CIRCA 1ST CENTURY B.C. - 1ST CENTURY A.D.

The goddess is depicted here draped in a short diaphonous chiton tied under the breasts, a quiver strap passing across her breasts from her left shoulder, with the upper part of a collared hound nestling by her right knee. In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and nature, often associated with wild animals and woodland. She was the daughter of Jupiter and the twin sister of Apollo and was revered not only as a huntress but also as a protector of women, particularly in childbirth. Her attributes included the bow and arrow, her hunting dogs or a deer, as symbols of her hunting prowess, and the crescent moon, highlighting her lunar connection. As a virgin goddess, she was also associated with chastity and was often depicted as a youthful, athletic figure, embodying independence and strength.

For similar, cf. J. Reader, Die antiken Skulpturen in Petworth House, Mainz am Rhein, 2000, pp. 93-95, pl. 40,1-2, no. 24; Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, II, Zurich and Munich, 1984, nos. 268, 277 and 361; and R. Schindler, Landesmuseum Trier: Führer durch die vorgeschichtliche und römische Abteilung, Trier, 1970, pl. 103.