Proserpina sarcophagus, Roman marble sarcophagus in Aachen, Germany.

The Proserpina sarcophagus is a Roman marble chest made in Rome from Carrara marble in the first quarter of the 3rd century AD. Its front shows the abduction of Persephone in high relief: Hades carries her off on a four-horse chariot led by Hermes, with Cerberus at his feet, while Demeter follows in a serpent-drawn chariot. The narrow sides show flower-picking and a boy with shepherds. The lid is lost; a transport break of 1843 runs through the front.

Carved in a workshop in Rome from Carrara marble in the first quarter of the 3rd century AD, the sarcophagus belongs to a large group of Roman pieces showing the Rape of Persephone. Long dated to the late 2nd century, it has mostly been placed in the 3rd century since 1982. It is disputed whether Charlemagne was buried in it in 814; Dieter Hägermann argued it was only used for his bones after Frederick Barbarossa opened the grave in 1165. By 1215 the bones were in the Karlsschrein.

The front relief shows Hades abducting Persephone on a four-horse chariot led by Hermes, with Athena and Eros assisting; Demeter follows in a serpent-drawn car. The choice of this pagan myth for a Christian emperor may reflect a reading of Persephone's return to earth as a promise of resurrection.

The sarcophagus is shown in the Aachen Cathedral Treasury, not in the cathedral interior, so a ticket to the treasury is needed to see it. The lid is lost and a transport break of 1843 runs across the front relief, closed flush in the 1998 restoration. The treasury display allows close viewing of the front and both narrow sides.

A transport break runs through the front relief, caused in 1843 when the sarcophagus was hoisted to the Michael gallery of the Nikolauskapelle; it was restored in 1998 and all breaks closed flush. The lid has not survived.