Endymion sarcophagus

Excavated in January 1825 by Pietro and Felice Cartoni, and bought in 1826.
Date: second century AD. W. 2.28, h. 0.70.

The sarcophagus was much damaged after 1903, as is evident from a comparison of photos.

The narrative begins to the right. Endymion is sleeping in a cave. He is accompanied by Hypnos, with wings on his back and head. In his left hand is a laurel branch, in his right hand a horn from which he pours sleeping juice over Endymion. To the left of the head of Hypnos is the personification of Mount Latmos, with a branch in his right hand. On the left side the moon goddess Selene, with a moon crescent on her head, is stepping out of her chariot, admiring Endymion. She is accompanied by Erotes, one of which stands sleeping in the chariot.

In the centre a female deity holds the reins of the horses pulling the chariot. An Erote holding a banner is standing on one of the horses. Below the horses a dog lies on the ground. Above the horses a tiny Selene is depicted, sitting on her Zodiac sign, Cancer.

On the left side Selene appears for a third time, here again in her chariot. She is accompanied by two winged figures. On the ground lies Gaia, goddess of the earth, with flowers on her lap.

Furtwängler 1910, 349, nr. 328. Photos: Wikimedia, Bibi Saint-Pol and A. Furtwängler, Ein Hundert Tafeln nach den Bildwerken der Kgl. Glyptothek zu München, München 1903, 79. Paschetto mentions and describes only one Endymion sarcophagus from the Cartoni excavations (nr. 287), clearly the one now in New York (cf. Ashby 1912, 162 note 6).