Abduction of Ganymede

Roman, the 2nd century CE, after a Greek original from the 2nd half of the 4th century BCE, made of marble, repurposed in the late-antique fountain set up in front of the Library of Celsus

This fragmented group depicts the abduction of Ganymede, the son of King Tros of Troy (or Dardanos). Clad only in a cloak (chlamys) slung over his shoulder, the handsome youth is kneeling on the rock, but Zeus in the shape of an eagle with outstretched wings and sharp talons bears down on him to whisk him up to Mount Olympus, leaving behind the boy's surprised dog. The tree trunk at the back once functioned as a support for the heavy marble group.

Image used in

• Ephesos-Museum