Orpheus Monument
The monolith was originally a grave marker, erected in the 2nd century AD to honor the memory of Marcus Valerius Verus, the duumvir (mayor) of Roman Poetovio. In the Middle Ages, it was used as a pillory. Criminals were tied to the iron rings attached to its lower part. Since March 2008, it has the status of a national cultural monument.
The central relief illustrates scenes from the myth of Orpheus, who plays the lyre while mourning his lost love Eurydice. Other reliefs depict the Greek-Egyptian god Serapis, who symbolizes the hope of resurrection. The corners each contain a prone lion gnawing on a ram's head. Beneath this, a relief in the tympanum depicts the Moon goddess Selene, leaning over her dead lover Endymion. All the reliefs and inscriptions are badly eroded.
References
- ^ Slovenia info
- ^ "The Povoden Museum and the Orpheus Monument". Ptuj Ormož Regional Museum. Archived from the original on 31 July 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ^ "7754: Ptuj - Orfejev spomenik" [7754: Ptuj – Orpheus Monument]. Register nepremične kulturne dediščine [Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage] (in Slovenian). Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ^ Lamut, Brane, ed. (1993). Ptujski arheološki zbornik: ob 100-letnici muzeja in Muzejskega društva [Ptuj Collection of Archeological Papers: On the 100th Anniversary of the Museum and the Museum Society] (in Slovenian and English). Regional Museum of Ptuj. COBISS 35226880.
External links
- Media related to Orpheus Monument at Wikimedia Commons