Illustration
This magnificent glass cage cup is is decorated with scenes from the myth of Lycurgus, a king from Thrace. Lycurgus attacked Dionysos, the Greek god of wine, as well as the maenads (Dionysos' female followers) and Ambrosia the nymph. Ambrosia prayed for help to Mother Earth, who transformed her into a vine so that she could coil around the king. The cup shows Lycurgus trapped by the vine, while Dionysos, Pan, and a satyr (male follower of Dionysus) torment him for his evil behaviour. The cup was probably made in Alexandria or Rome in about 290-325 CE. Late Roman, 4th century CE. The British Museum, London. Formerly in the Collection of Rothschild; acquired by the British Museum in 1958.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Amin, O. S. M. (2016, April 01). The Lycurgus Cup. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/image/4842/
Chicago Style
Amin, Osama S. M. "The Lycurgus Cup." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 01, 2016. https://www.ancient.eu/image/4842/.
MLA Style
Amin, Osama S. M. "The Lycurgus Cup." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 01 Apr 2016. Web. 23 Aug 2019.