have flat bases and outcurving rims. Their large tondi are typically divided between an upper field, which contains an animal in a Wild Goat style (sometimes two animals or more rarely a mythical creature; even more rare are human figures) surrounded by filler motifs, and a lower field, which contains a pattern of radiating tongues (or less frequently, a palmette with outspringing volutes). Recent Neutron Activiation Analysis indicates that most plates of this type were made on Kos.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/154587/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1016166/resize%3Aformat%3DfullPortrait head of Socratesabout A.D. 170–195Marble from Mt. Pentelikon near AthensThis smallish head of Socrates was probably a herm-portrait originally. The vigorous carving belongs to the Antonine period, although it was likely based on a prototype attributed to Lysippos from the fourth century B.C. Condition: The head is broken at the base of the neck. The nose, now missing, was repaired in antiquity with an iron pin and cement. There are a few modern pick marks on the face. Root marks and a yellow patina cover the surfaces.Scientific Analysis: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.637 / delta18O -5.170, Attribution - Pentelikon, Justification (Petrographic Analysis) - maximum grain size (0.7mm), accessory minerals (muscovite).http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151123/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1001441/resize%3Aformat%3DfullRepoussé plaque with a woman-bee hybrid660–620 B.C.ElectrumOn this plaque, a winged hybrid creature that fuses a woman’s head and torso with a bee’s bottom is depicted. The goddess has heavy striated hair, typical of the Daedalic style. Her wings curve in dramatically and are decorated with curving lines. She holds her arms out perpendicular to her waist, her hands clenched into fists. Her waist is marked by a sort of belt with vertical striations, while her bee bottom is horizontally striped. On either side of the figure, just beneath her arms, are two large rosettes. The entire composition is bordered by a braided pattern, and further decorated on top by a row of 14 darts. The central and right cylinder at the top of the plaque are preserved, as is part of the left cylinder. The bottom left corner of the plaque has broken off.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/187282/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1337231/resize%3Aformat%3DfullSarcophagus and lid with husband and wife350–300 B.C.TravertineThe top of the cover takes the form of a bed with pillows, and a man and his wife embrace under a large sheet. She wears a complex earring and he a bracelet of twisted strands. There is no costume visible.On the long side below the man is a frieze with four pairs of Greeks and Amazons in combat. A bead-and-reel molding appears above, and simple pilasters frame the scenes on the corners. The other side, the long panel below the woman, has only a plain fillet molding above, suggesting it was the back of the sarcophagus proper. The frieze features two pairs of horsemen and foot soldiers in combat, with a warrior in fighting pose on foot in the center.On the left end (facing the frieze with Greeks and Amazons), two lions bring down a bull. The bead-and-reel molding is seen above. On the right end, two griffins are tearing into a fallen horse.The condition is, generally speaking, excellent, with some traces of a dark brown deposit and an overall light brown to yellow patina.The sarcophagus is inscribed for Thanchvil Tarnai and her husband Larth Tetnies, son of Arnth Tetnies and Ramtha Vishnai.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151377/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/889076/resize%3Aformat%3DfullSarcophagus with triumph of Dionysosabout A.D. 215–225Marble, from the island of Proconnesus in the Sea of Marmara near IstanbulThe god of wine and dramatic festivals, in full choral attitude, steps into a biga drawn by two Indian elephants with fringed cloths on their backs. He is supported by his companion the satyr Ampelos and attended by the complete Dionysiac train of Sileni, pans, satyrs, maenads, and the exotic animals of his triumph in India.The inscription reads :M~VIBIO~M~FIL~LIBERALI~PRAET~M~VIBIVS~AGESILAVS~IVNIOR~NVTRICIO~SUO~FEC ("Marcus Vibius Agesilaus junior made (it) for Marcus Vibius Liberalis, son of Marcus, the praetor, his foster-father" ).The condition is, generally speaking, superb, with the small breaks, missing limbs, and absent attributes apparent from illustrations. The surfaces, particularly of the nude or seminude figures, retain their high polish. There are no restorations of the kind that ruin so many sarcophagi. The sections cracked or broken through have been carefully rejoined, and the missing pieces of the lid hardly detract from the visual sweep and rhythm of the triumphal procession. The three-volume corpus of Dionysiac sarcophagi reveals that very few of these monuments of Greek art in the Roman Empire have their original (or any) lids preserved in any form or condition.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151242/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1227978/resize%3Aformat%3DfullScaraboid gem with a two-horse chariotlate 5th–early 4th century B.C.ChalcedonyIntaglio. Pierced for stringing (horizontal). Motif oriented horiztontally. Two-horse chariot (synoris) and charioteer, facing right. The positioning of the horses, with the one behind moving more quickly and out ahead of the one in front, indicates that the chariot is rounding a post at high speed. Motif situated on a ground line.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/240950/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/909122/resize%3Aformat%3DfullStatue of Athena Parthenos (the Virgin Goddess)2nd or 3rd century A.D.Marble from Mt. Pentelikon near AthensRoman-period replica of the cult statue that once stood within the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis, a chryselephantine (gold and ivory) colossal statue designed by the master sculptor Phidias and dedicated in 438 B.C. The goddess wears a helmet on which are remains of Pegasoi on either side flanking a sphinx of which only the paws remain; above the visor are parts of protomes, probably deer; griffins in relief on the cheek pieces. Curls frame the face, tresses fall on her shoulders. Gorgon on aegis which is edged by snakes; snakes encircle her waist forming knot at the center.Condition:The head and neck were carved of a lighter marble than the rest of the figure. Joins are confirmed by matching curls above the left shoulder and the hair below the helmet and on back of aegis. Restored areas include a small part of the left eyelid, tip of the nose and left nostril, much of the lower lip and the end of the chin, and the curl of hair on the right side of her neck, including a small portion of the curved lower end of the helmet. There are no restorations on the body. Traces of paint remain on the lower curls on Athena's left shoulder. Ancient iron pegs are visible in the troughs of the arms, along with larger dowel holes for fitting the arms and the weight they supported. Some surfaces were carefully cleaned long ago; others preserve good root marks.Scientific Analysis:Harvard Lab No. HI752: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.76 / delta18O -8.63, Attribution - Pentelikon, Justification - Sparkling, fine grained marble.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/150203/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1008892/resize%3Aformat%3DfullStatue of Herculesabout 1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D.BronzeHerakles stands with his right leg bent and right arm extended forward. The skin of the Nemean lion, which he killed as one of his earliest labors, is draped over his left shoulder and wraps around his left forearm. On his head, he wears a twisted fillet. In his left hand, he originally held a club, which was inserted into a hole formed by his closed fingers and which projected down at an angle. The significance of Herakles' extended right hand is not entirely clear, but he may be reaching for a cup of wine (in this type, called “Bibax”, Herakles is often shown holding a wine cup), although there is no trace of a cup here. He might also be reaching for the golden apples that he took from the garden of the Hesperides. Both the wine and the apples symbolized the end of his trials and his attainment of immortality. Here, however, the gesture may merely signify a genial welcome.The statue has been put together from fragments. The mane and the head of the lion-skin have been restored; also a piece in the upper part of the right thigh, and a small piece in the middle of the back are restoration.The piece has a dark patina with green encrustation.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/152742/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1116105/resize%3Aformat%3DfullStatue of PriapusA.D. 170–240MarbleBearded Priapus has a fillet with herringbone enrichment tied around his brow, and a cloak over his head and shoulders. He wears a high-belted sleeveless tunic over a long-sleeved tunic. He is holding them up to contain a lapful of fruits. His erect phallus also acts as a support for the fruit. High, rustic boots adorn his feet, which stand on a plinth. Such statues were placed in Roman gardens to ensure growth and act as protector of crops. All surfaces are damaged somewhat and have been affected by ancient and later weathering.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151204/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1235666/resize%3Aformat%3DfullTetradrachm of Athens with head of Athenaabout 470–455 B.C.SilverObverse: Head of Athena to right, in close-fitting crested helmet, adorned in front with three olive leaves erect, and at back with floral scroll. The hair neatly arranged in two bands over the temples. She wears a disk earring. Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing and tilted slightly to left. At left, olive branch and crescent. Greek inscription at right.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/4004/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1223132/resize%3Aformat%3DfullTetradrachm of Kingdom of Macedonia with head of Herakles, struck in the name of Alexander III332–323 B.C.SilverObverse: Head of youthful Herakles to right with lion's skin. Beaded border. Reverse: Zeus, laureate, sits to left on throne without back, a himation over his knees, right foot drawn back on foot stool, an eagle on right hand, left hand on sceptre. Sceptre beaded. At left, a rose in profile.Below throne and at right: inscriptions in Greek.Beaded border.Probably satrapy of Ptolemy I striking in the name of Alexander III.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/2449/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1016160/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThree-sided relief with a scene of weighing ("the Boston Throne")about 460 B.C.Marble, Dolomitic from the Greek island of ThasosA three-sided relief cut from a single block. Seated on the right is Demeter with her head veiled in mourning for her daughter Persephone. Aphrodite is seated opposite consulting with her son Eros at the center who holds the scales (made from a separate piece of marble) to determine how long Persephone will stay in the Underworld. Short sides: a boy with a lyre; an old nurse.Perhaps, the relief served as an enclosure for an outdoor altar."Sculpture in Stone" no. 30, pp. 20-25Portions of the surface have been carefully cleaned, but some incrustation remains, especially on the garment of the figure on the left wing, and marks left by the roots of plants are visible in places. The Ludovisi relief and the Warren relief show similar flaws and the same light grayish-brown patina.The reliefs themselves have suffered comparatively slight injuries. On the left wing the lower temination of the scroll, which in this case projected beyond the end of the slab, is lost, together with the ends of the old woman's feet. The edges of the palmettes at the corners are broken off, and there are small breaks along the lower edges at the three sides, especially at the angles. The noses of all five figures, the toes of the winged youth, the plectron of the lyre-player, and the pegs of the lyre are damaged. Certain other changes were produced, partly by accident and partly by design, in Roman times, when the relief was removed from its original position. As on the Ludovisi relief, marks made by crowbars, used to pry the monument from its pedestal, are visible at several places along the bottom, on both the outer and the inner faces. On the left wing an irregular groove runs across the bottom surface close to the corner, and continues obliquely upward across the face of the relief.Scientific Analysis: Marble has been scientifically tested with X-Ray Diffraction and determined to be Dolomitic. Harvard Lab No. HI090: Isotope ratios - delta13C +3.48 / delta18O -3.06, Attribution - Thasos-Cape Vathy, Justification - Dolomitic by XRD.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151033/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1515110/resize%3Aformat%3DfullTwo-handled jar (amphora) depicting a shoemaker's and blacksmith's shopabout 500–490 B.C.the Plousios PainterCeramic, Black FigureSide A: Shoemaker's shop. A young woman is being fitted for a new pair of sandals. The shoemaker sits before her on a diphros and cuts the sole leather around her foot. The woman lifts her himation and gestures toward the shoemaker. Various tools and sizing equipment hang on the back wall of the shop. Behind the woman sits the shoemaker's apprentice who holds a sandal in his hand. An older man observes the scene at the far right. He leans on a staff and gestures toward the woman. He may be the another customer, the owner of the shop, or the woman's husband or father. On the floor below the table sit a basin and a finished sandal.Side B: Blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith, bearded and naked in center, is about to strike a bar of metal with his wedge-shaped sledgehammer. Another man, beardless and also naked, holds the heated bar on an anvil with a pair of tongs. The man is partially obscured by the furnace at the far left. At right, two clad men observe the scene, one seated on a block and the other on a diphros. The man at the far right gestures toward the scene as he leans on a staff (similar to the pose of the older man on Side A).http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153407/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1000605/resize%3Aformat%3DfullTwo-handled jar (amphora) with Achilles and Ajaxabout 525–520 B.C.the Andokides PainterCeramic, Black Figure and Red Figure (Bilingual)This amphora is decorated on both sides but in different painting techniques. One side has a scene depicted in the Red Figure style, and the other side shows the same scene in the Black Figure style. This type of decoration puts the vase into the so-called Bilingual group.The traditional attributions for the painter is: the Red Figure (side A) is by the Andokides Painter, and the Black Figure (side B) is by the Lysippides Painter.This scene, known from other representations in Greek art, depicts the heroes Achilles and Ajax playing a board game. The warriors wear their helmets and hold two spears each. Ajax has his right hand near the board, ready to play when his turn comes. Both heroes wear short tunics (chitoniskoi), and are armed, with corslet, cushes, greaves; they wear short cloaks over their armour. Behind them, their shields lean against something, with their helmets perched on top; behind them, or beside them at arm's reach. Both sit with the hither leg drawn back; Ajax is farther from the table than Achilles, although he sits farther forward on his block (thakos). Condition: Large pieces have been restored. On Side A, heads are restored.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153408/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1108919/resize%3Aformat%3DfullTwo-handled storage jar (pelike) depicting young athletes jumpingabout 520–515 B.C.Circle of EuthymidesCeramic, Red FigureSide A: Two nude youths jumping together together accompanied by flute music; leapers at center, flautist at right, facing them, wearing a cloak (himation).Above the figures is the name "Kalipides", and between the jumpers and the piper is the name "Aineas" (Aeneas). Below is the inscription "Leagros is handsome" (LEAGROS KALOS)Side B: A piper (named "Smikythion") accompanies two nude jumpers, the same two youths depicted on the front of the vase, seen from rear. They are probably athletes in training. Inscriptions in between the piper and the jumpers read: "Smikythion"; "Leagros is handsome, yes indeed!" (LEAGROS KALOS NAI XI)The action may represent a Greek competitive dance exercise called bibasis, a Laconian dance for both boys and girls.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153847/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1053459/resize%3Aformat%3DfullWater jar (hydria) depicting a warrior and a woman making a libationabout 500–490 B.C.Painter of Goluchow 37Ceramic, Red Figure techniqueThis hydria depicts a young warrior and woman facing each other and pouring a libation as a ritual offering for his protection in battle. The woman wears a chiton and himation, bracelets, and a head covering, and she holds an oenochoe with floral decoration in her right hand, probably for carrying the wine which was used in the offering. The primary role of women in departure scenes seems to have been to assist with the libation. She is certainly a family member of the hoplite, perhaps his mother or wife. The warrior holds a spear in his left hand between the two, and he has donned an elaborate set of armor with greaves, a scaled Type IV cuirass, and a Chalcidian helmet with a horsehair crest. A sword and scabbard are attached the shoulder strap hanging from his right shoulder, and his shield leans against his right knee. One of the straps (epomydes) of this hoplite's cuirass is untied and juts out over his proper right shoulder. This aspect of this painting, along with the raised cheek protector on the helmet, indicate that although the soldier is armed, he is still preparing for the battlefield and has not reached it yet. He is pouring a libation at the center with the phiale in his right hand. The religious offerings made before battle were an essential aspect of warfare preparation, since it was necessary in Greece to ensure the gods looked favorably upon any undertaking during life.The shoulder is occupied with two lions attacking a bull. One of the most common subjects in ancient art, the contest between beasts is present on many vases, but here it perhaps reflects the battle which this libation precedes. A Greek kalos appears between the figures: “Lykos is handsome.”Condition: Repaired with some restoration. Foot modern.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153630/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1354995/resize%3Aformat%3DfullWater jar (hydria) with the chariot of Achilles dragging the corpse of Hektorabout 520–510 B.C.the Antiope GroupCeramic, Black FigureA hydria with the dramatic scene of Achilles dragging the body of Hector behind his chariot; to the left Priam and Hecuba, parents of Hector, mourn him in the Trojan palace as Achilles with round shield stares at them; to the right, the tomb of Patroklos with his soul charging out from it; snake in front. Winged figure of Iris sent to plead for a ransom of Hector's body. Greek inscriptions of the name 'Hector' (HECTOR) above the body of Hector, and 'Patroklos' (PATROKLOS) on the tomb.On the shoulder: Two quadrigae, one driven by Athena. Herakles pursues Kyknos while Ares rushes from left.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153447/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1088063/resize%3Aformat%3DfullWreath of oak leaves and acorns4th century B.C.GoldThe two tubular "branches" (in semi-circular sections) are fastened at the front by a wire connecting the two looped ends. The oak leaves and acorns, veiled with gold leaf, are connected to the "branches" by gold wire stems.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/262101/rdf