Sleeping Ariadne on Roman bas-relief

Roman marble bas-relief depicting a sleeping Ariadne. The object dates to the 3rd-4th century CE. The object was found in the remains of the imperial palace in the Gamzigrad complex (Felix Romuliana), near Zaječar in eastern Serbia. Currently, the artefact is in the museum in Zaječar.

According to the Greek myth, Ariadna helped Theseus leave the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur by using threads. Theseus had to abandon the sleeping Ariadne, whom Dionysus finally took to Olympus. According to another version, Theseus did it at the behest of a god, who was in love in Ariadne.