skip to content

Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases

Three Figure Relief

Shallow relief of Hermes, Eurydice and Orpheus. Orpheus is shown leading back Eurydice from the underworld, with Hermes, the god of travelling, in attendance. Hermes is identified by the sun hat he has on his shoulder, Orpheus the musician by his lyre.

This is one of several very similar Roman copies of a Greek original. The date of the original is shortly after the completion of the Parthenon, and since the poses are reminiscent of some of the figures on the Parthenon frieze, this relief shows the powerful influence that the great temple exerted

Number: 
162
Material: 
Marble
Location of Original: 

Rome, Villa Albani 1031

Size: 
1.04 x 0.96m
Accession: 

Given by Oscar Browning, October 1876

References: 

Lippold: Griechische Plastik, 202 (n.4)
Walston: Catalogue of Casts in the Museum of Classical Archaeology (1889), 75, no.356 (?)
Thompson: Hesperia XXI (1952), 60-
Götze: Römische Mittheilung LIII (1938), 191-, pl. 33.1
Collection Latomus II (1949)
Robinson, DM: A New Roman Copy of the Orpheus Relief, pls. XXIII-XXIV, fig.2 (for two fragments of a relief in the Palatine)

Date: 
Roman. Original: late C5 BCE
Provenance: 

Unknown

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