Fresco from the House of Julia Felix

Fresco in two registers, depicting two shelves. On the top shelf a bag, probably containing coins, sits in the center flanked on one side by a pile of silver coins and on the other gold. On the lower shelf, an inkwell sits far left with a stylus balanced across the left. next to lays a scroll. To the right of the scroll is an open set of wax tablets with a second stylus. Far right, a closed set of wax tablets.

Roman-British writing implements and materials

Photograph of ancient writing implements. A set of styluses, ink opt and wooden pieces of a wax tablet.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Wax tablet from Egypt

Two pieces of wood joined by a hinge. Each piece of wood has a shallow cavity in the center which would have held the wax. Lines of text are visible where the user scratched through the wax into the wood.
Date:
3rd century AD
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Terracotta figure: Woman reading a writing tablet

Seated woman dressed in a chiton wearing a cylindrical headpiece known as a polos. In her lap rests a rectangular writing tablet
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Epitaph of Gnome

Marble tombstone with incised inscription highlighted by red paint.

Islands in the Adriatic

The Argonauts navigate their way through a large number of islands
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Argonautic travels in the Adriatic

Argonautic travels in the Adriatic
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Summer storms in the Adriatic

Summer storms in the Adriatic
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

The escape route of the Argonauts after the murder of Apsyrtus

The route taken by the Argonauts after the murder of Apsyrtus
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

River Kur (Kyrus)

Apollonius perhaps thought that the River Kur (Kyrus) joined the Phasis somewhere in the Caucasus Mountains
Date:
2021
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Jason eagerly leaps ashore

François Vase (Black Figure Krater, Kleitias, ABV, 76,1)
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer

Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer 3rd–2nd century B.C.
Date:
3rd–2nd century B.C.
Image Credit:
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Drawing: Ulysses at Alcinous's Palace

Ulysses (Odysseus), dressed in full armor with helmet, walks with King Alcinous. They stand in the center foreground on the walking path of a planned garden, trees on either side of them. In the middle ground courtiers stroll the gardens, including the princess and her attendants. Greenhouses or outbuildings line the left and right margins of the garden and in the far background steps leads up to the terrace of Alcinous's palace, drawn to resemble a Renaissance villa.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Denarius of Augustus

Silver coin featuring August in profile right on the obverse. On reverse Tarpeia facing front both arms raised, her hair loose around her shoulders, a pile of shields in front of her almost as high as her waist.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Attic Red Figure Vase: Amymone pursued by Poseidon

Poseidon stands center, nude except for his cloak draped over his left shoulder. He holds his trident in his left hand. He looks toward Amymone at left. She holds a jug in her left hand and looks back over her right shoulder at Poseidon. Her right hand is raised toward Poseidon. To the right of Poseidon stands another woman, probably one of Amymone's sisters.

Mosaic: Leda and the swan

Leda stands with her back to the viewer. She is in a garden, a fountain or birdbath to her left, to her right a swan turning its head to look back over its shoulder at Leda. Leda wears a breastband, but her dress or wrap has fallen down revealing her buttocks. She holds one end of the garment in her right hand, the rest is draped over her left arm. Her head is turned and she looks down toward the swan.

Cigarette Card: Helen of Troy

Helen stands on a balcony or rooftop, center, dressed in a lightweight peplos with a shawl or wrap draped over her left shoulder. Her arms are bare except for an arm ring on her upper right arm and bracelet on her left forearm. Her arms are raised, with her hands behind her head. Her dress and wrap are blown backward by the wind outlining her figure.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Cameo: Venus and Mars in Vulcan's net

Square onyx and sardonyx cameo. In the center, Vulcan stands on the right wearing a dark tunic and white cap. He holds a hammer in his left hand and gestures with his right hand toward Venus and Mars shown nude, lying on a bed. Overlaying the image are the dark ropes of a net in which Vulcan has captured the lovers. Encircling the scene are several busts representing the other Olympian gods. The artist has engraved his name, D. Calabresi, across one of the ropes forming the net.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Hector and Andromache

Bronze statue of Andromache embracing Hector before he leaves for battle. Hector wears his armor and helmet. He holds his spear away from his body in his right hand. Andromache's face is hidden in Hector's chest as she grasps his by right shoulder with her left hand. Andromache wraps her right arm around Hector's left shoulder. Hector's left arm reaches up from under Andromache's right to embrace her, his hand resting in her right bicep.

Escape from Colchis

Map showing how Medea and the Argonauts make their escape from Colchis
Date:
2021
Subject:
Apollonius Argonautica

Apulian red-figure situla: Odysseus and Diomedes steal the horses of Rhesus

The painting is roughly divided into two registers. In the upper register three Thracians sleep, two on the left, one on the right. They wear long belted tunics with long sleeves and leggings decorated in a zigzag pattern visible beneath. On their heads are pointed hats or hoods. The lower register shows Diomedes (left) and Odysseus (right) stealing two horses. Both men are nude except for their cloaks and carry swords in their right hands. Odysseus is bearded and wears a pointed hat.

Fresco: Cupid holding a rhombus

Venus sits on a chair or throne in the foreground dressed in a loosely draped garment. Mars stands behind the chair wearing a helmet with a large crest; some sort of cloak or cloth is draped over his left shoulder. He reaches around to grope Venus with his left hand. Venus reaches up with her left hand grasping his elbow. Cupid, shown as a winged cherub, hovers in the background holding a rhombus.

Drawing: Venus wounded by Diomedes

Diomedes (left) steps toward the left with right arm raised and pulled back preparing to stab Aeneas with his spear. Venus intervenes wrapping her right arm around Aeneas's waist and flying him away while warding off Diomedes with her left hand. Aeneas's left arm and shield are draped over Venus's shoulder, a sword hilt is visible in his right hand, but the blade is mostly out of frame.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Roman Cameo: Ajax seizing Cassandra

Cassandra clings to the statue of Athena, half sitting on its base as Ajax grabs her by the left shoulder with his right hand. On wears a helmet and bears a shield on his left arm. A chlamys is draped around his shoulders.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Wall painting: Ariadne waking on the shore of Naxos

Araidne (foreground center) lies on a mattress or pallet with a pillow as backrest. She supports herself on her right arm while raising her left, in which she holds a length of the cloth covering her, toward a ship sailing away in the background. In the stern of the ship the steersman points to the right away from Ariadne.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Roman Mosaic: Atalanta Hunting

Atalanta rides a galloping horse, bow held in her right hand with arrow nocked and ready. She wears ankle high boots, a knee-length tunic, and cloak. The cloak streams back behind her revealing the quiver on her back.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Flaxman: Ajax attacking the sheep

Ajax (center) steps forward with his left leg toward a flock of sleeping sheep (right). Holds a short sword or dagger high over his right soldier preparing to swing down. Athene hovering to the left and sightly behind Ajax, urges him on.
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Achilles and Briseis Fresco, Pompeii

Achilles' surrender of Briseis to Agamemnon, from the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii, fresco, 1st century AD, now in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Map of Magna Graecia

map of southern Italy

Apulian red-figure oenochoe depicting the Rape of Oreithyia by Boreas

Boreas, depicted as a bearded and winged man, grasps the struggling Oreithyia around the torso, lifting her into the air. Oreithyia left arm is free, raised above her head, perhaps to fight off Boreas or perhaps in supplication. Her right hand grabs at Boreas's hands locked around her chest. Her head is thrown back against Boreas's chest.
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Hans Holbein the Younger, "Lais of Corinth"

A Woman dressed in a Renaissance style dress sits behind a table or plinth with ": Lais : Corinthiaca : 1526 :" apparently engraved on the front edge. A heavy curtain hangs behind her. Lais faces the viewer with her right hand extended palm up. Her left hand holds a drape lying in her lap. On the table is a pile of gold coins.
Date:
1526
Image Credit:
Wikimedia Commons

Edgar Degas, Sémiramis construisant Babylone

Queen Semiramis stands (just left of center) on a terrace gazing left, across a river, toward the city of Babylon under construction. Behind her and slightly to the right stands a cluster of four women attendants. In the deep background behind the attendants stand 3 or 4 other figures and some trees. One woman crouches directly behind Semiramis near a small basket of flowers. To the right of her is a horse and chariot, its reins held by another woman facing away from the viewer.
Date:
1861

Roman Silver Wine Cup

Two-handled silver cup with relief decoration depicting a scene from Odyssey 11.26-42. Odysseus is shown holding a sword up in his right hand. He looks to his left toward a tree. At Odysseus's feet lies the ram he has just sacrificed to summon the dead. To Odysseus's right sits the spirit of the seer Teiresias sits on a rock.

Roman banquet couch frame (restored)

Wooden bed frame of a Roman banquet couch. The scrolled arm rests at either end are decorated with bronze fittings in the shop of lions' heads. The legs are also of bronze terminating in a wooden base.

Lapiths and Centaurs mosaic

Mosaic depicting the battle between the Lapiths and Centaurs. The mosaic is laid out in three rows. Left to right, bottom row: a man grasps a centaur by the hair and thrusts forward with a spear held in his right hand. Another centaur appears lower right facing an unseen opponent. Middle row: a man attacks a centaur attempting to capture woman. Another man reaches toward the woman as if to help her escape. Top row: A man attacks a centaur who holds a woman by her arm. Another man appears to flee right.

Casa dei casta amanti fresco

Two couples recline on their left elbows. The men are at the head of the couches, the women lean against the mens' chests and holding large drinking vessels. In the center foreground a small round three-legged table with glass drinking vessels on top stands between the couches. In the upper left background of the fresco a slave supports a woman who has had too much to drink. In the lower right foreground a portion of a second round table with drinking vessels is visible.

Europa and the bull

Europa is shown on a blue background seated on a running or leaping bull. The. fabric of her clothing billows out behind her forming a halo.

Leda and the Swan

Leda stands on the left holding a swan by the neck with her left hand. The swan's beak hovers near Leda's mouth. Its wings stretch out behind it to the right of the fresco.

Io carried by the river Nile

The river Nile, in human form, appears in the lower left corner. Isis sits on his left shoulder with horns sprouting from her forehead. Isis sits in the lower right corner, clasping Io's right hand in her right. A snake, possibly a cobra, twines around Isis's left arm. Two attendants stand behind Isis. The both attendants carry a sistrum in their right hands. The attendant on the left holds a caduceus in the left hand while a small metal pot dangles from the attendant's left wrist.

Greek Myrtle

Greek Myrtle bush. In the background are multiple pink-red buds; in the foreground one bud has opened into a white flower
Image Credit:
Jason Morrison

Cupid Stringing his Bow

Marble statue of Cupid stringing his bow. Cupid faces front with the bow held to his right side and head turned to face it. He holds the grip with his left hand and grasps the top limb with his right.

Apollo Citharoedus Palatine

Fresco of Apollo seated facing right. In his left hand he holds a multi-stringed musical instrument called a cithara

Aureus of Apollo Augustus

Gold coin with profile of Augustus on the obverse and Apollo holding a plectrum in his right hand and lyre in his left on the reverse

Intaglio of Apollo and Artemis

Pink-red chalcedony stone engraved with an image of Apollo leaning on a tripod, approached by Artemis, wearing a short tunic and carrying a bow in her right hand while pulling an arrow from her quiver with her left. A dog runs alongside Artemis
Image Credit:
© Trustees of the British Museum. Used by permission.

Bronze statuette of Ceres

Bronze statuette of Ceres holding a large torch in her left hand and extending a sheaf of wheat toward the viewer with her right
Image Credit:
Miho Museum

Minerva with helmet and spear

Marble statue of Minerva with helmet and spear
Image Credit:
Gordonontour

Carbonized wooden shutters from Herculaneum

Carbonized wooden shutters from Herculaneum set in building
Image Credit:
Roger B. Ulrich
Subject:
Ovid

Woman playing a lyre

Woman playing a lyre
Image Credit:
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Snakes on a Boat--Nepos Hannibal

drawing of snake about to bite a man's leg
Agent:
Joelle Cicak
Date:
2013
Image Credit:
DCC
Subject:
Nepos, Hannibal drawings by Joelle Cicak

MAP OF VESONTIO BY EUGENE STOFFEL cropped

MAP OF VESONTIO BY EUGENE STOFFEL