Silver Ganymede Plaque (43 - 410 AD)

This plaque may have come from a Roman key finger ring.

Key finger rings with decorative plaques like this are very rare; usually made in gold and silver, they are generally found in modern-day Belgium which was also part of the Roman Empire. 

This plaque depicts a scene from Roman mythology. Ganymede was a mythological prince of Troy, which is in modern-day Türkiye.

Ganymede is shown being taken to Olympus by the king of the Roman gods, Jupiter, who is in the form of an eagle.

Olympus was the home of the gods, and there Ganymede became Jupiter’s cup-bearer. This scene was popular in Roman and Greek art.

We will never know exactly why this object ended up in the river. Perhaps it was an offering; maybe the person who owned the ring saw some connection between the story and their life, or simply because being silver, it was expensive and impressive.