It’s not often that archaeological news makes you go: “Siiiick!”
We totally understand that bits of unearthed pottery and fragments of rusty spoons aren’t everyone’s bag, but archaeologists from Aristotle University really knocked it out the park with this one.
A statue of Hercules believed to be around 2,000 years old was found near ruins dating back to the 8th or 9th century.
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The Greek demigod - who is the son of Zeus and known for his stellar set of pecks - is often depicted in mythology holding a club and with a lion’s skin draped over him.
Both of those were found during the excavation, with a press release from the Greek Ministry of Sport and Culture stating: “The club, which has been found in fragments, and the lion hanging from the outstretched left-hand attest to the identity of the hero.
“On the earl’s crest he wears a wreath of vine leaves which is held at the back by a band whose ends end at the shoulders.”
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The dig took place near the ancient city of Philippi, which is located north of present-day Kavala, and excavated artefacts offer an insight into how landmarks used to be decorated during that period.
In 356 BCE, Philippi was conquered by Alexander the Great’s father King Philip II of Macedon and turned into a hub for gold mining.
Philippi is thought to have fallen into ruin after the Ottoman conquest during the 14th century.
The press release also noted: “The statue, whose size is larger than life, depicts Hercules barren with a youthful body.
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“On the earl's crest he wears a wreath of vine leaves which is held at the back by a band whose ends end at the shoulders.
“The specific statue adorned a building which, according to the excavation findings, dates to the 8th / 9th century AD.”
It continued: “We know from the sources as well as from the archaeological data that in Constantinople statues from the classical and Roman period adorned buildings and public spaces until the late Byzantine period.
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“This find demonstrates the way public spaces were decorated in the important cities of the Byzantine Empire, including Philippi.”
Sharing the news on Twitter last month, Greek’s Ministry of Culture and Sports tweeted: “Findings of the university excavation #Philippe 2022 from @Auth_University An impressive statue from Roman times (2nd century AD) of supernatural size depicting the barren Hercules with a youthful body was discovered.”
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Topics: World News
Aisha Nozari