skip to content

Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases

Female Torso in armour

This female body is thought to be a personification of the Odyssey, the epic Greek poem first written down by Homer. On her armour are shown Scylla, Aiolos, the Sirens and Polyphemus — all characters encountered by Odysseus in the poem.

The sculpture was found under the Stoa of Attalos, the long public building used for trading and gatherings along the side of the Agora in ancient Athens; an inscription confirming the identity of the torso was found nearby much later

Number: 
465
Material: 
Marble
Location of Original: 

Athens, Museum of the Ancient Agora. Formerly Athens, National Museum 311

Size: 
1.21m
Accession: 

Purchased in 1884 from Martinelli (?)

References: 

Reporter: 19 June 1885, 895, no.561
Inscription: IG II/III2, 4313
Thompson, H: The Athenian Agora Guide (1976), 183

Date: 
C2 CE
Sculptor: 
Jason of Athens
Inscription: 

Jason of Athens made this

Provenance: 

Found under the ruins of the Stoa of Attalos in Athens in 1869

Search Casts

Use our search tools to search the Casts Archive

Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge

Every cast tells two stories.
One ancient. One modern.

Admission is free.

We are open

Opening hours

Tues-Fri: 10am-5pm
Sat: 10am-1pm (Univ. term-time only)
Sun & Mon: Closed

Closed on Bank Holiday Mondays

Visit us

Museum of Classical Archaeology
Faculty of Classics
Sidgwick Avenue
Cambridge
CB3 9DA

Get in touch

Tel. +44 (0)1223 330402
Email

Facebook Twitter

For an explanation of what personal information we gather when you visit the University’s website and details of how that information is used please see the following University Privacy policy:

https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-this-site/privacy-policy

Copyright statement

All images and material on our websites are ©Museum of Classical Archaeology, University of Cambridge unless otherwise stated. Permission is required to reproduce our images.

See also our Copyright Notice and Take Down Policy.

Important Information

Museum of Classical Archaeology Web Accessibility Statement