Examination is made of marble sarcophagus datable to the end of the first century BC, conserved under private ownership in Ariccia. The sarcophagus is of particular importance since it shows
some affinities with the Nekyia sarcophagus conserved in the Villa Giulia Museum in Rome, hitherto
taken to be a unicum, with figured scenes interpreted by C. Gasparri, who published it in 1972, as
reflecting Orphic-Pythagorean theories. The differences distinguishing the decoration of this from
the Villa Giulia sarcophagus are examined with particular attention to the role of the clients and
workshops.