Rick Casey
Panel of Tellus
Detail of the external east wall of Ara Pacis. On the east side of the enclosure, to the left is a panel depicting Tellus, Mother Earth. The goddess sits on a rock, dressed in a light chiton. Her veiled head supports a crown of fruit and flowers, at her feet are an ox and a sheep. Two putti hover at the goddess' side; her gaze is turned towards one of them, holding out an apple. In her lap, a cluster of grapes and pomegranates finishes off the portrait of a fertility goddess, responsible for the flourishing of men, animals and plants. At the sides of the panel two young women are depicted, the sail-making winds, one sitting on a sea dragon, the other on a swan, symbols of the gentle winds of the sea and earth respectively.
Panel of Tellus
Detail of the external east wall of Ara Pacis. On the east side of the enclosure, to the left is a panel depicting Tellus, Mother Earth. The goddess sits on a rock, dressed in a light chiton. Her veiled head supports a crown of fruit and flowers, at her feet are an ox and a sheep. Two putti hover at the goddess' side; her gaze is turned towards one of them, holding out an apple. In her lap, a cluster of grapes and pomegranates finishes off the portrait of a fertility goddess, responsible for the flourishing of men, animals and plants. At the sides of the panel two young women are depicted, the sail-making winds, one sitting on a sea dragon, the other on a swan, symbols of the gentle winds of the sea and earth respectively.