3-037-291 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Furniture Support Shaped as a Hanging Marsyas, A.D. 100-200. Additional Info: In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas, a creature part horse, part human, challenged Apollo, the god of music, to a flute contest. Apollo won and punished Marsyas by having him hung from a tree and skinned alive. For the Romans, the story of Marsyas served as an example of the consequences of hubris, or excessive pride, and of foolishly challenging one's betters. Yet even with this harsh message, figures of Marsyas were popular in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, and they were frequently used as table supports. This broken Marsyas comes from just such a table.