Right corner of a sarcophagus with the myth of the musical contest between the satyr Marsyas and the god Apollo

ca. 210–230 CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 169
Torso of a man with hands bound and parts of another figure.

Marsyas challenged Apollo to a musical contest, and he was flayed alive as punishment after losing. here, he is shown hanging from a pine tree, while a bearded Phrygian slave kneeling at his feet sharpens his knife. Behind Marsyas, another slave tightens the ropes that bind him to the tree. The group showing the flaying is copied from a sculptural group created in the Hellenistic period.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Right corner of a sarcophagus with the myth of the musical contest between the satyr Marsyas and the god Apollo
  • Period: Mid-Imperial, Severan
  • Date: ca. 210–230 CE
  • Culture: Roman
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: Overall: 24 x 21 x 15in. (61 x 53.3 x 38.1cm)
  • Classification: Stone Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1927
  • Object Number: 27.122.19a, b
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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