Danubian Marble Stele with Dioscuri and Helen of Troy

c.2nd-3rd century AD. A carved Roman marble stele section showing a mounted rider (Dioscuri) advancing left towards the figure of Helen of Troy, in the upper register, the sun and the moon, behind the cavalryman a woman holding a crown upon his head. See Tudor, D., Corpus Monumentorum Religionis Equitum Danu Vinorum (CMRED), II. The analysis and interpretation of the monuments,Leiden-Brill, 1976, for discussion and iconography. 1.3 kg, 14cm (5 1/2"). From the private French collection of A. Garcia; 1990s-2000. The fragment was once part of a Danubian stele representing the image of a radiate Sol Invictus and of the moon (Luna), at the centre a single or two Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) on horseback, riding towards their divine sister Helen of Troy. The image of Sol Invictus assumes a great importance in the Danubian cult: the frequent representation of the celestial gods on the plaques is paralleled by their representation on monuments of other mystery cults, particularly the cult of Mithras. The image of a Dioscurus on horseback is linked to that of the Danubian rider.
Condition Report: Fair condition.