Finely sculpted torso of a Roman lady, on the lid of a plundered Roman marble sarcophagus or tomb chest in the Necropolis of Manastirine, outside the walls of the Greek and Roman city of Salona, at Solin near Split, Dalmatia, Croatia.
Salona, Solin, Dalmatia, Croatia: marble torso of a Roman lady reclining with her husband on the superbly sculpted lid of a marble sarcophagus plundered in the 7th century AD and left lying in the Necropolis of Manastirine, outside the walls of the ancient city of Salona, capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. The couple, both now headless, lie propped up on their elbows on the lid roof, above further finely detailed carvings such as a sleeping putto or cherub, winged horses and dolphins or porpoises. Judging by the quality of the sculpture, the pair must have been amongst Salona's leading citizens. The sculptor demonstrated particular skill in the way he moulded the flowing folds and creases in the couple's clothing. Most tomb chests in Salona's cemeteries were holed or left in fragments after the city fell to Slav and Avar forces in 614 AD. Their artistic detail, drawn from Greek and Roman mythology, is in interesting contrast to tombs with early Christian symbols commemorating saints and other martyrs executed by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, as well as later generations of Christians who chose to be close to them. Salona, a former Adriatic port, was founded by Illyrians in the 3rd century BC. It was then a Greek city, but became a Roman colony in about 40 BC and was made the Dalmatian provincial capital during the reign of Augustus Caesar. Its cosmopolitan citizens, safe behind strong walls and towers, had the use of public baths, an aqueduct, a forum, a theatre and an 18,000-capacity amphitheatre. The Roman Empire began to collapse in the 5th century and Salona fell to the Ostrogoths in 493 AD. Although it was later returned to Rome, its citizens fled in 614, leaving their city in ruins. The excavated site is now an archaeological park.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Salona, Solin, Dalmatia, Croatia.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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