Which ancient Roman marble sculpture depicts a defeated Celtic warrior seated beside his fallen sword?

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The ancient Roman marble sculpture depicting a defeated Celtic warrior beside his fallen sword is the Dying Gaul.

The sculpture is a Roman copy of a Hellenistic bronze created in Pergamon, probably during the third century BCE. It shows a wounded warrior sitting on the ground, with a torque around his neck and a wound visible on his chest. His posture and expression emphasize dignity rather than caricature.

The work is associated with a monument commissioned by Attalus I of Pergamon to celebrate victories over the Galatians, a Celtic people who settled in Anatolia. The original bronze no longer survives, but several Roman copies are known.

The Dying Gaul is often confused with the Ludovisi Gaul, another Roman copy showing a Celtic warrior supporting a dying companion. The sculpture is now in the Capitoline Museums in Rome.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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