Nysa 9 - Roman Theater, Frieze E1 - Demeter Driving her Biga - Kore’s Return to Nysa
The scene takes the entire left panel of the frieze section E of the podium. Demeter, facing the viewer, stands on her two-wheeled wagon pulled by two snakes – today largely damaged - towards right. Her head is turned slightly to the left in the direction opposite to the chariot’s movement. She wears a chiton, which, according to the charioteer’s iconography, is held tight just below her chest by the broad belt of the wagons. The chariot’s velocity swells her cloak, loosely slung over her head. In each hand she held a torch, of which only poor traces are visible. In front of the Demeter’s chariot, above the dragging snakes, Eros flies in the same direction. Below, on the ground, a squat animal, probably a pig, Demeter’s attribute, crouches. In front of the chariots there is a female figure facing the viewer. She wears chiton and coat; her hands and face are lost. This character can’t by identified because the attribute that she held in her hands is lost.
Three characters are carved on the next panel. The female figures represent respectively Demeter and Kore. The daughter of Demeter emerges from a cornfield represented in low relief by a bank of soil and two rows of stalks sprouted from the ground. The male figure closing the trio is Hermes with petasos, mantle descending from his shoulder and wrapping his hips, and kerykeion.
Source: Ruth Lindner, “Mythis und Identität”
Theater stage frieze
2nd quarter 1st cent AD. - 200 AD.
Nysa, Caria, Turchey
Nysa 9 - Roman Theater, Frieze E1 - Demeter Driving her Biga - Kore’s Return to Nysa
The scene takes the entire left panel of the frieze section E of the podium. Demeter, facing the viewer, stands on her two-wheeled wagon pulled by two snakes – today largely damaged - towards right. Her head is turned slightly to the left in the direction opposite to the chariot’s movement. She wears a chiton, which, according to the charioteer’s iconography, is held tight just below her chest by the broad belt of the wagons. The chariot’s velocity swells her cloak, loosely slung over her head. In each hand she held a torch, of which only poor traces are visible. In front of the Demeter’s chariot, above the dragging snakes, Eros flies in the same direction. Below, on the ground, a squat animal, probably a pig, Demeter’s attribute, crouches. In front of the chariots there is a female figure facing the viewer. She wears chiton and coat; her hands and face are lost. This character can’t by identified because the attribute that she held in her hands is lost.
Three characters are carved on the next panel. The female figures represent respectively Demeter and Kore. The daughter of Demeter emerges from a cornfield represented in low relief by a bank of soil and two rows of stalks sprouted from the ground. The male figure closing the trio is Hermes with petasos, mantle descending from his shoulder and wrapping his hips, and kerykeion.
Source: Ruth Lindner, “Mythis und Identität”
Theater stage frieze
2nd quarter 1st cent AD. - 200 AD.
Nysa, Caria, Turchey