page_title: Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus
section_title: Mythological scene
hierarchical_section_title: Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus / Description / Mythological scene
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Artist Unknown artistDescription Deutsch: So genannte »Altar von Domitius Ahenobarbus«&#160;oder »Statuebasis von Marcus Antonius«, Relieffriese von der Basis einer monumentalen Figurengruppe. Meerthiasos für der Hochzeit von Poseidon und Amphitrite, 2. Hälfte des 2. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. English: So-called “Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus” or “Statue Base of Marcus Antonius”, relief frieze of a monumental statue group base. Sea thiasos for the wedding of Poseidon and Amphitrite, 2nd half of the 2nd century BC. Français&#160;: «&#160;Autel de Domitius Ahenobarbus&#160;» ou «&#160;base de statue de Marcus Antonius&#160;», frise en relief de la base d'un groupe statutaire monumental. Thiase marin pour les noces de Poséidon et Amphitrite, 2e moitié du IIe siècle av. J.-C.Collection Glyptothek &#160;&#160;&#160; (Inventory)Native nameGlyptothekLocationMunichCoordinates48°&#160;08′&#160;47″&#160;N, 11°&#160;33′&#160;57″&#160;E &#160;Established1830Web pageGlyptothekAuthority control : Q162077 VIAF:&#8201;156625362 ISNI:&#8201;0000 0001 2369 7443 ULAN:&#8201;500303266 LCCN:&#8201;n50054181 GND:&#8201;4137170-7 WorldCat institution QS:P195,Q162077Current location Room 11 (Saal der römischen Bildnisse)Accession number Inv. 239Source/Photographer User:Bibi Saint-Pol, own work, 2007-02-08Other versions See Category:Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus Deutsch: So genannte »Altar von Domitius Ahenobarbus«&#160;oder »Statuebasis von Marcus Antonius«, Relieffriese von der Basis einer monumentalen Figurengruppe. Meerthiasos für der Hochzeit von Poseidon und Amphitrite, 2. Hälfte des 2. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. English: So-called “Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus” or “Statue Base of Marcus Antonius”, relief frieze of a monumental statue group base. Sea thiasos for the wedding of Poseidon and Amphitrite, 2nd half of the 2nd century BC. Français&#160;: «&#160;Autel de Domitius Ahenobarbus&#160;» ou «&#160;base de statue de Marcus Antonius&#160;», frise en relief de la base d'un groupe statutaire monumental. Thiase marin pour les noces de Poséidon et Amphitrite, 2e moitié du IIe siècle av. J.-C.
context_page_description: The Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus, more properly called the Statuary group base of Domitius Ahenobarbus, is a series of four sculpted marble plaques which probably decorated a base which supported cult statues in the cella of a Temple of Neptune located in Rome on the Field of Mars.
  The frieze is dated to the end of the second century BC, which makes it the second oldest Roman bas-relief currently known. However, there is also a contemporaneous relief depicting a Roman naval bireme with armed marines, from a temple of Palastrina built c. 120 BC.
  The sculpted panels are still visible today, with one portion on display at the Louvre and another at the Glyptothek in Munich. A copy of this second piece can be seen at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.
context_section_description: The panels bearing the mythological scene, a marine thiasos of late Hellenistic style, are made of a different marble derived from Asia Minor. They are conserved at the Munich Glyptothek. The reliefs probably depict the marriage of Neptune and Amphitrite.
  At the centre of the scene, Neptune and Amphitrite are seated in a chariot drawn by two Tritons who dance to music. They are accompanied by a multitude of fantastic creatures, Tritons and Nereides who form a retinue for the wedding couple. At the left, a Nereid riding on a sea-bull carries a present. To her right, the mother of Amphitrite, Doris, advances towards the couple, mounted on a sea-horse and holding wedding torches in each hand to light the procession's way. To her right is an Eros, a creature associated with Venus. Behind the wedding couple, a Nereid, accompanied by two more Erotes and riding a hippocamp, carries another present.
caption: Marine thiasos on the reliefs of Domitius Ahenobarbus, front panel.
exif: {}