User:Tucoxn/Statuette of Ganymede

The Statuette of Ganymede is a marble statuette dating from the 4th or 5th century. It was discovered at the site at Carthage in Tunisia by a team of American archaeologists at the end of the 1970s as part of the major UNESCO "Save Carthage" campaign. It represents Ganymede standing beside Zeus, who has taken the shape of an eagle. A dog and a sleepy goat complete the group.

The statue was in fragments when it was discovered but has been restored and is displayed in the Carthage Paleo-Christian Museum. According to the art historian Elaine K Gazda, "Despite its small size, the group [statue] is remarkably expressive", "in an incredibly good state of conservation" and "an unprecedented find" at the Carthage archaelogical site. She described it as emblematic of the quality of works circulating in Roman Africa during Late Antiquity.

It was stolen from the Carthage Paleo-Christian Museum on November 8, 2013. Its recent history is not only a testimony to the ever-present threats to cultural heritage and archaeology for countries involved in the Arab Spring, but above all to the consequences of insufficient funding provided to the authorities charged with protecting this heritage.

Archeological and historic context
The statuette was found broken into 17 fragments in a house of Greek charioteers during an archeological excavation in 1977.

Archeological context: Discovery in the house of Greek charioteers


The House of Greek charioteers, which was equipped with a peristyle and a fountain, dates from the first century. It had seen many improvements, including a major renovation around 400. Prior to 1977, it had only been partially excavated.

Although the excavations of the remains delivered mosaics from numerous rooms, the house's name comes from the mosaic of four charioteers with Greek names. The mosaic showcases four charioteers standing in their chariots (which were not conserved, along with the chariot horses) ready to leave, each holding a whip and reins. The four charioteers represent a greek circus team: Euphumos (wearing blue), Domninos (wearing white), Euthumis (wearing green), and Kephalon (wearing red). The names are likely those of famous charioteers. This mosaic decorated the threshold of a triclinium or oecus at the house's south portico.

Ancient history and rediscovery
The cistern in which the statuette was found was located in the house's triclinium; it was released during excavations in 1977. The statuette was sent to the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology for study and conservation in 1978 and then restored by a specialized firm in New York in 1980.



The statuette was probably broken accidentally before being left in the cistern. It is being restored to match its period with iron studs. The cistern it was found in was originally Punic. Cisterns were important to Carthage because of the scarcity of springs. They were used continuously throughout the Punic period, especially during the 3rd Century and the Muslim period. They were carefully repaired and cleaned regularly for centuries. Since being abandoned they have served as "dumps for debris and garbage". The excavators have cleared out many animal and fish bones in addition to domestic pottery and even coins. Other waste, undoubtedly from a kitchen, covered elements of the group statue, and has been dated between the start and middle of the 4th Century , and possibly also from the third quarter of the 5th Century. The link between the statuette and the House of Greek Charioteers is described as "not absolutely certain".

General description
The work, carved from a white marble monolith, measures 33 cm tall according to one source and around 50 cm tall according to Gazda. The base of the group measures approximately 33cm wide with a depth of 13 cm an a height of around 5cm.



The statue is of Ganymede beside Zeus who has taken the form of an eagle. Ganymede was originally from Troy and replaced Hebe as cup-bearer to the gods. It represents the moment when Zeus was poised to take over Mount Olympus. The Trojan hero adopts a langourous pose, with the right leg crossed over the left, the left arm resting on the hip and the right arm around the eagle. The eagle is perched on a tree, wings open, looking at his object of desire with an amorous expression.

The eagle and Ganymede have their arms and wings interlaced. The hero wears a Phrygian cap and at his feet is what is believed to be a sleepy goat or alternatively a hare according to Mounira Harbi-Riahi. There is also an restless dog, that is doubtless about to leave his master. This is the first time for Ganymede to be represented as a guardian of goats. The dog appears in other depictions of Ganymede's abduction, but the addition of the goat is unusual.

The composition is strictly geometric. Two vertical axes cross Ganymede and the eagle, a circle and a concentric arc surround the principal characters of the scene, and the face has also been designed skillfully. These elements appear to have helped the artist and also enabled the work to fit into a niche.

Certain details provide support to the composition and highlight the geometric lines, such as the suspended chlamys, the flap of the Phrygian cap and the feathers of the eagle. The artist also worked to render the sculpture's surfaces. In particular the hair is highly worked. . The sculptor's virtuosity in handling a chisel is confirmed by the anatomic details of the protagonists and also by details such as the underside of the feathers on the eagle's right wing and Ganymede's fingers which have fine-grained areas formed by "minuscule bridges".