![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
This is a piece of dark stone, I could only speculate on its function until a viewer let me know: This is the upper part of a door frame, perhaps it belonged to an important building (a temple or a tomb in the shape of a small temple). To the left you see the winged goddess of victory, Greek Nike or Roman Victoria, holding a laurel crown in her right and a branch of palm tree in her left hand, both symbols of victory. To the right is the goddess of the moon with a crescent in her hair and behind her back, Greek Selene or Roman Luna, symbol of night. On the opposite from Nike there was perhaps once a male bust with a crown of sun rays (looking like the points of a star), the sun god, Greek Helios or Roman Sol, symbol of day. But this basalt relief dates from the Roman period in Syria, where people often called their gods with other, more ancient names in different languages, even if they depicted them like Graeco-Roman gods.
All pictures copyright Dick Osseman. For use: see my Profile.
CHWR | 20-Apr-2010 13:15 | |