Museum of Senex Caecilius

The Museum of Senex Caecilius

I have a modest collection of artwork and artifacts that I have put on display in one of the alae of my domus. Since a museum is by definition any room, building, or locale where a collection of objects is put on exhibition, I suppose that it qualifies as a museum. However, in his book Travel in the Ancient World, Lionel Casson suggests that the nearest things to museums in the ancient world were the temples. He follows the evolution of modern museums from those early repositories for the spoils of war, the dedications of donors, the mementoes of heroes, and the curiosities of nature.

The Greek plate above is one of my favorite objets d'art. It depicts that famous beauty contest between Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite referred to as The Judgment of Paris.

Here's an inventory of the other objects that comprise my collection: a scrap of Egyptian papyrus, a Cycladic figurine, a Roman coin, a Roman bust, an Egyptian ushabti and scarabs. More will be added in the future. The most recent addition is a Corinthian vase.

These links will take you to modern museums with collections of antiquities:

The British Museum in London offers a large number of galleries exhibiting Grecian, Roman, and Egyptian collections.

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles or the Getty Villa in Malibu have similar offerings.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo provides selections of accessories and jewelry, furniture, architectural elements, sculptures, and tomb furnishings, including mummies.

The Musei Vaticani gives a brief history of the Vatican Museums and offers selections of tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from the various galleries.