The Statue of the Nile God - Naples, Italy - Sphinx Sculptures on Waymarking.com

The Sphinx is part of the "Statue of the Nile God" which is an Ancient Roman/ Hellenistic marble statue dating from the 2nd to 3rd century AD. The Sphinx is child-like and the Nile God is resting on its back.

2023 Note: due to construction, the statue is protected by scaffolding.

From Wikipedia:
The statue represents the God of the Nile, recumbent with a cornucopia and lying on a sphinx. The statue was probably erected in the then Roman port city by Alexandrian merchants. It was recovered, headless, in 1476, and was nicknamed "Corpo di Napoli". It was placed upon a pedestal in 1657, and later that century a bearded head was sculpted. In recent decades, the statue was again decapitated by robbers, and later recovered.

A higher quality version of the same topic, also Ancient Roman, is found in the Vatican Museums. Both statues are copies of an original from Alexandria, Egypt.

Enscription in Latin:
Vetustissimam Nili statuam Ab Alexandrinis olim fama es in proximo habitantibus velut patrio numini positam deinde temporum injuria corruptam capitoue truncatam aediles quidem anni MDCLXVII Ne quae huic regioni celebre nomen fecit sine honore jaceret restituendam conlocandamque aediles vero anni MDCCXXXIV fulciendam novoque epicrammate ornandam curavere placido princ dentice praef ferdinandus sanfelicius mapcellus caracciiolus petrus princep de cardenas prnc cassan dux carinar augustinus viventius antonius gratiosus

Enscription in English (not all translated):
The most ancient statue of the Nile, from the Alexandrians, was once famous among the inhabitants of the neighborhood as the native god, then placed by the insults of the times, the capital was ruined, and the building of the year MDCLXVII was indeed destroyed. Lest that which made this region a famous name should lie without honor, to be restored and to be housed in the aediles of the year 1834, but to be supported and adorned with a new epicrama, to take care of placid prince dentice prefect

Statue Name: La Statua del Nilo Style: Egyptian Medium: Granite Head Type: Man Website: [Web Link] Street Address: Via Nilo 26 Naples, Campania Italy 80134 Specify Other Head: Not listed Head Namesake: Not listed

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