The three reliefs which follow, two venatio compositions and an enigmatic cult scene, were found together, by chance, in a vegetable garden, ca. 145 m. W of PBr and ca. 130 m. E of the mausoleum of Claudia Antonia Sabina (No. 32.1 on Fig. 1; the findspot is ca. W430/S25) in the spring of 1975. Similarity of size, material, and style suggest that they came from the same monument. The surface accretions are the same, indicating that they were buried at the same time and place. According to the owner of the land they were lying side by side when found. Fallen debris was observed but no walls, thus there is no known evidence for the monument which they adorned. The subject is appropriate to the decoration of an amphitheater, but the small scale (W. 1 m. ±) accords more with that of an honorary or funerary monument, and the immediate area along the highway was occupied by tombs. The late style and crudeness of execution preclude association with the mausoleum of Claudia Antonia Sabina; they must have come from some later tomb or honorary monument. The figures resemble those on the arch of Constantine and the compositional organization in registers, with no background or ground lines, suggests a date of mid-3rd or early 4th C. A.D. The discussion of these three reliefs had been greatly helped by a special study by J.A. Scott. A detailed publication will be produced by the staff of the Archaeological Museum, Manisa. We wish to thank the Director, Kubilay Nayır, for his cooperation in making the reliefs available for study for this volume.

For monuments with venatio reliefs commemorating the services of Asiarchs and other persons who had paid for the games see Sardis VII, no. 162; for use on funerary vs. honorary monuments, cf. Robert, Gladiateurs, 42-43. For a funerary altar with animals in registers on either side, idem, Robert, Monuments gladiateurs, 126ff., no. 321, pl. XVI:2-4. For the mausoleum of Claudia Antonia Sabina, cf. Sardis V, 4-5, figs. 1-2 and Cat. 243 (Fig. 422).

The top has a pinhole on the l. and a somewhat obliquely placed large rectangular clamp cutting in the center. The underside shows no cuttings or hole and is rough-chiseled. The r. side is carefully finished with a fine claw tool. The l. side is more roughly cut but with anathyrosis and probably joined stone parts on both sides and was held in place only from above.

The front has a band at the top projecting 0.02 m. (H. ca. 0.09; L. 0.79). It has a clamp cutting (L. 0.04; D. 0.02) 0.15 m. from the l. edge. The figure scene consists of three hunters on foot coming from the r. and four animal groups. The composition is arranged in two registers which are not defined by ground lines, and the two overlap each other giving the effect of random placement. In the upper r. corner remain the legs of a figure in a short tunic. Part of his l. hand is visible; he may have been holding an object with both hands. Below are two men. The one on the l. lunges toward a fallen boar; on the basis of other scenes, one would expect him to finish off the boar with a spear, but none is visible. He is seen from the back; his spine and shoulder blade are indicated. He wears the subligaculum and a thick belt. A parma protects his l. arm. His head is bare and his hair full and rather long. His r. leg overlaps that of a second man on the extreme r. He carries a net over his l. shoulder and appears to wear the bowl-shaped cap of the venator.

The animals encounter each other in three groups. Upper r.: a bull galloping to l., head facing front, is attacked by a jumping doubled-up animal, probably a dog rather than a bear. Upper l.: a humped bull, galloping to r., head facing front is attacked by a squat animal on its hind legs, probably a bear. His teeth and three claws are visible. Lower. r.: a rampant, facing bull (stance is like the “Farnese bull”) gallops over an animal fallen on its back, which seems to have the bristly head and spine of a boar. Lower l.: a large animal (bear?) with a triangular head, seen in quarter view, jumps on top of an animal, which may be a hound with a collar and pointed ears, or a boar. The latter has his back hidden, but he has a definite snout, ruff-like hair around his neck, and appears to have hoofs rather than claws. Next, to the r., a short animal with neck and head turned angularly down, might be intended as a lion or a boar (?). The “collar” or hair around his neck is very clearly rendered.

As Aymard has pointed out, amphitheater scenes are hard to distinguish from those of real hunts. The upper r. figure, who may be the keeper that has released the beasts and is spurring them to fight each other, speaks for a staged hunt in an amphitheater. That the animals are attacking each other also indicates a venatio scene.

Grayish white marble with large crystals, covered by iron containing siliceous accretion, not yielding to dilute acids (according to P. A. Lins). Probably local.

Part of face cleaved away at upper r. corner. The oblong rectangular slab is rough-trimmed on the back; some small recent chipping at edges.