Cinerary altar representing the rape of Proserpina

The face of the altar is divided into two registers. The upper register illustrates the rape of Proserpina (Persephone) by Dis (Hades). Dis (left) stands in a four-horse chariot driven by a cupid (center right). He grabs Proserpina by the waist sweeping her up into the chariot with his right arm. One of her feet is just visible behind the chariot. Proserpina's left arm is thrown over her head, her right is outstretched behind her.
Date:
2nd century CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Thermae boxer (Boxer at Rest)

A boxer sits on a rock resting after his match. His head is turned, looking over his right shoulder. Injuries on his body and face are highlighted with red copper to mimic blood; small drops fall onto his body. He also shows signs of long-term injuries such as cauliflower ear. He is nude except for his leather hand-wraps.
Date:
3rd-2nd centuries BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Dancing Maenad holding a thyrsus, detail of a Roman relief

A maenad dances holding a thyrsus in her right hand. She wears a very light, almost transparent, dress, earrings and a what appears to be a diadem. Her hair is down, but gathered in a loose, low ponytail.
Date:
c. 120-140 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Medea boiling the ram, detail of a black-figure neck amphora

Medea (center left) stands in front of a lebes (center right) on a tripod over a fire, out of which the front half of a ram appears. Her left hand is raised in command; she wears a mitra, embroidered chiton, and striped himation. Behind her sits a white-haired Pelias, he holds a staff in his left hand. Pelias' daughters, Antinoe and Asteropeia stand on the opposite side of the lebes (right) one has her right hand raised in astonishment.
Date:
510-500 BCE
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Hercules and Omphale, detail of a Roman mosaic from Llíria

Hercules (left) is dressed in women's clothes. He holds a distaff with wool in his left hand and what appears to be a drop spindle in his right (mosaic is damaged). Omphale is seated (right) nude except for Hercules' traditional lion skin. Hercules' club rests in the crook of her left arm.
Date:
200-250 CE

Herakles and the gods fighting the giants, detail of a black-figure amphora in the style of the Lysippides Painter

A bearded Zeus (left) steps into a quadriga (center) holding the reins in his left hand and a thunderbolt in right. Herakles stands in the chariot, left foot on the pole; he wears a short embroidered chiton and the lion's skin, with quiver at his back, and is in the act of shooting an arrow from his bow. On the far side of the chariot is Athena (right) wearing her helmet, aegis with fringe of snakes, and breastplate. She carries a shield and spear aimed toward a fallen giant.
Date:
c. 520-500 BCE
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Hercules diverting the rivers Alpheios and Peneus, detail of a Roman mosaic from Llíria

Hercules (left) lifts a rake above his head apparently to break the bank of either the river Alpheus or Peneus represented by a stack of rocks (right). A stream of water flows from the earth into a bucket. Hercules wears his lion skin and his club lies discarded on the ground at his feet.
Date:
200-250 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Herakles defeats Hippolyta, detail of an Attic red-figure neck amphora

Herakles (left) battles Hippolyte (center). Herakles grabs Hippolyte by her right arm with his left hand, raising his club in his right. Hippolyte has fallen to her right knee, and supports herself with the shield on her left arm. A wrapped object at her waist may represent the belt Herakles was sent to retrieve. A second Amazon (left) raises her shield attempting to engage Herakles.
Date:
c. 510–500 BCE

Hercules and the Stymphalian Birds, detail of a Roman mosaic from Llíria

Hercules (left) draws his bow aiming at three of the Stymphalian birds (right), which are diving at him. Hercules wears his lion skin, a quiver is slung across his right shoulder and rests against his left hip.
Date:
200-250 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Herakles and the Hydra, black-figure hydria attributed to the Eagle Painter

Herakles (right) grasps one of the Hydra's heads with his left hand, raising his club in his right. Iolaos (left) grasps another head with his left hand and begins to cut it off with a sickle in his right. Below Iolaos a small fire burns.
Date:
520–510 BCE
Image Credit:
J. Paul Getty Museum

Hercules and the Golden Apples, detail of a Roman mosaic from Llíria

Hercules (left) plucks an apple from a tree (center) with his left hand. He wears his lion skin and carries his club in his right. Three of the Hesperides look on from the background (right).
Date:
200-250 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Herakles fighting Geryon, detail of a black figure amphora attributed to the E Group

Herakles (left), wearing his lion skin and raising his club with his right hand, fights Geryon (right) depicted with three bodies each in full armor and bearing shields and spears. Eurytion sits on the ground (center) holding his right side with his left hand as if wounded.
Date:
c. 540 BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Hercules and the Cretan Bull, detail from a Roman mosaic from Llíria

Hercules (left) grasps the Cretan Bull (right) by its right horn and muzzle turning its head to face the viewer. Hercules wears his lion skin; his club lies discarded on the ground below the bull.
Date:
200-250 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Herakles presents Eurystheus with the Erymanthian Boar, black-figure amphora attributed to the Antimenes Painter

Herakles (center left) holds the Erymanthian Boar snout down over a large amphora in which Eurystheus (center right) is hiding. Iolaos (left) stands behind Herakles resting his club on his right shoulder. Hermes (right) stands on the opposite side of the amphora gesturing down toward Eurystheus with his right hand
Date:
ca. 520-10 BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Hercules defeats the Mares of Diomedes, detail of the Twelve Labors from a Roman mosaic from Llíria

Hercules wearing his lion skin (left) holds one of the Mares of Diomedes by the neck with his left hand. In his right he holds his club preparing to swing. Behind them two mares can be seen already lying on the ground. A young man can also be seen on the ground about to be trampled.
Date:
200-250 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Hercules fighting the Nemean lion, detail of a sarcophagus

Hercules (center) grapples with the Nemean Lion. The lion stands on his hind legs head turned into Hercules' left shoulder with its left front paw clawing Heracles' right arm. The pair are flanked by a spiral carved column (left) and a tree (right).
Date:
2nd century CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Herakles captures the Hind of Keryneia, detail of a black-figure amphora

Herakles (center left) grasps the Hind of Keryneia (center right) by its right antler having broken off its left with his left hand. Athena (left) and Artemis (right) look on. Athena holds a sheathed sword raised in her left hand. Artemis holds her bow in her right hand. Both women gesture toward the center scene with their free hands.
Date:
540-530 BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Herakles strangling the snakes, detail of a red-figure stamnos attributed to the Berlin Painter

The infants Herakles (center) and Iphikles (right) lie on a bed. The snakes sent by Hera wrap around Herakles' waist while he grasps their throats strangling them. A woman at the head of the bed lifts Iphikles to safety.
Date:
c. 480-475 BCE

Gnōthi Sauton mosaic, convent of San Gregorio excavations

A skeletal form lies on its side in the grass facing the viewer. Its ribs and pelvis are visible. Its arms and legs are intact though they appear wasted. Underneath it is the inscription Gnōthi Sauton.
Date:
1st cen. CE

Agache: Les parques (The Fates)

The Fates (left) are seated next to a yarn winding frame (right). Nona (Greek Clotho, background left) holds a distaff with wool in her right hand and appears to be spinning thread with her right. Seated in front of her (foreground center) Decima (Greek Lachesis) winds the spun thread on a yarn winding frame. Morta (Greek Atropos, foreground left) watches cupping her chin in her left hand. In her right hand she holds her scissors in her lap.
Date:
c. 1882 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Rubens: Tereus' Banquet

Tereus (left) sits on a throne covered in red drapery. He faces Philomela and Procne (right) raising his left hand as if to ward the off; his right hand grips a sheathed sword. Procne holds her son, Itys', severed head in her bare hands, stretching it out toward her husband Tereus. Philomela stands behind Procne with her right hand on Procne's left shoulder. Philomela grips a thyrsus behind her back in her left hand. Both women's hair is loose and their clothing disarrayed indicating their madness.
Date:
1636 - 1638 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Philomela and Procne prepare to kill Itys, detail of a red-figure wine cup attributed to Makron

Philomela (right) wears a chiton with her hair loose around her shoulders. She lifts the nude Itys (center) by the upper arms. Procne (left) faces Philomela gesturing with both hands raised. She wears a chiton and her hair is arranged on the back of her head with a ribbon tied around the crown of her head. A sword hilt is just visible on her left hip.
Date:
c. 480 BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Pentheus and the Maenads, detail of a fresco from the House of the Vettii

Pentheus half-kneeling (center) is held by two maenads. The left maenad grabs his hair raising a thyrsus in her right hand. The second maenad (right) holds Pentheus by his left arm. Behind Pentheus a third maenad raises a rock above her head preparing to strike him. Two more maenads appear in the upper right and left hand corners.
Date:
1st cen. BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Helios, detail of a metope from the Temple of Athena at Ilion

Helios (left) drives a four-horse chariot, the horses (right) rearing onto their hind legs. Helios' head is framed by a halo of rays.
Date:
300 - 280 BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Orestes seeking asylum at Delphi, detail of a Paestan Red-Figure Bell Krater attributed to Python

Orestes (foreground center) kneels beside the omphalos in front of a tripod at Delphi, seeking sanctuary from the Furies. Athena (left) and Apollo (right) intervene on his behalf.
Date:
360-320 BCE
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Herakles and Alkyoneus, detail of a red-figure kylix

Herakles (left) sneaks up on the unconscious giant Alkyoneus (center), with Hermes (right) helping him. Herakles wears his lion skin and carries his club in his left hand. He gestures toward Alkyoneus with his right. Hermes carries his caduceus in his left hand and gestures toward Alkyoneus with his right. Alkyoneus lies with his feet toward Herakles and his right arm thrown over his face.
Date:
c. 525 BCE

Herakles and the Golden Apples, detail of a metope from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia

Herakles stands (center) arms raised above his head supporting the sky. He is approached by Atlas (right) who offers him the golden apples of the Hesperides. Athena (left) stands behind Herakles helping him hold up the sky with her left hand.
Date:
c. 470-456 BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Hercules slaying the Hydra, detail of the Twelve Labors from a Roman mosaic from Llíria

Heracles (left) grasps the Hydra (right) by one of its many necks while it coils its tail around his left leg. Hercules raises his club in his right hand, preparing to strike.
Date:
200-250 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Hercules slaying the Nemean lion, detail of the Twelve Labors from a Roman mosaic from Llíria

Hercules (left) grapples with the Nemean lion (right). The lion rears up on his hind legs while Heracles wraps his right arm around the lion's muzzle. Heracles' club lies abandoned above the lion.
Date:
200-250 CE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Danaë and the shower of gold, detail of a Boeotian red-figure krater

Danaë reclines on a bed draped with a patterned sheet. Her hair is arranged up on the back of her head and covered with a net or cloth. She wears a cloth drape open in front exposing her abdomen. Zeus in the form of rain falls on her abdomen.
Date:
3rd quarter of the 5th century BCE
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Titian, Rape of Europa

Jupiter (right), in the form of a bull, swims across the ocean with Europa on his back. She holds onto his left horn with her left hand and looks back over her right shoulder toward the shore, waving a red veil with her right hand. A cupid (left) follows after them on a dolphin. Two additional cupids fly overhead.
Agent:
Titian (Vecellio Tiziano)
Date:
1562 CE

Family tree of the Aeolids

Family tree of the Aeolids

Scansion chart for Pythian Four (Dactylo-Epitrite)

Scansion chart for Pythian Four (Dactylo-Epitrite)
Date:
2021

Triton's Tail fin

Triton's tail fin
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

The Argonauts' route across Libya

The Argonauts' route across Libya
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

The great Syrtis

The “great Syrtis”, i.e. the Gulf of Sidra, west of Cyrene,
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

P.Oxy. LXXXIV 5428 (Benaissa, Slattery, and Henry 2019, 114)

P.Oxy. LXXXIV 5428 (Benaissa, Slattery, and Henry 2019, 114)
Date:
2019
Image Credit:
The Oxyrhynchus Papyri
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Juniper Tree

A single juniper trees stands in the center of a large clearing surrounded by brown grass

Drawing: Romano-British Shackle

Drawing of a Romano-British iron ring shackle. It consists of two semi-circular loops that have been threaded together and closed like links of a chain. This acts as a hinge to open and close the shackle. The opposite ends of the semicircles also terminate in loops which can be threaded together and bound or locked closed. Two rings are attached to the center of each semicircular section through which chains can be run.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Close up of Berenice's Eyes

Close up of Berenice's eyes
Date:
2021

Berenice's eyes

Piercing eyesight of Queen Berenice
Date:
2021
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Imagined confluence of the Rhine, Po and Rhône

Imagined confluence of the Rhine, Po and Rhône
Date:
2021
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Witenwasserenstock

Witenwasserenstock
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Argonauts across Europe 2

Argonauts across Europe 2
Date:
2021
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Argonauts across Europe 1

Argonauts across Europe 1
Date:
2021
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Aphrodite Anadyomene

Photograph showing the upper part of a marble statue of Aphrodite. The statue is visible from the waist up. Aphrodite is nude. Her arms are raised, her hands on either side of her head gathering her hair and twisting it ti wring it out.

Roman Ivory Comb

Double-sided ivory comb. The center spine has been carved out to read MODESTINA VHEE.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Roman Ivory Hair Pin

Ivory hair pin. One end is tapered to a point to be inserted in the hair. The opposite end features a carving of a monkey sitting on his back haunches with his front paws raised at chest height. The monkey carving sits atop a turned section of ivory shaped like a small pedestal, below which the ivory is incised in five concentric bands.
Image Credit:
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Marble portrait of Agrippina the Elder

Sculpted marble head of Agrippina the Elder. Her hair is parted in the center with a slight wave to it. Beginning just above the temple it is styled in loose curls. The head has sustained damage: the nose and point of the of chine are largely missing and the lips have been chipped as well.

Staia Quinta bust (rear view)

Rear view of a marble bust of a woman. The right side of the head is shown. A series of of curls, beginning about 2/3 of the way across the crown of the head, cascades diagonally from the temple along the skull toward the nape of the neck. The bottom few inches of her hair, beginning approximately where the base of the neck joins the shoulders, transitions from curls to a braid.