Sarcophagus, 3rd century A.D., marble.
Bequest from the Preston Pope Satterwhite Collection
The inscription on this third century Roman sarcophagus
is Supported by two large winged cherubs or amoretti.
The engraving tells us that the deceased was Gaius Julius
Tiberius, a soldier who died in service in Britain,
and that his wife Calpurnia commissioned the memorial.
The amoretti are framed by two groups representing the
famed lovers Cupid and Psyche, which can be presumed
to symbolize the love Calpurnia had for her late husband.
Along the bottom front of the sarcophagus several mythical
figures are carved. On the left is Oceanus, the ruler
of the sea that was believed to encircle the earth.
A ketos, or sea-monster, appears at his feet, while
an amoretto frolics on his lap. On the right in a reflected
pose is Tellus, the female personification of the earth.
A bull sits at her feet and she holds another amoretto
in her arms. Originally she would have also held a cornucopia.
These figures are perhaps a reminder of the common themes
of renewal, growth and good fortune in Roman funerary