Ganymede Kidnapped by Zeus

This late 2nd-c. mosaic from a villa of the family of Emperor Septimius Severus shows the Trojan prince Ganymede carried off by Zeus—captivated by his beauty—in the form of an eagle. Marked by his Phrygian cap and shepherd’s crook, Ganymede is swept toward Olympus to become the gods’ cupbearer. His abduction became one of antiquity’s most enduring myths: Jupiter’s largest moon bears his name, linking mortal beauty with celestial ascent.