If you visit the museum for the first time, you will be surprised by the pyramid-shaped entrance. Use the time you lose to pass the bomb check and buy a ticket to look at it, because it is a monument of the first order.
I already mentioned the Egyptian department, where you can easily spend a full day. There are portraits of the Egyptian kings and objects from daily life, and what is even better: the full history is dealth with, so you will also find objects from the first millennium BCE. The Greek, Roman, and Coptic age are not ignored either, although you need to go to Greek department for the royal portraits of the Ptolemies.
The Egyptian department is deservedly famous, and attracts many visitors, who are usually exhausted when they are half-way their tour. Usually, they will take the shortest route to the exit, which brings them through the departments of Cypriote, Arab, Palmyrene, and Phoenician art – which are, as a consequence, full of people who are not interested in the objects. That is a pity, because these rooms alone justify a trip to Paris. Still, if you manage to ignore the crowd of tired visitors to the Egyptian department, you will certainly enjoy coffins from Sidon, Byblos, and Carthage, Nabataean inscriptions, and statues from Cyprus. One of my favorites is a relief of one of the divine triad of Palmyra. You will need half a day to study it well.
Next to it is the Oriental department. The most famous object is, of course, the Code of Hammurabi. Don’t concentrate on the diorite monolith only, but also look in the small display in the same room, because there you will see cuneiform tablets with the same text – one of them written more than a millennium later and proving that these laws had become some kind of Mesopotamian classic, and it is probably no coincidence that the division of these Old Babylonian laws returns in the Ten Commandments.
The Roman department is surprisingly small. Yet, there is a lot of fine sculpture, including a nice series of portraits of Roman rulers. Next to it is a comparatively small Etruscan department. A gallery of rather mediocre statues brings you to the room devoted to Roman art that was later restored, which is great fun: usually, you can immediately see which part is ancient and which is an addition. (Here, you will also find Canova’s famous Amor and Psyche.) You need about half a day to see it all, read the explanatory signs, and take your photos.
The Greek department is larger – you again need a full day to study it all. The two most famous pieces are the expressive Nike of Samothrake and the famous Venus of Milo. The latter is more or less the museum’s raison d’être. Napoleon had looted the Italian museums, but after he had found his Waterloo, all those works of art had to be returned. In an age in which it was believed that inspiration by great art created great minds, and that Greek art was the most inspirational, the emptying of the Louvre was believed to be a national disaster, but fortunately, the Venus of Milo was found. Now, France could compete again with the British, who had the Elgin Marbles. That the armless deity was a Hellenistic and not a Classical statue, was ignored – the inscription which proves it, is now conveniently lost.
The crowds are very large, and you may count yourself lucky that I did not bring you to the paintings. This makes a visit to the Louvre a bit difficult, and you must prepare yourself well; fortunately, the museum’s website is excellent. Four days is the minimum for the ancient departments.
Finally, I must mention one little gem that is often ignored and where you can, consequently, quietly look at the objects: the room with metal objects. There is some fine silver work, but you will also see the helmet of a gladiator, a nice statuette of the Tyche of Antioch, the head of Demetrius Poliorcetes, a hoplite’s panoply, a curse tablet from the Crimea, Roman military diplomas, and so on.
But unfortunately, that’s the only part of the museum where you will not meet many other people. In fact, the museum is too big, and I think that it would be wiser to split it into smaller museums.
This museum was visited in 1984, 1989, 2008, 2010, 2020.
Susa, Inscription of Nicocles
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Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief: the bull-man
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Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of a musician
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Pupienus
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Keki, the courtier
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Relief of a Roman officer
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Lion
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Bishapur, Palace, Stucco apse
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Statuette of Bes, dedicated by Pakher, chancellor of king Psamtek I
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Mithridates V Euergetes
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Enkomi, Late Bronze pectoral with sphinxes
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Cyrene, Statue of Antinous
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Horus, Osiris, Isis
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Ugarit, Stele of the "smiting god"
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Amasis
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Assos, Temple of Athena, Relief of a symposium
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Susa, Statue of queen Napirasu, wife of Untaš-Napiriša
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Head of Croesus on a Greek vase
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Sippar, Contract from the reign of Xerxes about a canal
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Geta
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Eshnunna, Relief of Ištar
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Susa, Stela of Adda-hamiti-Inšušinak
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Lagash, Vulture Stele, Sumerian phalanx
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Utica, Oil lamp with a lion and a crocodile
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Messalina
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Senusret III
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Demetrius Poliorcetes
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Justinian I (Barberini Ivory)
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Susa, Letter from Artabanus II, requesting the appointment of one Hecataeus as treasurer
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Ugarit, Alphabet tablet
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Fausta
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Didia Clara
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Khorsabad, Relief of two courtiers
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Apollonia, Relief to commemorate the battle of Actium
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Cirta, Sanctuary of El-Hofra, Votive stela
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Caere, Sarcophagus of the Spouses
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Apries
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Utica, Funeral stela
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Cleopatra VII Philopator in Egyptian style
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Faustina II
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Egypt, Byzantine textile, Erotes picking grapes
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Berenice II
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Antiochus III the Great
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Osorkon I
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Assos, Temple of Athena, Relief of two bulls
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Ptolemy II Philadelphus
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Rome, S. Pietro, Sarcophagus with Christ as Lawgiver
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Wadi Miyah, Palmyrene triad: Aglibol (Moon), Ba'al Šamem (Lord of Heaven), and Malekbel (Sun)
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Boy with hoop and rooster
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Tayma, Dedication to Salm
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Sphinx of king Siamun
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Pompey the Great. Louvre, Paris (France)
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Susa, Apadana, Capital
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Susa, Treaty between Naram-Sin and Elam
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Pharsalus, Funerary stela with a relief of a flower offering
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Theodosius II
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Lion
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Marib, Dedication to Almaqah, detail
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Rhodes, Mycenaean jar with a bull (LH IIIa2)
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Portrait of a man, third quarter of the first century CE (the so-called "Vitellius")
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Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Goddess
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Ramesses IV
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Susa, Relief with the sacrifice of goat
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Soknopaiou Nesos, Stele of Isis, Horus, and Cleopatra VII Philopator
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Susa, Stone fish
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Furnos Minus, Christian funerary mosaic
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Susa, Funerary portrait
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Susa, Gold plate with royal warrior
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Demetrius I Poliorcetes
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Girsu, Tablet with a fragment of the Sumerian Creation Epic
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Tayma, Relief of a sacrifical meal; Assyrian influence
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Aelius Caesar
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Statues of Sekhmet
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Susa, Dedication to Inšušinak
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Smyrna, Honorific decree for an officer of VI Ferrata
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Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Old Persian)
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Fragment of the sarcophagus of Sety II
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Beirut, Tombstone of Valerius Rufus of VII Claudia
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Yemen, Relief of a bird eating grapes
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Arsinoe II
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Apollonia, Relief of two hoplites
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Delos, Portrait of Alexander the Great
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Nimrud, Relief of an Anatolian fort
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Mask of a Sumerian
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Fayyum, Coptic chalice
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Aššur, Annals of Tikulti-Ninurta II
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Palmyra, Tombstone of a priest
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Agrippa Postumus
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Choga Zanbil, Model
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Susa, Rim of a cup with the name of Xerxes
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Eretria, Two-headed phial
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Gladiator helmet
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The Azara herm
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Thelsae, Nabataean altar
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Ptolemy XI Alexander, gold sealing ring
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Rhodes, Dish with a sphinx
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Ptolemy XII Auletes
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Shabaqo
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Khorsabad, Foundation Tablet
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Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of a Dionysiac head
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Corinth, Hoplite battle (Tydeus painter)
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Susa, Hellenistic or Parthian figurine of a harpist
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Domitian
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Susa, Silver rhyton
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Sphinxes
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Antonia Minor
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Sardes, Temple of Artemis, Relief of the "Mistress of the animals". (The archer partly visible to the right must be Heracles.)
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Megara, Figurine of two hoplites
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Achmim, Funerary stela of Pamim
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Montuhotep II wearing the red deshret crown
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Cleopatra II or III as Isis
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Choga Zanbil, Ziggurat, Doorknobs (Paris)
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Olympia, Temple of Zeus, Model
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Byzantine, Dromedary-shaped lamp
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Thyatira, Relief of a gladiator (thraex)
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Upper part of the Codex of Hammurabi; taken from Babylon to Susa, it was excavated in what is now Iran.
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Sobekhotep IV
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Tepe Sialk, Sherd from the fourth millennium BCE
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief with inscription
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Tepe Sialk, Pot from the fourth millennium BCE, decorated with an ibex
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Lambaesis, Rules for the trumpetters of III Augusta
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Ptolemy IV Philopator
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Julia Mamaea
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Susa, Sasanian cup
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Tayma, Nabataean votive stela
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Athens, Black-figured dish with a Scythian archer
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Tayma, Taymanite inscription
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Tayma, Aramaic funerary inscription
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Merenptah
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Idalion, statue of Melqart
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The Albani Alexander
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Immortal, Counterweight of a spear
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Esarhaddon and his mother attend the restoration of Babylon
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Susa, Stela of Šutruru
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Nectanebo I, wearing the crown of Upper Egypt
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Cyprus, Bilingual Greek-Phoenician inscription
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Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib, king Sargon
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Heraclius and Khusrau
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Nectanebo I wearing the war crown
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Flowers
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Greek plate with a picture of the Chimaera. Louvre, Paris (France)
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Antiochus VI Dionysus
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Corbulo
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Salonina
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Dedication by Ilîmagud Mayfa
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Taharqo venerating the falcon-god Hemen
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Babylonian map of the western Zagros. A road, a mountain, and a river are indicated.
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Alexander, Statuette from Lower Egypt
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Julia Domna
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Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Babylonian)
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Byblos, Temple of Baalat, Figurine of a bull
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Ur, Foundation statuette of Amar-Sin
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Moabite warrior god
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Old Paphos, Epitaph of King Echetimus
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Valerian Jr
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Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Inscription
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Dibon, Mesha Stela
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Sippar, Victory stela of Naram-Sin
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Athens, Heliaia, Allotment plate
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Pyla, Temple of Apollo, Portrait of a man
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Ptolemy I Soter
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The Azara herm
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Bawit, Icon of Christ and St.Menas
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Yemen, Dromedary pendant
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Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus
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The Azara herm
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Herodes Atticus
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Tyre, Hellenistic building inscription from Al-Ma'shook
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Timna, Dedication by Rathad'il
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Marib, Dedication to Almaqah
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Agrippa
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Susa, Weight from Didyma
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Coptic jar with decoration of a woman with wild animals
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Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib, prince Sennacherib
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Persian nobleman; statue from Egypt
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Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib
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Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of man dressed as an ostrich
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Artemis and Apollo killing the Niobids
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Ptolemy IV Philopator or Ptolemy VI Philometor
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Statuette of a hippopotamus
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Figurine from Bactria
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An Egyptian poem about the battle of Kadesh
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Idalion, orientalizing gold dish
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Leo I
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Caere, Banditaccia necropolis, Wall painting of an archer
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Nimrud, Northwest Palace of Aššurnasirpal II, Foundation Inscription
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Madaba, Funeral inscription of Itaybel
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Hadrumetum, Sanctuary of Baal Hammon, Punic stela with three baetyls
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The Azara herm
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Sippar, Cylinder with a building inscription from the reign of Hammurabi
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Sobekhotep IV
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Khorsabad, Relief of rafts on a great river
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Seleucus I Nicator
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Psammetichus I
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Vase painting of an archaic Greek galley
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Alexandria, Tombstone of Longinus of II Traiana
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POWs being led away on an Akkadian victory stele
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Bowl from Tepe Hesar I
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Kition, Figurine of a woman
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Smyrna, Attalus II Philadelphus
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Nineveh, Palace of Aššurbanipal, Relief of Arbela
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Matidia
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The Azara herm
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Yemen, Woman's head
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Sarcophagus with the body of Hector
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Assos, Temple of Athena, relief, Triton
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King of the Eleventh/Twelfth Dynasty
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Cartouche of Osorkon I
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Alexandria Troas, Psyche on a dromedary
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Giza, Diner of Nefer
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Crassus
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Smyrna, Diadumenianus
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Khorsabad, Lamassu
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Byblos, Relief of a lion
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Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief
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Cherchell, Inscription of Micipsa
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Susa, Middle-Elamite model of a sun ritual
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Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Elamite)
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Kition, Egyptianizing capital
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Coptic tunic
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Charlemagne
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Achaemenid jar with representation of Bes
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Susa, Stone relief with a banquet scene
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Drawing of Amenhotep I
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Hermopolis, Portrait of a Cleopatra I, Cleopatra II, or Berenice III
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Beirut, Christian phylacterium, invoking the protection of several celestial beings to protect one Alexandra
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Corinth, Small painting of Poseidon
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Baalbek, Mosaic of the Birth of Paris
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Susa, Achaemenid administrative document
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Amulet of Darius
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Bawit, Coptic church, Model
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Nicomedia, Hellenistic Funerary relief
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Alexander IV
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Nineveh, Palace of Aššurbanipal, Sumerian-Akkadian Dictionary
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Bosra, Nabataean altar
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Socrates
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Statuette of a Libyan
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Gortyn, Inscription with laws
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Alexandria, Alexander the Great as City Founder
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Saqqara, Serapeum, Relief of Isis and Nectanebo II
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Khorsabad, Iron tool
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Aegis of Osorkon IV
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Arsinoe III
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Rhagae, Dancers on a piece of pottery
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Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief
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King Djedefra
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Hadrumetum, Sanctuary of Baal Hammon, Punic stela
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Utica, Oil lamp with a lion and a panther
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Susa, Middle-Elamite basrelief of warrior gods
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Uruk, Cuneiform tablet with first use of a zero
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief with inscription DSm
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Ptolemy X Alexander
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Susa, Neo-Elamite decoration (dragon)
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Bottle from Tepe Hesar level II
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Ajax and Cassandra.
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Susa, Battle axe
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Byblos, Temple of Baalat, Figurines
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Chalouf, Darius' DZb inscription
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Oea, Punic sphinx
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Rhodes, Mycenaean cup (LH IIIa2)
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Antioch, Judgment of Paris
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Ptolemy III Euergetes
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Khorsabad, Lion-taming spirit ("Gilgameš")
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Sallustia Orbiana
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Titus
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Alexander I Balas
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Saba, the Arab warrior Mushayqat Hamayat ibn Yusuf on a dromedary
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Lascuta, Imperator inscription
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Antinoopolis, Coptic textile, Nilotic scene (including nilometer)
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Ostracon with a Coptic Writing Exercise (Thebaid)
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Tombstone of Iglum, son of Sa'adillat
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Bawit, Portrait of a lady
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Rhodes, Head-shaped aryballos
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Senusret III
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Edessa, Mosaic of a lady
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Pittacus
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Nefertiti and Akhenaten
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Relief of a scribe
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Ugarit, Temple of Baal, Stele with the king of Ugarit in front of the god Baal Saphon
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Portrait of a Roman man (CE 070-100)
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Susa, The Awan King List
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Antinoopolis, Coptic textile, Praying man with candelaber and ankh
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Drawing of Ramesses VII
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Annius Verus
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Suovetaurilia
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Ladjvard, Sasanian king, perhaps Peroz
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Informal portrait of Sobekhotep IV
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The Tyche of Antioch (figurine)
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Livia (Paris)
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Mythological creatures
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Figurine of an Etruscan warrior
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Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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Statuette of Raherka, inspector of the scribes, and his wife Merseanch
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