Frankfurt Athena

Roman copy of a bronze original group of Athena and Marsyas.

The myth runs as follows. The goddess Athena invented the flute, but threw it away because it distorted her face to play it. Marsyas, a satyr, picked it up and having taught himself to play, rashly challenged Apollo to a musical contest. Needless to say the musical god Apollo won and Marsyas was killed for his cheek.

Athena has just thrown the flute down on the ground. The story was a well-known one in the ancient Greek world, and the figures of Athena and Marsyas are seen in poses very similar to these on vase paintings and coins

Number

561

Material

Marble

Location of Original

Frankfurt Liebieghaus 147

Size

1.73m

Accession

Purchased from Dresden in 1970

References

Brinkmann: Masterworks at the Liebieghaus, 32

Date

Roman. Original: c.450 BCE

Sculptor

Of original: Myron

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Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge

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