Statue of Orpheus unearthed

[Alkman]

Statue of Orpheus unearthed



A rare statue of the ancient Thracian hero Orpheus has been
unearthed in Bulgaria, near a place archaeologists say might house
the hero's tomb, the leader of excavations said.
The 9cm (3.5in) bronze statue, dating from the 1st or 2nd century
AD, was found in the village of Tatul, 200 miles south-east of
Sofia, an archaeologist, Nikolai Ovcharov, said.

The statue, which was perfectly preserved, was found a few days ago
by villagers, and handed to archaeologists working on the site, he
said.

He added that the find appeared to confirm his hypothesis that the
Tatul site was one of the main sanctuaries for Orpheus worshippers
in the ancient world.
"The statue depicts a naked athletic god with a lyre in his left
hand. Most probably it's a statue of Orpheus, which makes it a rare
find."

According to myth Orpheus was a son of Apollo and a godlike poet and
musician. After his death a cult developed around his figure, and
Thracians seem to have worshipped him as a god, historians say.




http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/story/0,11711,1523880,00.html

[Amedeo]

I love antiquities, but... I never have seen a naked Orpheus (whether statuary or pictorial). On the other hand, Apollo with the lyre is half of the times without clothes. Could this be an Apollo statue???