Sarcophage with the myth of the Calydonian Hunt
Greek medium-grained marble.
Roman work. 200—230 CE. Inv. No. 135.Florence, Uffizi GalleryPhoto by Ilya Shurygin

Sarcophage with the myth of the Calydonian Hunt.

Greek medium-grained marble.
Roman work. 200—230 CE.
Inv. No. 135.

Florence, Uffizi Gallery
(Firenze, Galleria degli Uffizi).

Origin:
Formerly in the Villa di Pratolino (outside Florence). Entered the Uffizi in the earle 19th century.
Description:

Italiano Sarcofago con scena di caccia calidonica

200—230 d. C.
Marmo greco a grana media.
Inv. 1914 n. 135.
Provenienza: già alla villa di Pratolino (FI) nel 1743; in Galleria dai primi anni del XIX secolo.

Realizzato a Roma, il sarcofago raffigura la caccia al cinghiale di Calidone, inviato da Artemide a devastare i campi della città. Le teste dei cacciatori, eccetto tre, furono aggiunte in età moderna. Al centro della scena è l’eroe Meleagro, che in origine aveva la testa ritratto del defunto, intento a colpire con una lancia il cinghiale. Meleagro morì prematuramente e la scena posta sul lato sinistro raffigura forse proprio il compianto del giovane. In base al confronto con un sarcofago conservato nella Cattedrale di Palermo, è possibile datare l’esemplare ai primi anni del III secolo d. C.

English Sarcophagus with Calydonian Hunting Scene

200—230 AD.
Medium-grained Greek marble.
Inv. 1914 n. 135.
Provenance: formerly in the Villa di Pratolino (outside Florence) in 1743; entered the Uffizi in the early 19th century.

This sarcophagus, carved in Rome, shows the hunt for a boar sent by Artemis to ravage the fields of Calydonia. All the hunters’ heads bar three are modem additions. In the centre of the scene we see the figure of Meleager, whose original head was a portrait of the deceased, striking the boar with his lance. Meleager died young, and the scene on the left may well be a lamentation over his early death. A comparison with a sarcophagus now in Palermo cathedral allows us to date this example to the early years of the 2nd century AD.

Credits:
© 2019. Photo: Ilya Shurygin.
Info: the museum annotation.
THE GALLERY OF ANCIENT ART
Keywords: γλυπτική sculptura sculpture sculptural scultura skulptur ρωμαϊκό roman romana romano romani römisch römische römisches römischen römischer romain romaine romains romaines κηδεία funeral funerary funeraria funerario begräbnisskulptur beerdigung funéraire ανακούφιση relief rilievo ελληνική μυθολογία mythologia graeca greek mythology mitologia greca griechische mythologie grecque ἄρτεμις dea artemis goddess artemide göttin déesse artémis ἡρακλῆς ηρακλής herakles heracles èracle eracle héraclès διόσκοροι διόσκουροι κάστωρ kastor πολυδεύκης polydeukes gemini dioscuri castor et pollux castores tyndaridae tyndarids polydeuces castore polideuce polluce dioskuren und tyndariden dioscures μελέαγρος meleagros meleager meleagro méléagre ἀταλάντη αταλάντη atalante atalanta καλυδώνιος κάπρος aper calydonius sus calydonian boar hunt cinghiale di calidone calidonio caccia calidonia kalydonische eber eberjagd sanglier de calydon σαρκοφάγος σαρκοφάγους sarcophagus sarcophagi sarcofago sarcofagi sarkophag sarkophage sarcophage sarcophages mythological with a myth of myths mitologico mitologici con un mito i miti mythologischer mythologische mythologique mythologiques marble marmo greco griechischer marmor marbre grec ελληνικό μάρμαρο medium-grained grana media cristallina mittelkristalliner mittelkörniger à grain moyen μεσαίου μεγέθους hasta spear lancia speer lance δόρυ cassis pilos helmet elmo pileo helm casque πῖλος dog cane hund chien σκυλί jagd chasse villa pratolino for wild hunting wildschweinjagd keiler au κυνήγι του κάπρου oak tree quercia albero eiche baum chêne arbre βαλανιδιά δέντρο inv no 135
History of Ancient Rome