Right corner of a marble sarcophagus with the myth of Apollo and the satyr Marsyas. Culture: Roman. Dimensions: Overall: 24 x 21 x 15in. (61 x 53.3 x 38.1cm). Date: ca. A.D. 210-230.
Part of scene showing the flaying of Marsyas.
Marsyas challenged Apollo to a musical contest, and he was flayed alive as punishment after losing. here, he is shown hanging from a pine tree, while a bearded Phrygian slave kneeling at his feet sharpens his knife. Behind Marsyas, another slave tightens the ropes that bind him to the tree. The group showing the flaying is copied from a sculptural group created in the Hellenistic period.