Bas-relief dedicated to Manenos

The figurative scene stands out in relief on a plate of gilded limestone. On the basis a Greek incised inscription gives the dedication of the monument. The scene focuses on the image of a proudly dressed and armed cavalier. It is a local deity of the region of Palmyrene, which the inscription name Manenos. The god rides a horse so richly harnessed. Facing the rider, but slightly behind a small votive altar, stands a figure draped in Roman fashion, the dedication, who offered the bas-relief to his divinity. The nature of the limestone and the style of the figurative scene suggest that this bas-relief comes from the region of Doura-Europos, an important Hellenistic and Roman site built on the banks of the Euphrates in present-day Syria.