Editing British Museum (section)

===Department of Greece and Rome===
{{more citations needed|section|date=January 2019}}
[[File:Flickr - Nic's events - British Museum with Cory and Mary, 6 Sep 2007 - 167.jpg|thumb|Room 17 – Reconstruction of the [[Nereid Monument]], c. 390 BC]]
[[File:Elgin Marbles British Museum.jpg|thumb|Room 18 – [[Parthenon]] marbles from the [[Acropolis of Athens]], 447 BC]]
[[File:BM, GMR - RM21, Mausoleum of Halikarnassos.JPG|thumb|Room 21 – [[Mausoleum at Halicarnassus]], one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]], mid-4th century BC]]
The British Museum has one of the world's largest and most comprehensive collections of antiquities from the [[Classical antiquity|Classical world]], with over 100,000 objects.<ref name="GreeceRome">{{cite web |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/departments/greece_and_rome.aspx |title=Department of Greece and Rome |work=British Museum |access-date=20 May 2019 |archive-date=26 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326113025/https://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/departments/greece_and_rome.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> These mostly range in date from the beginning of the [[Bronze Age|Greek Bronze Age]] (about 3200 BC) to the establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire, with the [[Edict of Milan]] under the reign of the [[Roman emperor]] [[Constantine I]] in 313 AD. Archaeology was in its infancy during the nineteenth century and many pioneering individuals began excavating sites across the Classical world, chief among them for the museum were [[Charles Thomas Newton|Charles Newton]], [[John Turtle Wood]], [[Robert Murdoch Smith]] and [[Charles Fellows]].

The Greek objects originate from across the Ancient Greek world, from the mainland of Greece and the Aegean Islands, to neighbouring lands in Asia Minor and Egypt in the eastern Mediterranean and as far as the western lands of [[Magna Graecia]] that include Sicily and southern Italy. The [[Cyclades|Cycladic]], [[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] and [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] cultures are represented, and the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] collection includes important sculpture from the [[Parthenon]] in Athens, as well as elements of two of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]], the [[Mausoleum at Halicarnassus]] and the [[Temple of Artemis]] at [[Ephesus|Ephesos]].<ref name="GreeceRome" />

Beginning from the early [[Bronze Age]], the department also houses one of the widest-ranging collections of [[Ancient Italic peoples|Italic]] and [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] antiquities outside Italy, as well as extensive groups of material from [[Ancient history of Cyprus|Cyprus]] and non-Greek colonies in [[Lycia]] and [[Caria]] on Asia Minor. There is some material from the [[Roman Republic]], but the collection's strength is in its comprehensive array of objects from across the [[Roman Empire]], with the exception of Britain (which is the mainstay of the Department of Prehistory and Europe).

The collections of ancient jewellery and bronzes, [[Pottery of ancient Greece|Greek vases]] (many from graves in southern Italy that were once part of [[William Hamilton (diplomat)|Sir William Hamilton]]'s and [[Edmé-Antoine Durand|Chevalier Durand]]'s collections), [[Glass|Roman glass]] including the famous [[Cameo glass]] Portland Vase, Roman [[gold glass]] (the second largest collection after the [[Vatican Museums]]), [[Roman mosaic]]s from [[Carthage]] and [[Utica, Tunisia|Utica]] in North Africa that were excavated by [[Nathan Davis (traveller)|Nathan Davis]], and silver hoards from [[Roman Gaul]] (some of which were bequeathed by the philanthropist and museum trustee [[Richard Payne Knight]]), are particularly important. Cypriot antiquities are strong too and have benefited from the purchase of Sir [[Robert Hamilton Lang]]'s collection as well as the bequest of Emma Turner in 1892, which funded many excavations on the island. Roman sculptures (many of which are copies of Greek originals) are particularly well represented by the [[Charles Townley#Townley Collection|Townley collection]] as well as residual sculptures from the famous [[Farnese collection]].

Objects from the Department of Greece and Rome are located throughout the museum, although many of the [[architectural]] monuments are to be found on the ground floor, with connecting galleries from Gallery 5 to Gallery 23. On the upper floor, there are galleries devoted to smaller material from ancient Italy, Greece, Cyprus and the Roman Empire.

The current collection includes:

[[Temple of Hephaestus]]
* Marble [[coffer]] frame and coffer from the [[colonnade]], (449–415 BC)

[[Parthenon]]
* The [[Elgin Marbles|Parthenon Marbles (Elgin Marbles)]], (447–438 BC)
[[Propylaea (Acropolis of Athens)|Propylaea]] 
* Capital and column drum, (437–432 BC)

[[Erechtheion]]
* A surviving column and architectural fittings, (420–415 BC)
* One of six remaining [[Caryatid]]s, (415 BC)

Temple of [[Athena Nike]]
* Surviving [[frieze]] slabs and capital, (427–424 BC)

[[Choragic Monument of Thrasyllos]]
* Statue of Dionysos, (270 BC)

[[Tower of the Winds]]
* Marble [[Corinthian order|Corinthian]] capital, (50 BC)

[[Temple of Poseidon, Sounion|Temple of Poseidon]], Sounion
*Fluted column base, (444–440 BC)

Temple of [[Nemesis]], [[Rhamnous|Rhamnus]]
* Head from the statue of Nemesis, (430–420 BC)

Temple of [[Bassae]]
* Twenty-three surviving blocks of the [[Bassae Frieze|frieze]] from the interior of the temple, (420–400 BC)

[[Daphni Monastery|Sanctuary of Apollo]] at Daphni
* Fluted columns, column bases and ionic capitals (399–301 BC)

[[Temple of Athena Polias (Priene)|Temple of Athena Polias, Priene]]
* Sculptural [[coffer]]s from the temple ceiling (350–325 BC)
* Ionic capitals, architraves and [[Anta (architecture)|antae]] (350–325 BC)
* Marble torso of a [[chariot]]eer (320–300 BC)

[[Mausoleum at Halicarnassus]]
* Two colossal free-standing figures identified as Maussollos and his wife [[Artemisia II of Caria|Artemisia]], ({{Circa|350 BC}})
* Part of horse from the [[chariot]] group adorning the summit of the [[Mausoleum]], ({{Circa|350 BC}})
* The [[Amazonomachy]] frieze – A long section of relief frieze showing the battle between Greeks and [[Amazons]], ({{Circa|350 BC}})

[[Temple of Artemis in Ephesus]]
* One of the sculptured column bases, (340–320 BC)
* Part of the [[Ionic order|Ionic]] frieze situated above the colonnade, (330–300 BC)

[[Knidos]] in Asia Minor
* [[Demeter of Knidos]], (350 BC)
* [[Lion of Knidos]], (350–200 BC)

[[Xanthos]] in Asia Minor
* Lion Tomb, (550–500 BC)
* [[Harpy Tomb]], (480–470 BC)
* [[Nereid Monument]], partial reconstruction of a large and elaborate Lykian tomb, (390–380 BC)
* Tomb of Merehi, (390–350 BC)
* [[Tomb of Payava]], (375–350 BC)
* Bilingual Decree of [[Pixodaros]], (340 BC)

Temple of Zeus, [[Salamis, Cyprus|Salamis]] in Cyprus 
* Marble capital with [[caryatid]]&nbsp;figure standing between winged&nbsp;bulls, (300–250 BC)

'''Wider collection'''

'''Prehistoric Greece and Italy (3300 BC – 8th century BC)'''
* Over thirty [[Cycladic art|Cycladic figures]] from islands in the Aegean Sea, many collected by [[James Theodore Bent]], Greece (3300–2000 BC)
* A large [[Gaudo culture]] [[Askos (pottery vessel)|askos]] from [[Paestum]], southern Italy (2800–2400 BC)
* [[Kythnos]] Hoard of wood working metal tools from the island of [[Naxos]], Greece (2700–2200 BC)
* Two pottery [[kernos]] from [[Phylakopi]] in [[Melos]], Greece (2300–2000 BC)
* Material from the [[Knossos|Palace of Knossos]] including a huge pottery storage jar, some donated by Sir [[Arthur Evans]], Crete, Greece (1900–1100 BC)
* The Minoan gold treasure from [[Aegina Treasure|Aegina]], northern Aegean, Greece (1850–1550 BC)
* Artefacts from the [[Psychro Cave]] in Crete, including two serpentine libation tables (1700–1450 BC)
* Bronze [[Minoan Bull-leaper]] from Rethymnon, Crete (1600–1450 BC)
* Segments of the columns and architraves from the [[Treasury of Atreus]], Peloponnese, Greece (1350–1250 BC)
* Ivory game board found at [[Enkomi (archaeological site)|Enkomi]], Cyprus (12th century BC)
* [[Nuragic civilization|Nuragic]] hoard of bronze artefacts found at Santa Maria in Paulis, [[Cagliari]], Sardinia (1100–900 BC)
* [[Elgin Amphora]], highly decorated pottery vase attributed to the [[Dipylon Master]], Athens, Greece (8th century BC)
* Votive offerings from the [[Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia]] at Sparta (8th century BC)

'''Etruscan (8th century BC – 1st century BC)'''
* Gold jewellery and other rich artefacts from the Castellani and Galeassi Tombs in [[Palestrina]], central Italy (8th–6th centuries BC)
* Ornate gold [[Fibula (brooch)|fibula]] with granulated parade of animals from the Bernardini Tomb, [[Cerveteri]] (675–650 BC)
* Various objects including two small terracotta statues from the "Tomb of the five chairs" in Cerveteri (625–600 BC)
* [[Sant'Angelo Muxaro Patera|Gold libation bowl]] from Sant'Angelo Muxaro, Sicily (600 BC)
* Contents of the [[Isis Tomb, Vulci|Isis tomb]] and [[François Tomb]], Vulci (570–560 BC)
* Painted terracotta plaques (the so-called ''Boccanera Plaques'') from a tomb in [[Cerveteri]] (560–550 BC)
* Decorated silver panels from Castel San Marino, near [[Perugia]] (540–520 BC)
* Statuette of a bronze votive figure from Pizzidimonte, near [[Prato]], Italy (500–480 BC)
* Bronze helmet with inscription commemorating the [[Battle of Cumae]], [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]], Greece (480 BC)
* Bronze [[votive]] statuettes from the [[Lake of the Idols]], Monte Falterona (420–400 BC)
* Part of a [[symposium]] set of bronze vessels from the tomb of Larth Metie, [[Bolsena]], Italy (400–300 BC)
* Exquisite gold [[ear-ring]] with female head pendant, one of a pair from [[Perugia]] (300–200 BC)
* [[Oscan Tablet]], one of the most important inscriptions in the Oscan language (300–100 BC)
* Hoard of gold jewellery from [[Sant'Eufemia Lamezia]], southern Italy (340–330 BC)
* [[Latian]] bronze figure from the Sanctuary of Diana, [[Lake Nemi]], Latium (200–100 BC)
* [[Sarcophagus of Seianti Hanunia Tlesnasa]] from Chiusi (150–140 BC)

'''Ancient Greece (8th century BC – 4th century AD)'''
* Orientalising gold jewellery from the [[Camirus]] cemetery in Rhodes (700–600 BC)
* Foot from the colossal [[Kouros]] of Apollo, [[Delos]] (600–500 BC)
* Group of life-size [[Archaic Greece|archaic]] statues from the Sacred Way at [[Didyma]], western Turkey (600–580 BC)
* [[Armento Rider|Bronze statuette]] of a rider and horse from Armento, southern Italy (550 BC)
* Bronze head of an [[San Sosti Axe-Head|axe]] from [[San Sosti]], southern Italy (520 BC)
* Statue of a [[Kouros|nude standing youth]] from [[Marion, Cyprus]] (520–510 BC)
* Large terracotta sarcophagus and lid with painted scenes from [[Klazomenai]], western Turkey (510–480 BC)
* Two bronze tablets in the [[Locrian Greek]] dialect from [[Galaxidi]], central Greece (500–475 BC)
* Bronze [[Faulds (armour)|mitra]] inscribed on both sides in archaic [[Archaic Greek alphabets|Cretan script]] with the Spensithios Decree, [[Lyttos]]-Afrati region in Crete (c. 500 BC)<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1969-0402-1 British Museum collection]</ref>
* Fragments from a large bronze [[Equestrian statue|equestrian]] statue of the [[Taranto]] Rider, southern Italy (480–460 BC)
* [[Chatsworth Head|Chatsworth Apollo]] Head, Tamassos, Cyprus (460 BC)
* Statue of recumbent bull from the [[Kerameikos|Dipylon Cemetery]], Athens (4th century BC)
* Hoard of gold jewellery from [[Avola]], Sicily (370–300 BC)
* [[Priene inscription of Alexander the Great|Dedicatory inscription by Alexander the Great]] from Priene in Turkey (330 BC)
* Head from the colossal statue of the [[Asclepius of Milos]], Greece (325–300 BC)
* [[Braganza Brooch]], Ornamental gold fibula reflecting Celtic and Greek influences (3rd century BC)
* Hoard of silver [[patera]] from [[Èze]], southeastern France (3rd century BC)
* [[Petelia Gold Tablet|Gold tablet]] from an Orphic sanctuary in southern Italy (3rd–2nd centuries BC)
* Marble relief of the [[Apotheosis of Homer]] from [[Bovillae]], central Italy (221–205 BC)
* Bronze sculpture of a Greek poet known as the [[Arundel Head]], western Turkey (2nd–1st centuries BC)
* Remains of the [[Scylla]] monument at [[Bargylia]], south west Anatolia, Turkey (200–150 BC)
* [[Satala Aphrodite|Bronze head and hand]] of the statue of Aphrodite of Satala (1st century BC)
* [[Paramythia Hoard|Bronze statuettes]] from Paramythia (2nd century AD)
* Large statue of [[Europa (consort of Zeus)|Europa]] sitting on the back of a bull from the amphitheatre at [[Gortyna]], Crete (100 BC)

'''Ancient Rome (1st century BC – 4th century AD)'''
* Pair of engraved oval [[agate]] plaques depicting [[Livia]] as [[Diana (mythology)|Diana]] and [[Octavian]] as [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]] (Rome, 30–25 BC)
* [[Guildford Puteal]] from Corinth, Greece (30–10 BC)
* [[Meroë Head|Bronze head of Augustus]] from Meroë in Sudan (27–25 BC)
* Cameo glass [[Portland Vase]], the most famous glass vessel from ancient Rome (1–25 AD)
* Silver [[Warren Cup]] with homoerotic scenes, found near Jerusalem (5–15 AD)
* [[Mainz Gladius|Gladius of Mainz]] (or "Sword of Tiberius") and [[Blacas Cameo]], depicting Roman emperors in triumph (15 AD)
* [[Xanten Horse-Phalerae|Horse trappings]] in decorated silver-plated bronze from Xanten, Germany (1st century AD)
* Pair of carved fluorite cups known as the [[Barber Cup and Crawford Cup]] (100 AD)
* Athlete statue, "[[Vaison Diadumenos]]", from an ancient Roman city in southern France (118–138 AD)
* A hoard of silver votive plaques dedicated to the Roman God [[Jupiter Dolichenus]], discovered in [[Heddernheim]], near Frankfurt, Germany (1st–2nd centuries AD)
* [[Discobolus|Discus-thrower (Discobolos)]]<ref>Tony Kitto, "The celebrated connoisseur: Charles Townley, 1737–1805" ''Minerva Magazine'' May/June 2005, in connection with a British Museum exhibition celebrating the bicentennial of the Townley purchase. [http://www.burnley.gov.uk/towneley/whatson/charles_towneley/Townley_Marbles_v1.pdf Townley marbles] Burnley {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and [[Bronze Head of Hypnos from Civitella d'Arna]], Italy (1st–2nd centuries AD)
* Part of a large wooden wheel for draining a copper mine in [[Huelva]], southern Spain (1st–2nd centuries AD)
* Capitals from some of the [[pilasters]] of the [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]], Rome (126 AD)
* Colossal marble head of [[Faustina the Elder]], wife of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius from [[Sardis]], western Turkey (140 AD)
* Marble throne from the prohedria of the [[Panathenaic Stadium]], Athens (140–143 AD)
* Hoard of jewellery from a tomb in the vicinity of [[Miletopolis]], Turkey (175–180 AD)
* Inscribed marble base of the Roman Consul [[Tiberius Claudius Candidus]], unearthed in [[Tarragona]], Spain (195–199 AD)
* [[Jennings Dog]], a statue of a [[Molossian]] guard dog, central Italy (2nd century AD)
* Segment of a decorated marble [[balustrade]] from the [[Colosseum]], Rome, Italy (2nd century AD)
* [[Politarch]] inscription from the Vardar Gate, [[Thessaloniki]], Greece (2nd century AD)
* Two [[Roman cavalry]] bronze parade masks from [[Nola]], Italy and [[Gaziantep]], Turkey,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/search?keyword=Bronze&keyword=parade&keyword=mask |title=British Museum collection |work=The British Museum |access-date=16 January 2024 |archive-date=16 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116154851/https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/search?keyword=Bronze&keyword=parade&keyword=mask |url-status=live }}</ref> (2nd century AD)
* Bronze tablet dedicated to Sextus Pompeius Maximus from the [[Mithraeum]] at [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]], Italy (200 AD)<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1873-0820-260 British Museum collection]</ref>
* Various silver treasures found at [[Arcisate Treasure|Arcisate]], [[Beaurains Treasure|Beaurains]], [[Boscoreale Treasure|Boscoreale]], [[Bursa Treasure|Bursa]], [[Chaourse Treasure|Chaourse]], [[Caubiac Treasure|Caubiac]], [[Chatuzange Treasure|Chatuzange]], [[Conimbriga]], [[Mâcon Treasure|Mâcon]] and [[Revel-Tourdan]] (1st–3rd century AD)
* Votive statue of [[Apollo of Cyrene]], Libya (2nd century AD)
* [[Uerdingen Hoard]] found near Düsseldorf in Germany (2nd–3rd centuries AD)
The collection encompasses architectural, sculptural and epigraphic items from many other sites across the classical world including [[Amathus]], [[Atripalda]], [[Aphrodisias]], [[Delos]], [[Iasos]], [[Idalion]], [[Lindus]], [[Kalymnos]], [[Kerch]], [[Rhamnous]], [[Salamis, Cyprus|Salamis]], [[Sestos]], [[Sounion]], [[Constanța|Tomis]] and [[Thessaloniki]].

<gallery widths="190" heights="190">
File:Aegina treasure 01.jpg|Room 12 – A gold earring from the [[Aegina Treasure]], Greece, 1700–1500 BC
File:BM; RM18 - GR, The Parthenon Galleries 1 Temple of Athena Parthenos (447-438 B.C) + North Slip Room, -Full Elevation & Viewing North-.JPG|Room 18 – Parthenon statuary from the east pediment and [[Metopes of the Parthenon|Metopes]] from the south wall, Athens, Greece, 447–438 BC
File:BM, GNR; The Acropolis & The late 5th C BC ~ Erechtheum Caryatid + Ionic Column (Room 19).jpg|Room 19 – [[Caryatid]] and [[Ionian order|Ionian]] column from the [[Erechtheion]], Acropolis of Athens, Greece, 420–415 BC
File:Tomb of Payava 2.jpg|Room 20 – [[Tomb of Payava]], Lycia, Turkey, 360 BC
File:Fragmentary horse from the colossal four-horses chariot group which topped the podium of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, British Museum (8245662728).jpg|Room 21 – Fragmentary horse from the colossal chariot group which topped the podium of the [[Mausoleum at Halicarnassus]], one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]], Turkey, {{Circa|350 BC}}
File:Gold wreath BM 1908.4-14.1.jpg|Room 22 - Gold oak wreath with a bee and two cicadas, western Turkey, {{Circa|350–300 BC}}
File:Column drum Ephesus.JPG|Room 22 – Column from the [[Temple of Artemis|Temple of Artemis in Ephesus]], one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]], Turkey, early 4th century BC
File:Asklepios Melos BM Sc550.jpg|Room 22 - Colossal [[Asclepius of Milos|head of Asclepius]] wearing a metal crown (now lost), from a cult statue on [[Melos]], Greece, 325–300 BC
File:Head and left hand from a bronze cult statue of Anahita, a local goddess shown here in the guide of Aphrodite, 200-100 BC, British Museum (8167358544).jpg|Room 22 –  Bronze head and hand of an ancient [[Satala Aphrodite|Hellenistic statue]] discovered in [[Satala]], Turkey, 200–100 BC
File:SFEC BritMus Roman 011.JPG|Room 1 - Farnese [[Hermes]] in the Enlightenment Gallery, Italy, 1st century AD
File:GladiatorHelmetBM.jpg|Room 69 - Roman gladiator helmet from [[Pompeii]], Italy, 1st century AD
File:Lely Venus BM 1963.jpg|Room 23 - The famous version of the '[[Crouching Venus]]', Roman, {{Circa|1st century AD}}
File:Spinario-British Museum.jpg|Room 22 – Roman marble copy of the famous '[[Boy with Thorn|Spinario (Boy with Thorn)]]', Italy, {{Circa|1st century AD}}
File:Apollo Kitharoidos BM 1380.jpg|Room 22 – [[Apollo of Cyrene]] (holding a [[lyre]]), Libya, {{Circa|2nd century AD}}
</gallery>

{{anchor|Islamic art}}