Nereid Monument
- Audio guide stop: 242
- Gallery: Room 17
- Audio guide: one commentary for a group of objects shown together
- Museum: The British Museum
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About these objects
In front of you is the Nereid Monument, a remarkable set of marble sculptures and friezes from ancient Lycia. Dated to around 390–380 BC, these pieces once adorned a grand tomb, likely built for a local ruler named Arbinas. The group combines classical Greek artistry with influences from Persian and Anatolian traditions, reflecting the region’s complex cultural identity.
Among the highlights are scenes depicting military campaigns, banquets, and heroic battles. One frieze shows a powerful figure seated with lion-pawed legs, draped in a Persian-style headdress. Nearby, a banquet scene features a reclining man holding a rhyton shaped like a winged ibex—symbolizing wealth and foreign influence. Another notable piece is a dramatic battle scene where warriors clash on foot and horseback, emphasizing the monument’s themes of strength and legacy.
Look closely at the richly carved details and consider how they blend Eastern and Western styles—this was a world caught between empires, and this monument stands as a proud testament to its ruler’s ambitions and identity.
See it in person
Nereid Monument is on display in Room 17 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 242, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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