Asiatic Sarcophagus (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
The figures on this sarcophagus are all erotes, winged boys who take their name from the god Eros. In the center of one long side and on a short side a drunken Eros collapses into the arms of a companion, a common way of showing Dionysos, the god of wine. On the second short side, two erotes wrestle while a third holds a palm branch for the victor.
The significance in antiquity of the scenes on this sarcophagus may have varied from viewer to viewer. Some may have seen in Dionysiac celebration the promise of a blissful afterlife, while others may have been reminded of feasts held at tombs or imagery that adorned many homes and public spaces.
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