12. Cypriote Statue in Blended Styles: Cast of the original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - Cyprus - before 500 B.C.

The helmet and stance of the figure are reminiscent of Assyrian pieces. However, the long robes falling to the feet resembles the peplos on early Greek female figures. Nor is the treatment of the folds of drapery unlike Greek grapery. The original was found with traces of paint.

13. Herakles Capturing the Cattle of Geryon from the Herdsman Eurytion: Cast of the original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - from Cyprus - before 500 B.C.

This bas-relief is from a pedestal for a colossal statue of Herakles. The original relief was slightly tinted with red and represents one of the labours of Herakles imposed upon by Eurystheus, King of Argos.

14. Cypriote Funerary Stele: Cast of the original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - from Cyprus - 5th century B.C.

The capital of the stele is designed with lotus flowers and volutes which enclose a sacred tree and sphinxes. According to Cesnola, the figure of the sphinx, like that of the harpy and the siren, was associated with burial rites.

15. Cypriote Funerary Stele: Cast of the original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - from Cyprus - 5th century B.C.

The stele is carved with sphinxes. The knotted sash was originally painted red.

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21. Head of Athena: Cast of the original in the Berlin Museum - Greek - 6th century B.C.
Athena, the Olympian goddess of wisdom and defensive war, was the patroness and guardian of the city of Athens.

22. Agamemnon, Talthybios and Epeios: Cast of the original in the Louvre, Paris - Greek - 6th century B.C.

Agamemnon, King of Argos and brother to Menelaus, led the Greek (Achaean) armies to Troy (Ilion). He is depicted on this relief with his herald Talthybios and Epeios, the legendary maker of the wooden horse. The original was found on the island of Samothrace in 1790 A.D.

23. Funerary Stele of the Warrior Aristion: Cast of the original in the National Museum, Athens - Greek - late 6th century B.C.

Found on the coast of Attica in 1839 A.D., the richly painted stele was originally crowned with a palm motif. The inscription to Aristion appears on the base while the artist’s name, Aristokles, is inscribed near the depiction of the warrior. The funerary stele is one of the oldest Greek types yet discovered.

24. Group from the West Pediment of the Temple of Aphaia on the Island of Aegina: Cast of the original in the Glyptothek, Munich - Greek - late 6th century B.C.

The figures were recovered in the vicinity of a temple on the island on Aegina in 1811 A.D. by two English and two German architects. They were purchased by Ludwig I of Bavaria, who had them restored by the great sculptor Thorwaldsen in Rome.

The goddess Aphaia, to whom the temple was dedicated, was the Aeginetan counterpart of Artemis. The subject matter of the pediments relates the mythical battles of the Trojan War and depicts legendary warriors. (Note: Age is distinguished from youth bby a beard.)On the west pediment they are engaged in combat on either side of a central figure of a goddess – Pallas Athena or possibly Aphaia.

Exactly how the figures were arranged in the pediment is speculative. However, they are among the earliest illustrations of the Greek custom to fill the angle of the roof with figures.

33. Model of the Western Pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia: Model shows the probable arrangement of the figures of the western pediment

34. The Spinario, or Boy Drawing a Thorn from his Foot: Cast of the original in the Palace of the Conservatori, Rome - Roman copy of a Greek original - 5th century B.C.

The Spinaro is one of several statues whose authenticity is debated. There is conjecture that the Roman Spinaro was created in Hellenistic times and the Fifth Century B.C. stylization was merely incorporated in the work. Moreover, it is contended that “genre” types in Greek sculpture sis not appear before that time.

However, there are similar style characteristics evident in the Roman Spinaro that may be compared with the Olympia Apollo figure from the western pediment of the Temple of Zeus. There is a possibility therefore, that the original work was from the Fifth Century B.C., probably before 450 B.C.

Controversy is apt to arise when it is understood that most existing sources of Greek sculpture were written centuries after the works themselves were created. Pliny the Elder, who wrote mid-First Century A.D., and Pausanias, who wrote in the Second Century A.D. are two such examples. Research is further complicated bu the fact that most original works no longer exist.

35. The Diskobolos or Discus-Thrower: Cast of the original in the Vatican, Rome - Roman copy of Greek original - 5th century B.C.

yron from Eleutherae was reputedly a pupil of Ageladas, as were the sculptors Pheidas and Polykleitos. The Roman copy of The Diskobolos was found in Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli in 1791 A.D. The concept of rhythm was intrinsic to the vitality of Myron’s work. It permeates the form of the athlete who is poised in arrested motion. Myron was considered by many to be the greatest sculptor of realism in the transitional period that is noted for its severe style.

36. Marsyas: Cast of the original in the Lateran Museum, Rome - 5th century B.C.

In myth, the goddess Athena was the inventor of the flute, which was played in pairs. She allegedly discarded her invention because, while playing them. She though her face looked too distorted. However, she was appalled by Marsyas’ brazen attempt to claim them for himself and struck him for his arrogance.

Myron depicted Marsyas in restless motion as he recoils from Athena’s wrath. Satyrs, mythological creatures of the woods with goat-like characteristics, were followers of the wine God, Dionysos. Marsyas, replete with pointed ears and a tail, is shown in marked contrast to the restraint inherent in the sculptor’s Diskobolos.

The Roman copy was found in Rome in 1832 A.D.

37. The Doryphoros or Spear-Bearer: Cast of the original in the Museum of Naples - Roman copy of a Greek original - 5th century B.C.

Polykleitos of Argos was a contemporary of the sculptor Pheidas. He was celebrated among the ancients, especially for his figures of athletes. Chief among these was The Doryphorous, a bronze statue of a youth in splendid form carrying a lance over his shoulder. The sculptor was called the “canon” or “model” by artists who studied it for its harmony, anatomical correctness and proportion. There are many copies of this famous statue. The Napolitan copy, found at Pompeii in 1797 A.D., is considered the best.

38. Head of Doryphoros: Cast of the original in the Museum of Naples - Roman copy of a Greek original - 5th century B.C.

The bronze copy of the Head of Dorphoros was found at Herculaneum in 1753 A.D.

39-46. Figures from the Eastern Pediment of the Parthenon or Temple of Athena Parthenos: Cast of the original in the British Museum, London - Greek - 5th century B.C.

The Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, was of the Doric style of architecture and completed in c. 432 B.C. The architects of the temple were Iktinos and Kallikrates. However, it was the sculptor Pheidas, son of Charmides, who was appointed the supervisor of the Athenian statesman Pericles’ building program. Pheidas was most likely the master artist behind the design of the temple and its pediment statues, friezes, and metopes. Within the walls of the structure stood his cult chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of the goddess which was approximately 40 feet high and dedicated in 438 B.C. (The last known record of the statue was its removal from the Parthenon to Constantinople in c. 400 A.D.)

In either pediment, or gable end, of the Parthenon were sculptures that depicted scenes enacting events relevant to Athena. The figures of the western pediment represented the struggle between Athena and Poseidon for the sovereignty of Athens. The eastern pediment portrayed Athena’s birth from the head of Zeus. The figures were in a state of almost complete preservation until the year 1687 A.D. when, in the war between Turkish regiments and the Venetians, the building was all but destroyed by an explosion of gun powder which had been stored within, What remained of many sculptures was sent to England by agents of Thomas Bruce, then Earl of Elgin. Bruce had obtained a firman (document) from the Turkish government in 1801 A.D. to remove works from the Acropolis, the Athenian citadel which contained other sacred buildings in addition to the Parthenon. The pediment works and other marbles in the British Museum are referred to as “The Elgin Marbles”

The casts are from the Figures from the Eastern pediment, which represented Athena’s birth. The central group is gone and the names of the remaining pieces are speculative. There are many ingenious theories about their identity. The figures, No. 39, are probably the heads of the horses drawing the chariot of Helios, the sun god, as he rises from the waters of Okeanos. The head of the horse on the opposite end of the pediment is probably one of the horses from the chariot of Selene, the moon goddess, sinking into the same waters surrounding the world. The male figure is variously called Theseus, Herakles or Dionysos. The next two seated figures are commonly known as Demeter and Persephone. Next to them sits a solo figure, perhaps Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. She is flanked by an outer pair of two female figures most often associates with Aphrodite who reclines in the lap of her mother, Dione. These pediment pieces are considered by many to be the greatest specimen of Greek art that remain to us.

47. Model of the Acropolis: A model showing the position of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Citadel.

48-53. Reliefs from the Parthenon Frieze: Cast of the original in the British Museum, London - Greek - 5th century B.C.

The Frieze of the Parthenon, approximately 39 feet above the floor, formed a 3 foot 5 inch continuous bas-relief that decorated the upper edge of the outer wall of the cella and its vestibules. It was at a distance of about 9 feet from the outer row of columns. Of its original length, which was approximately 524 feet, just under half is in the British Museum, London.

The visual narration is though to be a representation of part of the Panthenaea, and Athenian festival which paid tribute to Athena. Once a year in Athens at this great feast of the goddess (the event was elaborately celebrated every fourth year), a procession was formed to carry peplos, or garment woven by the maidens of Attica, to the shrine of Athena. The procession presumably started at daybreak and wound up the hill to the Acropolis where the ceremonial garment was dedicated. The west frieze visually depicts the preparations for the event; the procession is then shown in its various stages on the reliefs, which ran from west to east on both sides of the building. The culmination of the narrative, on the east frieze, illustrates the reception of the peplos by a priestess of Athena in the presence of herself and other deities.

54. The Mattei Amazon: Cast of the original in the National Museum, Athens - Greek - 5th century B.C.

Amazons, female warriors and alleged founders of many cities in Asia Minor, are alluded to in Greek literature and mythology, including the Ninth Labour of Herakles. They were also depicted in sculptures, architectural pediments and reliefs. The Mattei Amazon, so called for the family who owned the sculpture, is probably a copy of an original ascribed to Pheidias. It is most likely stood with three other statues of Amazons in the temple at Ephesos which was dedicated to the goddess Artemis. The Mattei Amazon wears a chiton fastened with a belt. The chiton, a tunic of soft linen or wool, was normally worn at knee length for males and at ankle length for females.

55. The Eleusinian Relief: Cast of the original in the National Museum, Athens - Greek - 5th century B.C.

The town of Eleusis, approximately fourteen mile west of Athens, was the center of worship for the goddess Demeter and her daughter, Kore (later identified as Persephone). Demeter, and earth goddess, was celebrated throughout Greece. However, twice a year secret ceremonies were held at Eleusis to honor her and Kore. “The Eleusinian Mysteries” was a name give to the religions rites in which many citizens of Athens participated.

The votive relief, found near the temple of Demerter in 1859 A.D., probably represents Demeter with Kore (Persephone) inducting the youth Triptolemus into some religious mystery.  The young price, shown receiving ears of corn from Demeter, was, according to myth, imparted with its knowledge of cultivation.

56. Portion of the Frieze of the Temple of Athena Nike, also called Nike Apteros: Cast of the original in the British Museum, London - Greek - 5th century B.C.

The small Ionic temple was sacred to Athena in her manifestation as the Goddess of Victory (Athena Nike). It was dismantled by Turkish soldiers who used the stone as part of a fortification wall. In 1835-1838 A.D. the archaeologist Ludwig Ross and others, during excavations on the Ascropolis, took apart the battery and reconstructed what was left of the temple on its original site.

The portion of the frieze represents a battle scene in which the figures are portrayed in intense action. A common interpretation of that the subject matter of the frieze is the Persian War from which the Greeks emerged victorious.

57-60. Fragments from the Balustrade of the Temple Athena Nike, also called Nike Apteros: Cast of the original in the Acropolis Museum, Athens - Greek - 5th century B.C.

The Temple of Athena Nike was situated on the western bluff of the Acropolis. To insure the safety of worshippers, it was surrounded on three sides by a bastion wall or balustrade. On the outside of this wall and sculptured in high reliefs were figures of Victories (Nikai) in various occupations. Fragment 57 is of a Nike sacrificing or erecting a trophy. Fragment 58, from the south side of the parapet, is of a Nike adjusting her sandal. Fragment 59 is that of a solitary Nike, and Fragment 60, from the north side of the parapet, shows two Nikai leading a bull to sacrifice.

61. Portion of the Frieze from the Temple of Apollo at Phigaleia: Cast of the original in the British Museum, London - Greek - 5th century B.C.

Apollo, the Greek god of light and music, had many attributes. He was also associated with medicine and was protector of the flocks. Ithe Temple of Apollo at Phigaleia in Arcadia was dedicated to his attribute as the helper (epikourious). The architect of the temple was Iktinous, one of the architects of the Parthenon.

The frieze of this temple adorned the inside rather than the outside of the building. The portion of the frieze displayed represents a battle against the centaurs. It was discovered in 1811 A.D.

62. Aphrodite, Genetrix, commonly called Venus Genetrix: Cast of the original in the Louvre, Paris - Greek - 5th century B.C.

The statue, found in 1650 A.D., was at first thought to be made by Arkesilaos for the temple of Venus Genetrix built by Julius Caesar.  However, it is probably a copy of the Aphrodite by Alkamenes, a pupil of Pheidias. Aphrodite was the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty. (Both hands and the apple she holds are modern restorations. Many copyists added objects that were not on the original piece.

In myth Aphrodite was awarded the “apple of discord” by Alexandros (Paris) over her two competitors, Hera and Athena. In return she promised him Helen, the most beautiful of mortal women and wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. The fulfillment of that promise precipitated the Trojan War.

63. The Rondanini Medusa: Cast of the original in the Glyptothek, Munich - Greek - 5th century B.C.

In myth, the once beautiful Medusa was the only mortal of the three Gorgons, Because of an indiscretion with Poseidon that took place within a temple of Athena, she was cursed by the goddess and changes into a vile serpent-haired creature. Medusa’s gaze turned men to stone. She was beheaded by the hero Perseus. Her offspring from her union with Poseidon were Pegasus and Chrysaor.

The Fifth Century original, a mask, most probably had some religious symbolism and was used for public display. The replica of the mask, positioned on a plaque, gives it the appearance of a relief.

64. Nike (Victory) of Paionios: Cast of the original in the Museum at Olympia - Greek - 5th century B.C.

The Nike of Paionios of Mende in Thrace, and undisputed work by a Fifth Century B.C. sculptor, was discovered near its original site during the German excavations of Olympia in 1875 A.D. It once stood upon a triangular pillar approximately thirty feet high before the eastern face of the Temple of Zeus. (The Slater Museum cast is the only exact copy of this pillar existing.)

Nike, depicted as she alights from the sky and stands aloft, wears a diaphanous chiton (once presumably painted red), which enhances her form. Her himation, or outer cloak, once billowed from behind her.

The inscription records that the statue was dedicated to the Olympian Zeus by the Messenians and Naupaktians with a tithe of the spoils taken from their enemies. It also states that the statue was the work of Paionios of Mende, who was also victorious in making the akroteria upon the Temple of Zeus.

65. Restoration of the Nike (Victory) of Paionios: Cast of the original in the Berlin Museum - Greek - 5th century B.C.

66. Orpheus, Eurydice and Hermes: Cast of the original in the Museum of Naples - Greek - 5th century B.C.

In a version of an Orpheus myth, Orpheus was the son of Calliope, the muse of epic poetry. He was such an accomplished musician that he entranced all who heard him play. When his wife, Eurydice, was bitten by a serpent and died, Orpheus was overwhelmed with grief. He resolved to seek for her in the nether world and to beg the god, Hades, for her return. His music appeased Charon, the ferryman of the dead, and lulled the monstrous three-headed watchdog, Cerberus. Persephone, moved by Orpheus’ music, entreated Hades for the maiden’s release. Incompliance, the god promised Orpheus the return of his wife upon the condition that once Eurydice was entrusted to him, he did not look back for her until they reached the upper world. Orpheus, fearful that Eurydice was not following, looked back.

The relief portrays Orpheus, Eurydice and the messenger god, Hermes, holding Eurydice’s hand, ready to escort her back to the realm of Hades.

67. Hegeso, a Lady of Athens: Cast of the original in the National Museum, Athens - Greek - 5th century B.C.

Hegeso, wife or possibly a daughter of Proxenus, is represented seated upon a chair. Her feet, poised on a footstool, reputedly indicate her rank. Before her stands an attendant who is dressed in a simple chiton with her hair in a cap. She holds a small case from which Hesego has taken an object, probably a necklace. The object most likely was colored, as were the other details of the relief. However, these colorations were not evident when the gravestone was found in 1870 A.D.
NOTE: In the classical age the elaborate rite of burial ended with the placement of a stone over the grave. It normally commemorated some virtue or trait of the deceased and also served as a site for religious ceremonies. The structure of the stone represented the front of a temple (a pediment supported by two columns), a form used in religious architecture of that time. The size of the stones was, at one time, regulated by law. The gravestones were probably the work of artisans and it is this realization that makes them noteworthy. They show a standard of taste and refinement amongst the populace. The relief normally depicted, usually in a quiet and dignified way, a scene in the life of the deceased. The name of the deceased often was included in the inscription.

68. Medea and the Daughters of Pelias: Cast of the original in the Lateran Museum, Rome - Greek - 5th century B.C.

In a version of the myth pertaining to Jason, the hero of the Argonauts, Jason plotted against his uncle Pelias, the usurper of his kingdom. He beseeched the sorceress Medea to again exercise her supernatural gifts on his behalf. Medea had left her father’s kingdom of Colchis with Jason after she helped him obtain the Golden Fleece.

Agreeing to carry out Jason’s wish, Medea ingratiated herself with the daughters of Pelias. She told them of her power to restore youth to the aged and demonstrated that power by making an old ram supposedly appear as a lamb. This feat was accomplished by cutting the old ram’s body in pieces and boiling the parts while she pronounced magical incantations and administered youth giving herbs. Persuaded that their aged father would become youthful through Madea’s craft, the daughters killed him. However, when they had performed the deed, Medea refused to speak the life-giving word(s). The revenge completed, Medea fled with Jason.

Medea is shown on the relief (found in 1814 A.D.) holding her coveted box while the daughters of Pelias make the necessary preparations for their father’s demise. The tragic moment in the tale is thus represented.

69. The Farnese Hera: Cast of the original in the Museum of Naples - Roman copy of a Greek original - style of 5th century B.C.

The bust of The Farnese Hera (Farnese is the name of the family who once owned the piece) is thought by some sources to be an adaptation of the colossal chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Hera by Polykleitos for the Heraion at Argos in c. 420 B.C. However, it is also speculates that the sculpture has similar style characteristics to those works associated with the school of Kritios and Nesiotes and may, therefore, be an idealization of a different goddess.

70. Head of a Goddess: Cast of the original in the Berlin Museum - copy of a Greek original - 5th century B.C.

If the original was of marble, then the pupils of the eyes, other facial features and, most likely, the goddess’ hair and headband were probably painted. In the Fifth Century B.C., the application of color was also used to render a natural or realistic effect. However, the resemblance of flesh on the sculptures of females was apparently painted very fair, presumably in a light tome, in marked contrast to that of their male counterparts whose flesh was supposedly in a warm brownish red.

71. Youth Pouring Oil into his Hand or Oil Pourer: Cast of the original in the Glyptothk, Munich - 5th century B.C.

Before exercising, the Greek athlete normally anointed himself. The oil, stored in a small container, was poured drop by drop into the athlete’s hand and then rubbed into his body. The youth represents a prototype of many characteristics inherent in classical works. Portrayed in arrested motion, the figure is linear in pose. The hand holding the oil is raised above his head. The weight of the body is shifted slightly (a characteristic that is accentuated in other works and is referred to as the “contrapposto pose” in which the contour of the figure is reminiscent of an “S” curve).

72. Monument of Dexileus: Cast of the original in the Kerameikos Museum, Athens - 4th century B.C.

The inscription states that the age of Dexileus was twenty and that he was killed in the Corinthian War, B.C. 394. Ironically, he is represented in the moment of triumph over his foe who tries to ward off with his sword the thrust of Dexileus’ lance.

Discovered in 1863 A.D., parts of the horse’s harness were apparently metal.

73. Eirene and Ploutos: Cast of the original in the Glyptothek, Munich - Roman copy of Greek original - 4th century B.C.

The sculpture of Eirene , the goddess of peace, and Ploutos, the god of wealth and plenty, is believed to have stood as a public monument in the Agora, in Athens, where a cult of the goddess existed. The uplifted arm of the goddess reputedly held a staff upon which she leaned. The vase that Ploutos holds is an incorrect addition. (On coins and other copies the god holds a horn of plenty.) The head of Ploutos is an addition and did not originally belong to the body.

NOTE: Many of the works from which the casts have been taken have undergone restoration of missing parts.

74. Athena Giustiniani (Minerva): Cast of the original in the Vatican, Rome - Roman copy of Greek original - 4th century B.C.

A native of Corinth and a contemporary of Praxiteles, the sculptor Euphranor was also renowned as a painter. In myth Athena, (Giustiniani is the name of the family who owned the work in the 17^th Century A.D.), the goddess of wisdom and defensive war, was born fully-grown and armed from the head of Zeus. The aegis (reputedly a copyist’s addition on the Giustiniani version), with its representation of the head of Medusa, was one of the war attributes associated with the goddess. The representation of the Gorgon’s head was evident on the great chryselephantine image of Athena Parthenos made by Pheidias for the Parthenon in the Fifth Century B.C. Apparently it became one of the symbols of the goddess that was emulated in later works.

75. Eros Centocelle: Cast of the original in the Vatican, Rome - Roman copy of a Greek original - 4th century B.C.

Praxiteles, one of the most renowned sculptors of the Fourth Century B.C., was famous among the ancients. The Eros Centocelle is considered to be one of several copies of an Eros the sculptor made in his youth. In myth, Eros is normally alluded to as the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and Ares, the god of war. The original sculpture with its serene repose probably was depicted with wings.

76. Artemis of Gabii: Cast of the original in the Louvre, Paris - Roman copy of Greek original - 4th century B.C.

The sculpture Artemis (Diana), found in the ruins of Gabii in 1792 A.D., was thought to be an adaptation of Praxiteles' famous statue of Artemis Brauronia erected in Athens in c. 346 B.C. However, Pausanias noted a statue of a young Artemis dresses in a short chiton in a sanctuary at the Antikyra by the same sculptor. The Artemis of Gabii and the Artemis of Versailles both depict the huntress in a short chiton and sandals, clasping a cloak over her shoulder. It is probable, therefore, that these two works are variants of Praxiteles' Artemis of Antikyra.

77. Head of Asklepios or Asklepios Blacas: Cast of the original in the British Museum, London - 4th century B.C.

Asklepios, the Greek god of healing and medicine, has a sanctuary at Epidauros in his honor. Snakes, his symbol, were allowed to roam in the vicinity of his temples. When aa new temple was built to commemorate the god, a snake from Epidauros was transported to the new site. (Asklepios was worshipped by the Romans as Aesculapius.)

78. Demeter (?) from Knidos: Cast of the original in the British Museum, London - 4th century B.C.

In myth, Demeter neglected her cultivation of the earth and, therefore, caused its destruction. She was distraught because her daughter, Kore (i.e. Persephone), was abducted by Hades to the nether world.

The anguished mother, seated upon a throne, wears a matron’s veil. (It is speculated that the piece may have originally been accompanied by a standing figure, presumably Kore. It is also speculated that, weary in her search, she sits alone.)

The sculpture of Demeter(?), found in her sanctuary an Knidos in c. 1858 A.D., had been observed in 1812 A.D. by English travelers. The inherent pathos of the figure – the deep set eyes and other facial characteristics – are often associated with works of the Fourth Century B.C. sculptor Skopas. However, the work is often attributed to other sculptors and some sources date the origin of the work to later centuries.

 79. Satyr or Marble Faun: Cast of the original in the Capitoline Museum, Rome - 4th century B.C.

Praxiteles, one of the most revered sculptors of antiquity, apparently made numerous statues of satyrs. In myth, satyrs were followers of the wine god, Dionysos. The Satyr is depicted in a relaxed manner with a flute in his hand.

“Marble Faun”, a popular name for the statue, was derived from the title of a work by the 19th Century American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. He presumably used the Roman name for the votary. (In Roman mythology Faunus was a Roman nature god and fauns, his followers, had similar attributes to those of the Greek satyrs.)

80. Dionysos: Cast of the original in the National Museum of the Terme, Rome - 4th century B.C.

The statue of a youthful Dionysos, the Greek god of the vine, was found in c. 1881 A.D. in Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli. In a version of a Dionysian myth, Dionysos was the son of Zeus and a mortal princess, Semele, daughter of the King of Thebes.

A nebris, or fawn skin is tied over Dionysos’ right shoulder, an attribute of his origin as a nature deity.

81. The Aphrodite (Venus) of Capua: Cast of the original in the Museum of Naples - 4th century B.C.

In myth, Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, is coupled with Ares, the tempestuous war god, by whom she had a son, Eros. The Capuan Aphrodite (the sculpture was found in the 1700’s A.D. in an amphitheater of Capua, and ancient city north of Naples) is one of several copies of a Fourth Century B.C. work that was erected in Corinth and is attributed to Skopas. Some sources attribute the work to Praxiteles or his school.

The arms of the sculpture were restored in 1820 A.D. The original Aphrodite statue presumably held Ares’ shield as a mirror while her left foot rests on his helmet. The diadem (the royal headband of Roman times) is a copyist’s addition.

82. Psyche (?) of Capua: Cast of the original in the Museum of Naples - 4th century B.C.

The torso, often referred to as Aphrodite, was found in the amphitheater of Capua