Sarcophagus with a Bacchic scene

Excavated in 1834-1835 on the Pianabella. From Villa Pacca at Rome and found at Ostia.
Date: Trajanic (lid), Hadrianic (sarcophagus). H. of lid 0.63, l. 1.75, d. 0.66. H. of sarcophagus 0.67, l. 2.20, d. 0.68.

The lid is too short for the sarcophagus and does not belong to it. A reclining man holds a wreath of flowers in his right hand, towards which a dog is crawling. In his left hand is a pierced bowl, through the hole of which a drink offering could be poured to the dead.

On the left side of the sarcophagus Dionysus and Ariadne can be seen, in a chariot drawn by two panthers. Riding on the foremost panther is a cupid playing the lyre. Another cupid is seated on the front of the chariot. In the background are two Bacchantes, one beating cymbals, and a Satyr with a torch. In the centre, Pan holds the reins of the panthers in his right hand. In his left hand is a thyrsus rod. To his right are a Satyr with a thyrsus rod, a Maenad playing a double flute, and a Bacchante holding a lyre (her back is turned towards the spectator). The final figure is a Satyr with a goatskin sack on his shoulder.

F. Poulsen, Catalogue of Ancient Sculpture in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen 1951, cat. nr. 777. Inv. nr. 846. SO V, 112. Arachne 147182 (sarcophagus) and 147183 (lid). Photo: Flickr, AncientDigitalMaps.