DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32867#0317
SCULPTURE
285
wall of a building, possibly a tomb. The figure was carved in a large, shallow niche
with a segmental top adorned with architrave moldings of fourth-century profile.
The moldings are carried horizontally along on
either side of the curve to the caps of very flat
and plain pilasters about .60 nr. from the side
of thc niche. The sculpture is so badly wea-
thered that it is well-nigh impossible to deter-
mine what it represented. One can see only a
human figure mounted upon an animal which
would seem to be a horse; but the legs are
very short and the body is greatly attenuated.
The figure upon its back carries a long spear.
Whether it is male~or female, we cannot say.
A figure in some respects similar to this is to be seen on a coin of the Emperor Philip,
with an inscription which designates it as the goddess of Syria. It is mounted on a lion
ancl holds a long spear. Near the huge rock
upon which this relief is executed is the ruin
of a very ancient building with a lintel, in situ,
ornamented with two busts, and an owl sitting
upon the crescent. These are badly weathered.
WadI Marthun.
in many re-
spects similar
to the above,
was seen and
An interesting relief,
Relief at Wadi Marthun.
photographed by Dr. Littmann at Wadi Marthun.
In this case we have a deeper niche, of semicircular
form, but the sculpture is even more disfigured.
Again we find a mounted figure; again the animal
is long and low, but the head is unmistakably that
of a horse. On either side of the human figure are
what appear to be birds flying in air.
Apamea. Immediately to the south of the Djebel
Riha, anrong the ruins of Apamea, there are three
monuments of sculpture that may be mentioned in this
connection. One is the large slab of relief sculpture
referred to on page 57, which stands near the middle
of the grand colonnade. The relief represents a partly
Relief from grand colonnade at Apamea.
285
wall of a building, possibly a tomb. The figure was carved in a large, shallow niche
with a segmental top adorned with architrave moldings of fourth-century profile.
The moldings are carried horizontally along on
either side of the curve to the caps of very flat
and plain pilasters about .60 nr. from the side
of thc niche. The sculpture is so badly wea-
thered that it is well-nigh impossible to deter-
mine what it represented. One can see only a
human figure mounted upon an animal which
would seem to be a horse; but the legs are
very short and the body is greatly attenuated.
The figure upon its back carries a long spear.
Whether it is male~or female, we cannot say.
A figure in some respects similar to this is to be seen on a coin of the Emperor Philip,
with an inscription which designates it as the goddess of Syria. It is mounted on a lion
ancl holds a long spear. Near the huge rock
upon which this relief is executed is the ruin
of a very ancient building with a lintel, in situ,
ornamented with two busts, and an owl sitting
upon the crescent. These are badly weathered.
WadI Marthun.
in many re-
spects similar
to the above,
was seen and
An interesting relief,
Relief at Wadi Marthun.
photographed by Dr. Littmann at Wadi Marthun.
In this case we have a deeper niche, of semicircular
form, but the sculpture is even more disfigured.
Again we find a mounted figure; again the animal
is long and low, but the head is unmistakably that
of a horse. On either side of the human figure are
what appear to be birds flying in air.
Apamea. Immediately to the south of the Djebel
Riha, anrong the ruins of Apamea, there are three
monuments of sculpture that may be mentioned in this
connection. One is the large slab of relief sculpture
referred to on page 57, which stands near the middle
of the grand colonnade. The relief represents a partly
Relief from grand colonnade at Apamea.