Marble Fragment of a Relief Depicting Athletic Prizes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2007

Marble relief fragment depicting athletic prizes
Roman, mid-Imperial, Antonine, 2nd century AD

Accession # 59.11.19

On this dedicatory relief are representations of the standard prizes awarded at four venues in Greece: an amphora of olive oil from the Panathenaic games at Athens; a shield from the games at Argos; and two wreaths (of pine and celery) from the prestigious Panhellenic games at Isthmia and Nemea respectively. Such games, which were very much part of the Greek tradition, flourished in Roman times. Many cities continued to host them, and individuals- the winner from Rhamnous who commissiond this relief, for example- gained much fame and fortune from their victories.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.