Monument of Orpheus

The Monument of Orpheus (Slovene: Orfejev spomenik) 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.^[1]

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. ^[2]

References

1. ^ Slovenia info
2. ^ Mladina

Coordinates: 46°25′12.33″N 15°52′13.37″E / 46.4200917°N 15.8703806°E / 46.4200917; 15.8703806