FRAGMENT OF HIGH RELIEF. PHILOCTETE. The hero is shown seated on a rock, in hairless nudity. Around his neck around his neck, a draped cloak falling back over his back and the rock. This posture and the anatomy are unmistakably reminiscent of the various depictions- of Philoctetes during his forced stay in Lemnos. The hero, in possession of arrows and the bow of Heracles, took part in the Achaean expedition against the Trojans. he did not reach Troy with the other chiefs: during the stopover at Tenedo he was bitten on the foot by a snake. The wound soon became so infected that it gave off an unbearable stench, and Ulys- se made no effort to persuade the other chiefs to abandon the wounded man on Lemnos when fleet passed near that island. Philoctetes remained on this desert island for ten years, surviving by killing birds with the arrows of Heracles. During the tenth year of the Trojan War, the Achaeans Achaeans received a prophecy to the effect that they would never have conquered Troy if Neoptolemos and owner of Heracles' bow and arrow (i.e. Philoctetes) had not fought with them. with them. So Ulysses set off for the embassy in Lemnos, accompanied by Neoptolemos and Diomedes, and persuaded Philoctetes to join them by promising him the care of the sons of Asclepius, the doctors of the Greek ranks. of the Greek ranks. In this relief, Philoctetes is sitting on a rock with his left foot at rest. White marble. Size 35 x 34 cm Roman art, 2nd-3rd century A roman marble relief depicting Philoctetes. Ca. End of 2nd-3rd century A.D. Showing the myth of the archer Philoctetes during his forced stay in Lemnos. The hero, in possession of the arrows and the bow of Heracles, participated in the Achaean expedition against the Trojans; however he did not reach Troy with the other leaders: during the stopover in Tenedo he was bitten in the foot by a snake. The wound soon became so infected that it gave off an unbearable stench, and Ulysses made no effort to persuade the other leaders to abandon the wounded man to Lemnos as the fleet passed close to this island. Philoctetes remained for ten years on that then deserted island and survived there killing birds with the arrows of Heracles. During the tenth year of the Trojan War the Achaeans received a prophecy that they would never have conquered Troy if Neoptolemus and the owner of Heracles' bow and arrows (i.e., Philoctetes) had not fought with them. Ulysses therefore left for the embassy to Lemnos, accompanied by Neoptolemus and Diomedes, and convinced Philoctetes to join them by promising him the care of the sons of Asclepius, the doctors of the Greek ranks. In this relief Philoctetes is seated on a rock, and has his left foot at rest. Provenance Ward&Co NYC, 1993 The William F. Reilly Collection, Christie's NYC, 4 October 2009, lot 60