Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition

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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 1 2 15 Ground Floor
Ground Floor The Inscriptions portraits of a private person found to date in Switzerland. Limestone. Funerary statue situated left of the middle statue in the aedicule of the southern En Chaplix monument. Around AD 40. 14. Head of Attis Attis, the Phrygian god of vegetation and lover of Cybele, a goddess from Asia Minor, is represented here in a pensive and sad mood. His usual attributes are the Phrygian cap and Barbarian dress. In a funerary context he symbolises mourning caused by death and the anticipation of resurrection. This statue and its counterpart, of which only a few fragments were found, stood in the funerary garden. Limestone. Statue belonging to the southern En Chaplix monument. Around AD 40. 15. Dancing Attis and Edge of a Clipeus (1) The limestone block shows a relief depicting Attis as a dancer with his left arm in the air and his right arm posed on his hip. He is wearing a Phrygian cap and Barbarian dress consisting of a long-sleeved tunic held together by a double belt and trousers plus a coat. The inside of the clipeus (round decorative motif) on the adjacent block (not preserved) was decorated either with a floral motif or with a mask. The presence of such a motif and the image of the dancing Attis, which appeared from the 3rd century BC onwards, clearly show the influence from southern Gaul. The clipeus motifs are widespread along the River Rhone. While, on the other hand, representations of a dancing Attis are frequently found in Provence, they are not known in the provinces along the Rivers Rhine and Danube. In the Cybele cult Attis dies every winter to be reborn in spring and in the funerary context he is a symbol for death followed by resurrection. The reliefs with Attis and the clipeus were situated in the corners near the base, probably framing the lost inscription. Limestone. Relief from the lower corner of the podium of the southern En Chaplix monument. Around AD 40. 16. Nereid Riding on a Sea Griffin (2) A Nereid with her coat blowing in the wind is sitting on a bearded sea griffin and holding a shell in her hand. Nereids often ride on sea griffins with eagle or lion heads. The latter belong to the thiasus (retinue) of sea deities. Like in the case of the group of Triton and Nereids, models for Roman representations can be found in the Hellenistic period (3rd – 2nd centuries BC). These groups symbolise blissful life after death. Limestone. Group placed in the upper right-hand corner of the façade of the southern En Chaplix monument. Around AD 40. The Inscriptions Among other sources, written messages have always been the most important evidence on which to base our interpretation of the past. Today, several hundred thousand inscriptions from all provinces of the Roman Empire are known; they are preserved on various types of materials. The texts were carved in stone or put together as mosaics, engraved on metal objects, stamped or scratched onto pottery or tiles, written in ink on papyrus sheets or simply 1 2 16 Ground Floor
Page 1 and 2: Avenches - Roman Museum - Permanent
Page 3 and 4: Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 5 and 6: Ground Floor - Introduction Switzer
Page 7 and 8: Ground Floor - Introduction Chronol
Page 9 and 10: Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Popula
Page 15: Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Popula
Page 19 and 20: Ground Floor The Inscriptions The S
Page 21 and 22: Ground Floor Miscellaneous 31. Lime
Page 23 and 24: First Floor The Indigenous Populati
Page 25 and 26: First Floor Language and Writing No
Page 27 and 28: First Floor Weights and Measures Th
Page 29 and 30: First Floor Theatre, Games and Musi
Page 31 and 32: First Floor Trade and Money The Mon
Page 33 and 34: First Floor Trade and Money Money S
Page 35 and 36: First Floor Rome and Aventicum The
Page 37 and 38: First Floor Rome and Aventicum The
Page 39 and 40: First Floor Religion Roman Religion
Page 41 and 42: First Floor Religion Roman Religion
Page 43 and 44: First Floor Religion The Local Gods
Page 45 and 46: First Floor From Late Antiquity to
Page 47 and 48: Second Floor Clothes and Jewellery
Page 49 and 50: Second Floor Body and Health Care A
Page 51 and 52: Second Floor Textile Production 3.
Page 53 and 54: Second Floor Gardens There were var
Page 55 and 56: Second Floor Protective Gods of the
Page 57 and 58: Second Floor Kitchen and Tableware
Page 59 and 60: Second Floor Food The Table of the
Page 61: Second Floor Food Types of Tablewar

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