Skip to comments.
Villa Owned by Ben-Hur's Rival Identified
Discovery News ^
| Friday, February 13, 2015
| Rossella Lorenzi
Posted on 02/19/2015 1:12:27 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Archaeologists investigating the Tuscan island of Elba have identified the remains of the villa belonging to the real-life individual that inspired one of the principal characters in the epic tale of Ben-Hur.
Overlooking Portoferraio's bay, the once magnificent 1st-century B.C. villa has long been believed to have been owned by Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, portrayed as Ben-Hur in the Hollywood blockbuster starring Charlton Heston.
Now in ruins, the property was known as Villa Le Grotte (the Caves) because of the shape of its vaulted facades facing the sea.
While Ben-Hur was a fictional villain dreamed up in Lew Wallace's 1880 novel and immortalized in the 1959 MGM movie, the Messalla character was based on a real-world historical figure. Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus was a member of one of the oldest and most important families in Rome, the patron of the poet Ovid, and a commander at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C., fighting for Octavian against the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
The now ruined villa has long been associated to Messalla's patrician family but no evidence was ever found to confirm the speculation. It is known that the poet Ovid, of whom Messalla was patron, went to visit Messalla's son on Elba prior to his exile on the Black Sea. However, in his account Ovid doesn't provide any detail about the place he was staying.
Startling evidence about Le Grotte's owner came when archaeologists excavated the area just below the villa. Along with the remains of a large collapsed building, five dolia, large earthenware vases, were uneathed. Each vase could hold between 1,300 and 1,500 liters of wine. Clearly, the site was a farm serving the Roman villa.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: actium; ancientnavigation; benhur; cleopatra; elba; godsgravesglyphs; lewwallace; markantony; messalla; navigation; octavian; oenology; ovid; portoferraio; romanempire; tuscany; villalegrotte; zymurgy
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-66 next last
The vases showed they were made by a Messalla's slave. Indeed they were stamped with the Latin inscription "Hermia Va(leri) (M)arci s(ervus) fecit," meaning "Made by Hermias, slave of Marcus Valerius." [Laura Pagliantini]
1
posted on
02/19/2015 1:12:27 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...
2
posted on
02/19/2015 1:13:14 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW!)
To: SunkenCiv
While Ben-Hur was a fictional villain
I thought Ben-Hur was the good guy? Or am I reading the article wrong?
3
posted on
02/19/2015 1:14:42 PM PST
by
rightwingintelligentsia
(Democrats: The perfect party for the helpless and stupid, and those who would rule over them.)
To: SunkenCiv
Can I lease it over Easter weekend?
4
posted on
02/19/2015 1:15:04 PM PST
by
WayneS
(Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.)
To: SunkenCiv
Ban Hur was not the villain, Messalla was the villain.
5
posted on
02/19/2015 1:15:44 PM PST
by
nikos1121
To: SunkenCiv
I thought that Ben Hur was the Hero of the book and that Marsella was the villian, not the reverse.
6
posted on
02/19/2015 1:15:49 PM PST
by
GreyFriar
(Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
To: SunkenCiv
Ben-Hur’s rival, I have on good authority, was named
Ben-Hym.
7
posted on
02/19/2015 1:16:03 PM PST
by
MrB
(The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
To: SunkenCiv
I thought Ben Hur’s friend was Ben Him and their rival was Ben Gay!
8
posted on
02/19/2015 1:16:09 PM PST
by
MHT
(,)
To: rightwingintelligentsia
I stopped reading when I saw that mistake. This author doesn’t know squat.
To: rightwingintelligentsia; SunkenCiv
On 2nd thought, I guess from the anti-Christian view, Marsella was the hero.
10
posted on
02/19/2015 1:17:25 PM PST
by
GreyFriar
(Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
To: MHT
Are you laughing at my fweind's name?
11
posted on
02/19/2015 1:17:41 PM PST
by
MrB
(The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
To: SunkenCiv
Between 1,300 and 1,500 liters of wine is roughly 344 to 400 gallons. That's enough of a keg party to do any frat house proud.
And in just one vase.
12
posted on
02/19/2015 1:17:53 PM PST
by
Vigilanteman
(Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
To: rightwingintelligentsia
You are reading the article correctly.
And you are correct about Ben Hur.
Of course, I suppose it’s possible some atheist, retard, movie director has done a stupid remake, has twisted the conventional roles around, and that this woman is only familiar with the remake.
13
posted on
02/19/2015 1:18:10 PM PST
by
WayneS
(Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.)
To: rightwingintelligentsia
I thought Ben-Hur was the good guy? Or am I reading the article wrong?Yeah...whassup widdat? This makes no sense.
14
posted on
02/19/2015 1:18:17 PM PST
by
Bloody Sam Roberts
(Life and death are but temporary states. But Freedom endures forever.)
To: Vigilanteman
That is what is known an a BFV.
15
posted on
02/19/2015 1:19:34 PM PST
by
WayneS
(Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.)
To: SunkenCiv
16
posted on
02/19/2015 1:19:58 PM PST
by
skinkinthegrass
("Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid." Hedy Lamarr)
To: WayneS
Or maybe an anti-semite.
Ben Hur was the Jew; Messala was his Gentile (Roman) friend until he turned.
17
posted on
02/19/2015 1:20:17 PM PST
by
rightwingintelligentsia
(Democrats: The perfect party for the helpless and stupid, and those who would rule over them.)
To: SunkenCiv
and a commander at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C., fighting for Octavian against the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Which means he would have been in his 80s or older around the time of the death of Christ, when Ben Hur takes place.
18
posted on
02/19/2015 1:21:19 PM PST
by
Hugin
("Do yourself a favor--first thing, get a firearm!",)
To: MrB
19
posted on
02/19/2015 1:22:23 PM PST
by
skinkinthegrass
("Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid." Hedy Lamarr)
To: skinkinthegrass
Yeah, one of the graphics had that spelled out - I eschewed that.
20
posted on
02/19/2015 1:22:59 PM PST
by
MrB
(The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-66 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson