96 
ROOM III. 
Antiquities, 
mory of a person named Alexander, a native of 
Bithynia. This marble, brought from Smyrna, 
*was presented to the Museum, in 1772, by Mat¬ 
thew Duane, Esq, and Thomas Tyrwhitt, Esq, 
No. 21, A terminal head of Mercury. Pur¬ 
chased, in 1812, at the sale of Antiquities belong¬ 
ing to William Chinnery, Esq, Ft. 2. PI. xxi. 
No. 22. A statue of Venus. Ft. 2, PI. xxii. 
No. 23. A bas-reliefj representing the apo¬ 
theosis, or deification of Homer. The Father 
of Poetry is seated on a throne at the foot of 
Mount Parnassus, the residence of the Muses ; 
before the poet is a group of figures offering up 
sacrifices to him. Above are Apollo and the 
Nine Muses ; and on the summit of the moun¬ 
tain is Jupiter, who appears to be giving his 
sanction to the divine honours which are paid 
to Homer. This highly interesting bas-relief 
was found about the middle of the 17th century, 
at Frattochi, the ancient Bovillae, in the Appian 
road, ten miles from Rome. It was for many 
years in the Colonna Palace, at Rome, and was 
purchased for the British Museum in the year 
1819. 
Nos. 21*, 22*. Two feet covered with san¬ 
dals. They have belonged to the same statue, 
and are in beautiful preservation. 
No. 23*. A bas-relief, representing a comic 
and a tragic mask. 
No. 24*. Ditto, representing four Bacchic 
masks. Purchased in 1818. 
No. 25*. 
