Statuette of Jupiter

Wealthy Romans often kept statuettes of the gods made from precious metals like gold and silver in a lararium (household shrine) as objects of personal devotion. The power and majesty of Jupiter, the king of the gods (Zeus to the Greeks), shines through even on this damaged silver statuette. Both forearms of the statue are missing, along with the identifying attributes they once held. Yet, scholars can reconstruct the original appearance of the statuette, since Roman artists created numerous copies of popular statues. Jupiter's raised left hand once clasped the top of a tall scepter, and he held a thunderbolt in his lowered right hand. This statue demonstrates the Roman fondness for eclecticism. It merges stylistic elements of earlier Greek sculpture from the 400s and 300s B.C. to fit current Roman taste.