Minerva Seated

This seated statue of Minerva (Athena) (2nd c.) wears a chiton (tunic) and himation (mantle). A modern plaster head, copied from the Athena Carpegna, replaces the lost original. The aegis (protective goatskin) with gorgoneion (Medusa head) on her chest confirms her identity as a Roman war goddess. Its monumental scale suggests use as a cult image, perhaps in a temple setting.