Images

Map showing the political division in the Eastern hemisphere in 1 CE. The Han dynasty was almost at its peak in terms of geographical expansion.

A room from the Villa of the Farnesina, Rome, early 1st century BCE. Probably used as a bedroom. The fresco surrounds the whole room and uses trompe-l'oeil effects to create perspective. The central panel shows Dionysos nursed by nymphs...

A bronze statue of the god of wine Dionysos (Greek name) / Bacchus (Roman name), early 2nd century CE. His head is crowned with vine leaves and fruit. The eyes are from limestone, the pupils would have probably been in coloured glass paste...

Head of Alexander the Great from a smaller than life-size statue, goldleaf on bronze, 2nd century CE. (Palazzo Massimo, Rome).

A marble sacrificial altar dedicated to the Roman gods Mars and Venus, c. 124 CE. Later used as a pedestal for a statue of the god Silvanus. The carvings tell of the founding of Rome with the figures of Romulus and Remus, their adoptive shepherd...

A gold death mask from a Shaft Grave IV, Grave Circle A, Mycenae, 1600-1500 BCE. (National Archaeological Museum, Athens).

The so-called death mask of Agamemnon - the king of Mycenae in Homer's Iliad. Gold funeral mask from Grave Circle A, Mycenae (mid-16th century BCE). The mask in fact predates Agamemnon by 400 years but nevertheless remains solid evidence...

A red-figure loutrophoros from Apulia, 4th century BCE. These tall slim vessels with elongated handles were used during wedding and funeral rites and as grave markers, especially for those who died unmarried. This example depicts women and...

An Attic louterion vessel, used for pouring water, wine or in funeral rites and usually wiith a central spout as in this example, 760-735 BCE. (British Museum, London).

A southern Italian lebes gamikos vessel, c. 340-320 BCE. Lebetes gamikoi are distinguished by their high handles and they were associated with wedding and funeral rituals. On this example a lady perhaps prepares for a wedding or festival...