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Mark R. Fairchild, Antalya Museum

A CITY OF MARBLE. Perga’s magnificent sculptural legacy provides modern visitors with a glimpse of the resplendent ancient city. Hundreds of well-preserved statues from Perga line the Antalya Museum’s halls with gods and emperors. This third-century A.D. statue depicts the ill-fated satyr Marsyas. In Greco-Roman mythology, Marsyas was punished for challenging the deity Apollo. Despite the harsh punishment dealt to the satyr, representations of Marsyas came to symbolize free speech in the Roman world. This statue’s severe facial features and distinctively wrinkled forehead are typical of the iconic Pergaean style.