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.
 King Djedefra
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 Figurine of an Etruscan warrior
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 Alexander I Balas
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 Apollonia, Relief to commemorate the battle of Actium
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 Lambaesis, Rules for the trumpetters of III Augusta
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 Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief
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 Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief
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 Suovetaurilia
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 Demetrius I Poliorcetes
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 Gortyn, Inscription with laws
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 Tayma, Nabataean votive stela
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Sphinxes
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 Leo I
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 Aššur, Annals of Tikulti-Ninurta II
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 Khorsabad, Iron tool
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 Susa, Stela of Šutruru
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 Tayma, Relief of a sacrifical meal; Assyrian influence
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Immortal, Counterweight of a spear
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 Eshnunna, Relief of Ištar
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 Antiochus VI Dionysus
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 Heraclius and Khusrau
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 Thyatira, Relief of a gladiator (thraex)
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 Enkomi, Late Bronze pectoral with sphinxes
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 Pharsalus, Funerary stela with a relief of a flower offering
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 Rhodes, Head-shaped aryballos
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 The Azara herm
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 Nicomedia, Hellenistic Funerary relief
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 Sippar, Cylinder with a building inscription from the reign of Hammurabi
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 Yemen, Relief of a bird eating grapes
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 Athens, Black-figured dish with a Scythian archer
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 Ajax and Cassandra.
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 Cleopatra VII Philopator in Egyptian style
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 Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Babylonian)
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 Susa, Rim of a cup with the name of Xerxes
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 Relief of a scribe
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 Susa, Hellenistic or Parthian figurine of a harpist
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 Horus, Osiris, Isis
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 Herodes Atticus
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 Statues of Sekhmet
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 Timna, Dedication by Rathad'il
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 Susa, Achaemenid administrative document
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 Statuette of Bes, dedicated by Pakher, chancellor of king Psamtek I
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 Hermopolis, Portrait of a Cleopatra I, Cleopatra II, or Berenice III
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 Antinoopolis, Coptic textile, Praying man with candelaber and ankh
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 Susa, Weight from Didyma
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 Hadrumetum, Sanctuary of Baal Hammon, Punic stela with three baetyls
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 Taharqo venerating the falcon-god Hemen
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 Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of a musician
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 Baalbek, Mosaic of the Birth of Paris
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 Crassus
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 Nimrud, Northwest Palace of Aššurnasirpal II, Foundation Inscription
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 Relief of a Roman officer
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 Moabite warrior god
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 Matidia
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 Ugarit, Alphabet tablet
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 The Azara herm
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 Justinian I (Barberini Ivory)
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 Utica, Funeral stela
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 Susa, Stone relief with a banquet scene
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 Nefertiti and Akhenaten
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 Tepe Sialk, Sherd from the fourth millennium BCE
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 Faustina II
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 Beirut, Christian phylacterium, invoking the protection of several celestial beings to protect one Alexandra
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 Susa, Relief with the sacrifice of goat
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 Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Inscription
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 Geta
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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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 Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib, king Sargon
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 Khorsabad, Foundation Tablet
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 Susa, Stela of Adda-hamiti-Inšušinak
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 Saba, the Arab warrior Mushayqat Hamayat ibn Yusuf on a dromedary
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 Artemis and Apollo killing the Niobids
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 Athens, Heliaia, Allotment plate
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 Antiochus III the Great
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 Nimrud, Relief of an Anatolian fort
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 Arsinoe III
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 Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of man dressed as an ostrich
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Mythological creatures
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 Ptolemy II Philadelphus
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 Susa, Dedication to Inšušinak
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 Lagash, Vulture Stele, Sumerian phalanx
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 Bishapur, Palace, Stucco apse
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 Osorkon I
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 Cirta, Sanctuary of El-Hofra, Votive stela
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 Statuette of a Libyan
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 Smyrna, Attalus II Philadelphus
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 Susa, Apadana, Capital
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 Ugarit, Stele of the "smiting god"
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 Pompey the Great. Louvre, Paris (France)
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 Amasis
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 Head of Croesus on a Greek vase
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 Mithridates V Euergetes
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 Rome, S. Pietro, Sarcophagus with Christ as Lawgiver
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 Susa, Silver rhyton
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 Girsu, Tablet with a fragment of the Sumerian Creation Epic
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 Oea, Punic sphinx
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 Antinoopolis, Coptic textile, Nilotic scene (including nilometer)
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 Drawing of Ramesses VII
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 Delos, Portrait of Alexander the Great
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 The Albani Alexander
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 Susa, Gold plate with royal warrior
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 An Egyptian poem about the battle of Kadesh
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 Choga Zanbil, Ziggurat, Doorknobs (Paris)
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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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 Furnos Minus, Christian funerary mosaic
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 Amulet of Darius
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 Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of a Dionysiac head
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 Edessa, Mosaic of a lady
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 Corbulo
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 Agrippa Postumus
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 Persian nobleman; statue from Egypt
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 The Tyche of Antioch (figurine)
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 Idalion, orientalizing gold dish
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 Keki, the courtier
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 Arsinoe II
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 Ladjvard, Sasanian king, perhaps Peroz
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 Antonia Minor
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 Drawing of Amenhotep I
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 Madaba, Funeral inscription of Itaybel
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 Ostracon with a Coptic Writing Exercise (Thebaid)
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 Chalouf, Darius' DZb inscription
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 Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief: the bull-man
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 Susa, Battle axe
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 Saqqara, Serapeum, Relief of Isis and Nectanebo II
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 Dedication by Ilîmagud Mayfa
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 Byzantine, Dromedary-shaped lamp
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 Shabaqo
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 Alexandria, Tombstone of Longinus of II Traiana
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 Yemen, Woman's head
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 Susa, Middle-Elamite model of a sun ritual
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 Palmyra, Tombstone of a priest
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 Seleucus I Nicator
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 Annius Verus
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 Coptic jar with decoration of a woman with wild animals
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 Sallustia Orbiana
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 Theodosius II
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 Statuette of Raherka, inspector of the scribes, and his wife Merseanch
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 Senusret III
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 Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib
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 Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Elamite)
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 Beirut, Tombstone of Valerius Rufus of VII Claudia
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 Lascuta, Imperator inscription
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 Messalina
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 Aegis of Osorkon IV
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 Fayyum, Coptic chalice
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 Pupienus
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 Bawit, Icon of Christ and St.Menas
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 Sippar, Contract from the reign of Xerxes about a canal
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 Giza, Diner of Nefer
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 Assos, Temple of Athena, Relief of two bulls
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 Rhodes, Mycenaean jar with a bull (LH IIIa2)
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 Uruk, Cuneiform tablet with first use of a zero
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 Bosra, Nabataean altar
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 Ptolemy IV Philopator
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 Ptolemy XII Auletes
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 Cyrene, Statue of Antinous
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 Nineveh, Palace of Aššurbanipal, Sumerian-Akkadian Dictionary
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Lion
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 Julia Domna
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 Julia Mamaea
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 Aelius Caesar
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 Rhodes, Mycenaean cup (LH IIIa2)
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 Tombstone of Iglum, son of Sa'adillat
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 Tepe Sialk, Pot from the fourth millennium BCE, decorated with an ibex
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 Megara, Figurine of two hoplites
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 Coptic tunic
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 Agrippa
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 Valerian Jr
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 Sarcophagus with the body of Hector
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 Socrates
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 Didia Clara
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 Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib, prince Sennacherib
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 Idalion, statue of Melqart
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 Wadi Miyah, Palmyrene triad: Aglibol (Moon), Ba'al Šamem (Lord of Heaven), and Malekbel (Sun)
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 Tyre, Hellenistic building inscription from Al-Ma'shook
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 Salonina
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 Bawit, Portrait of a lady
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 Gladiator helmet
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 Nectanebo I wearing the war crown
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 Khorsabad, Relief of rafts on a great river
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 Figurine from Bactria
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 Sobekhotep IV
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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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 Ur, Foundation statuette of Amar-Sin
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 Old Paphos, Epitaph of King Echetimus
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 Nineveh, Palace of Aššurbanipal, Relief of Arbela
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 Smyrna, Diadumenianus
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 Berenice II
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 Apries
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 Montuhotep II wearing the red deshret crown
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 Choga Zanbil, Model
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 Kition, Figurine of a woman
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 Achaemenid jar with representation of Bes
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 Ptolemy XI Alexander, gold sealing ring
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 Ptolemy X Alexander
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 Soknopaiou Nesos, Stele of Isis, Horus, and Cleopatra VII Philopator
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 Caere, Sarcophagus of the Spouses
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 Babylonian map of the western Zagros. A road, a mountain, and a river are indicated.
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 Kition, Egyptianizing capital
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 Byblos, Temple of Baalat, Figurines
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 Olympia, Temple of Zeus, Model
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 Susa, Inscription of Nicocles
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 Cleopatra II or III as Isis
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 Rhagae, Dancers on a piece of pottery
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 Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Goddess
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 Boy with hoop and rooster
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 The Azara herm
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 Byblos, Temple of Baalat, Figurine of a bull
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 Susa, Neo-Elamite decoration (dragon)
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 Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus
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 Alexandria, Alexander the Great as City Founder
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 Corinth, Small painting of Poseidon
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 Marib, Dedication to Almaqah, detail
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 Pyla, Temple of Apollo, Portrait of a man
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Old Persian)
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 Portrait of a man, third quarter of the first century CE (the so-called "Vitellius")
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 Khorsabad, Relief of two courtiers
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 Cartouche of Osorkon I
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 Alexander, Statuette from Lower Egypt
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 Cyprus, Bilingual Greek-Phoenician inscription
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief
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 Titus
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 Dibon, Mesha Stela
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 Statuette of a hippopotamus
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 Portrait of a Roman man (CE 070-100)
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 Sobekhotep IV
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 Charlemagne
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 Senusret III
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 Ptolemy I Soter
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 Pittacus
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 The Azara herm
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 Caere, Banditaccia necropolis, Wall painting of an archer
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 Mask of a Sumerian
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 Fragment of the sarcophagus of Sety II
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 Bottle from Tepe Hesar level II
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 Susa, Statue of queen Napirasu, wife of Untaš-Napiriša
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 POWs being led away on an Akkadian victory stele
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 Susa, Letter from Artabanus II, requesting the appointment of one Hecataeus as treasurer
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 Egypt, Byzantine textile, Erotes picking grapes
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 Susa, Middle-Elamite basrelief of warrior gods
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 Esarhaddon and his mother attend the restoration of Babylon
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 Sippar, Victory stela of Naram-Sin
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 Susa, Stone fish
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 Byblos, Relief of a lion
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 Demetrius Poliorcetes
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 Khorsabad, Lamassu
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 Tayma, Aramaic funerary inscription
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 Marib, Dedication to Almaqah
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 Vase painting of an archaic Greek galley
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 Susa, The Awan King List
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 Achmim, Funerary stela of Pamim
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 Nectanebo I, wearing the crown of Upper Egypt
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 Assos, Temple of Athena, relief, Triton
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 Susa, Treaty between Naram-Sin and Elam
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 Ptolemy III Euergetes
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 Utica, Oil lamp with a lion and a crocodile
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 Greek plate with a picture of the Chimaera. Louvre, Paris (France)
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 Smyrna, Honorific decree for an officer of VI Ferrata
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 Susa, Sasanian cup
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 Psammetichus I
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 Eretria, Two-headed phial
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 Khorsabad, Lion-taming spirit ("Gilgameš")
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 Cherchell, Inscription of Micipsa
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 Yemen, Dromedary pendant
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 Assos, Temple of Athena, Relief of a symposium
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 King of the Eleventh/Twelfth Dynasty
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 Apollonia, Relief of two hoplites
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 Merenptah
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 Ramesses IV
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 The Azara herm
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 Alexandria Troas, Psyche on a dromedary
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 Thelsae, Nabataean altar
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 Tayma, Dedication to Salm
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 Sphinx of king Siamun
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 Fausta
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 Hadrumetum, Sanctuary of Baal Hammon, Punic stela
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Lion
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief with inscription
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 Alexander IV
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 Rhodes, Dish with a sphinx
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 Informal portrait of Sobekhotep IV
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 Corinth, Hoplite battle (Tydeus painter)
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 Livia (Paris)
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 Ptolemy IV Philopator or Ptolemy VI Philometor
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 Utica, Oil lamp with a lion and a panther
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Flowers
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 Bowl from Tepe Hesar I
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 Domitian
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 Susa, Funerary portrait
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 Bawit, Coptic church, Model
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 Tayma, Taymanite inscription
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 Antioch, Judgment of Paris
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 Susa, Soldiers' Relief with inscription DSm
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