94 
THIRD GRJECO-ROMAN SALOON. 
The five succeeding sculptures represent mythic personages of 
Asiatic origin. 
On a bracket over the Actceon: Bust of Atys, in the cap commonly 
known as “ Phrygian.” Found in the Villa Palombara, at Home . 
Pt. 10. PI. iv. 
Group, of small-life-size, representing the rites of Mithras, the 
Persian deity of the Sun, whose worship was introduced into Rome 
after the conquest of the Cilician pirates by Pompey. A youthful priest 
of the god, wearing a Phrygian cap, or perhaps the cidaris, the candys 
(or Persian tunic), the chlamys, anaxyrides (or trowsers), and shoes, is 
immolating a bull, attacked at the same time by a dog, a serpent, and a 
scorpion, all probably astronomical symbols. Brought from Home 
by Charles Standish , Esq,, and purchased of him in 1826. 
Statue of a youth, small-life-size, attired as the preceding; it has 
been restored with the attributes of Paris, but is more probably a 
priest or attendant of Mithras. Found , with a similar figure now in 
the Vatican , in 1785, on the banks of the Tiber, five miles from the 
Porta Portese of Rome , and purchased in 1846. 
Small Mithraic group, of coarse material and execution : the subject 
treated as before, with the addition of two small attendant figures of 
priests, or genii, one with an inverted torch, the other holding up the 
bull’s tail, and beside the latter, the feet of a raven ; on the plinth in 
front, and on the-body of the bull behind, are dedicatory inscriptions 
to Mithras, from Alcimus, a farm-servant of T. Cl. Livianus. 
On the central bracket: Bust of a youth, of androgynous or femi¬ 
nine character, wearing a Phrygian cap, and a veil enveloping the 
chin and neck, probably Adonis, or Atys. Formerly in the Villa 
Montalto. 
Over the large Mithraic group: Small bas-relief, of coarse workman¬ 
ship, representing four men engaged in cooking, probably for a sacrifice. 
Over the small Mithraic group: Bas-relief, much restored, of in¬ 
ferior execution, and uncertain meaning and use; it represents, in 
three tiers, a Bacchic procession, Venus and Cupid with marine 
monsters, and a group of huntsmen returning from a boar-hunt. 
Formerly in the Villa Montalto. Pt. 2. PI. ix. 
Male bust, of heroic type, undraped, formerly described as Achilles. 
Bequeathed by R. P. Knight , Esq., 1824. 
Bust of an Homeric hero, sometimes called Diomede, looking up¬ 
wards, with an expression of pair . Found in Hadrian's Villa , 1771. 
Pt. 2. PL xxtii. 
Between these busts : Bas-relief representing the Apotheosis of 
Homer: the scene is Mount Parnassus, on the summit of which 
Jupiter (Zeus) is seated; below him appear the Muses; half way 
down is the Corycian Cave, with Apollo Musagetes, and the Pythoness, 
within; adjoining is an uncertain figure on a pedestal, in front of a 
tripod; at the foot of the mountain Homer sits enthroned, crowned 
by the World ( Oikoumene ), and receiving sacrifices and adoration 
from various allegorical personages, typical of his universal genius. 
The figures in the lowest range are all distinguished by their names 
inscribed in Greek below: while that of the artist, Archelaus, the son 
of Apollonius, of Priene, is placed beneath the figure of Jupiter, 
Found in the middle of the \lth century , at Frattocchi , the ancient 
