Monument of Orpheus
Encyclopedia
The Monument of Orpheus is a Roman monument in Ptuj
, Slovenia
, a 5m high and 1.8m wide stele carved of white Pohorje
marble. It is located in Slovenski trg ("Slovene Square"), the town's central square, directly in front of city hall. The oldest public monument preserved in its original location in Slovenia, the monolith was originally a grave marker, erected in the 2nd century to honor the memory of Marcus Aurelus Vera, a mayor of Roman
Poetovio.
The central relief illustrates scenes from the myth of Orpheus
, who plays the lyre while mournnmg his lost love Eurydice. Other reliefs depict the Greek-Egyptian god Serapis
, who symbolizes the hope of resurrection. The corners each contain a prone lion gnawing on a ram's head. Beneath this, a relief in the tympanum depicts the Moon goddess Selene
, leaning over her dead lover Endymion
. All the reliefs and inscriptions are badly eroded. On 28. 2. 2008, the Slovene government declared the Monument of Orpheus a national cultural treasure.
Ptuj
Ptuj is a city and one of 11 urban municipalities in Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of the Lower Styria region. The municipality is now included in the Podravje statistical region...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, a 5m high and 1.8m wide stele carved of white Pohorje
Pohorje
Pohorje is a mountain range in northern Slovenia, near the towns of Dravograd and Maribor. Made of metamorphic rock, it is geologically part of the Central Eastern Alps, though due to its location south of the Drava River it is commonly regarded as a Southern Limestone Alps range.-Peaks:The most...
marble. It is located in Slovenski trg ("Slovene Square"), the town's central square, directly in front of city hall. The oldest public monument preserved in its original location in Slovenia, the monolith was originally a grave marker, erected in the 2nd century to honor the memory of Marcus Aurelus Vera, a mayor of Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
Poetovio.
The central relief illustrates scenes from the myth of Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
, who plays the lyre while mournnmg his lost love Eurydice. Other reliefs depict the Greek-Egyptian god Serapis
Serapis
Serapis or Sarapis is a Graeco-Egyptian name of God. Serapis was devised during the 3rd century BC on the orders of Ptolemy I of Egypt as a means to unify the Greeks and Egyptians in his realm. The god was depicted as Greek in appearance, but with Egyptian trappings, and combined iconography...
, who symbolizes the hope of resurrection. The corners each contain a prone lion gnawing on a ram's head. Beneath this, a relief in the tympanum depicts the Moon goddess Selene
Selene
In Greek mythology, Selene was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. In Roman mythology, the moon goddess is called Luna, Latin for "moon"....
, leaning over her dead lover Endymion
Endymion (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Endymion , was variously a handsome Aeolian shepherd or hunter or a king who ruled and was said to reside at Olympia in Elis, but he was also said to reside and was venerated on Mount Latmus in Caria, on the west coast of Asia Minor....
. All the reliefs and inscriptions are badly eroded. On 28. 2. 2008, the Slovene government declared the Monument of Orpheus a national cultural treasure.