Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition

Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
The Extraordinary Finds at the Necropolis of En Chaplix
statues indicate that this Silenus was depicted in a resting pose with legs crossed and
his head turned to the right. He wears a crown of ivy leaves and flowers. Like in the case
of the Satyr carrying the Child Bacchus, the movement of the Silenus’ head and the
rapturous expression in his face point to an Hellenistic model (3rd – 2nd centuries BC). The
Silenus statue, which stood in the funerary garden of a necropolis, symbolises carefree
life after death.
Fragment of limestone statue, belonging to the northern En Chaplix monument. Around
AD 30.
11. Nereid Bust
The Nereids are sea deities, daughters of Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. Of this group
only the bust of the Nereid from the upper block and a fragment of Triton’s fish tail
belonging to the lower part are preserved. Regarding the model and the symbolic
meaning, please refer to the group on the right (no. 12), which is better preserved.
Limestone. Group situated in the upper left-hand corner of the façade of the northern En
Chaplix monument. Around AD 30.
12. Triton Seizing a Nereid (1)
Tritons are sea deities. Their upper bodies have human form while they are fish-shaped
from the stomach down. They belong to the retinue of Neptune, the God of the Sea. In
this case, a Triton is using both his hands to pin down a terrified Nereid on his fish tail. Her
coat is billowing in the wind.
Models for the Triton and Nereid group can be found in the Hellenistic period
(3rd – 2nd centuries BC). The motif is often used for funerary decorations, in particular on
sarcophagi. The sea creature theme symbolises blissful and carefree life after death.
Made of limestone, this group was placed in the upper right-hand corner of the façade of
the northern En Chaplix monument. Around AD 30.
The Southern Monument
The second monument was modelled on the same pattern as the first. Built on more
stable ground it did not require the use of piles, so this monument cannot be dated
as precisely as the first one.
The very similar decoration is better preserved. In the upper part of the base,
the Nereids are carried by griffins instead of Tritons. On the pedestal, two so-called
”dancing“ Attis statues, followed by a clipeus (circular decorative motif), may have
once framed the lost inscription.
A man wearing a toga, flanked by a second man and a woman was depicted in
the middle of the square column-framed aedicule. The pointed, square shaped roof
ended in a pinecone symbolising immortality.
13. Male Portrait (2)
The preserved fragments allow for the restitution of the statue as depicting one of
the deceased, represented as a Roman citizen wearing a toga and holding a scroll
(volumen); at his feet lies a box (scrinium) containing other scrolls. Holes in his forehead
indicate that he wore a metal crown, which, however, was lost. The hairstyle with curls is
inspired by representations of emperor Tiberius (AD 14 – 37). The realistic features of his
face correspond to the concept of expressive art prevailing at the end of the Republic
(1st century BC). This very carefully executed effigy is one of only a small number of
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Ground Floor