Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a classical statue over 1,800 years old in the ancient metropolis of Philippi in northeastern Greece.
During the excavation, archaeologists unearthed work from the Roman period, 2nd century AD, depicting the mythical hero Hercules – also known as Heracles, according to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The team of researchers from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, focused their excavation efforts at the site on one of the city’s main streets, concluding in mid-September.
The excavation also revealed an ornate structure believed to be a fountain, which the statue once adorned, according to the Ministry of Culture.
Archaeologists believe the structure dates back to the 8th or 9th century AD, with the statement explaining that statues used to decorate buildings and public spaces in Constantinople – now Istanbulin Turkey–during the Roman reign to the end of the Byzantine period.
Described by the ministry as a “larger-than-life” statue, the artifact depicts a young, unclothed Hercules.
Legend has it that Hercules – son of Zeus, the Greek god and ruler of Mount Olympus – displayed superhuman strength and overcame 12 trials assigned to him by King Eurystheus.
Experts identified the legendary hero based on the lion dangling from his left hand and a staff, which was found in fragments. According to myth, one of Hercules’ 12 labors was to kill a Nemean lion, whose skin the hero later wore.
On the statue’s head is a wreath of vine leaves held together by a band that ends at the shoulders.
Natalia Poulou, a professor at the university’s School of History and Archeology, led the excavation. Anastasios Tantsis of Aristotle University, assistant professor, and Aristotle Menzos, professor emeritus, and 24 students completed the team at the ruins of Philippi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the ministry’s statement.
Alexander the Great’s father, Macedonian King Philip II, founded the walled city in 356 BC, and it later became part of the Roman Empire, modeled after a “little Rome”, according to the UNESCO website.
“Extraordinarily interesting”
Archie Dunn, professor of Byzantine archeology at the University of Birmingham in the UK, described the find as “extraordinarily interesting”. He did not participate in the excavation.
Dunn, who is familiar with Philippi, said that buildings during the 8th and 9th centuries were rarely decorated with statues, especially those with “pagan origins”.
The location where the research team discovered the statue suggested intentional placement when it was erected, according to Dunn. “There was a statue of a demigod – like Hercules – in the middle of the city, at the junction of two main streets, so it can’t be an accident,” he told the newspaper. CNN on Wednesday (5).
Referring to a medieval text, “The Fatherland”, which talks about Constantinople, Dunn explained how people were forgetting the images of their gods and demigods at that time and consolidating them into legend, and so the meaning of the statue may have been lost. or forgotten, especially if the work has been repurposed.
“You had them in Constantinople, you had them in Athens, so it could be that it was being used decoratively (in Philippi),” he said.
Excavations at Philippi will continue next year.
Source: CNN Brasil
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