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