Trojan War Sarcophagus from the 2nd Century CE

3D Model

This extraordinary marble sarcophagus is part of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum’s permanent collection. The carving depicts the decisive battle between Hector of Troy and Achilles (the ancient Greek equivalent of Ironman). Like the sarcophagus’ of the Egyptians, these funerary artifacts provide clues as to what the epic and important stories of the day were. In this case, the Trojan War was THE epic story of the day. These narratives are often historical (Heroditus claimed the Trojan War was a historical event) with a lot of mythological or divine intervention peppered into the mix. After all, the Trojan War was basically the result of a beauty contest and a bribe. Paris (a lowly prince) was tasked to judge the most beautiful of three goddesses: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Had Paris not made a deal to give Aphrodite the Ms. Universe title in exchange for the love of the most beautiful mortal woman (Helen of Troy), the whole Trojan War fiasco could have been avoided.