Posted on 03/20/2006 10:31:31 AM PST by Daralundy
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - A 2,500-year-old stone coffin with well-preserved colour illustrations from Homer's epics has been discovered in western Cyprus, archeologists said Monday.
"It is a very important find," said Pavlos Flourentzos, director of the island's antiquities department. "The style of the decoration is unique, not so much from an artistic point of view, but for the subject and the colours used."
Only two other similar sarcophagi have ever been discovered in Cyprus. Both are housed in New York's Metropolitan Museum, but their colour decoration is more faded.
The limestone sarcophagus was accidentally found by construction workers last week in a tomb near the village of Kouklia, in the coastal Paphos district. The tomb, which probably belonged to an ancient warrior, had been looted during antiquity.
Flourentzos said the coffin - painted in red, black and blue on a white background - dated to 500 BC, when Greek cultural influence was gaining a firm hold on the eastern Mediterranean island.
"The style is very simple, it has little to do with later Classical prototypes and rules," Flourentzos said.
Experts believe the ornate decoration features the hero Ulysses in scenes from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey - both hugely popular throughout the Greek world.
In one large painting, Ulysses and his comrades escape from the blind Cyclops Polyphemos' cave hidden under a flock of sheep.
Another depicts a battle between Greeks and Trojans from the Iliad.
"Ulysses - known for his archery skills - is taking on a whole army emerging from the gates of Troy on horseback and in chariots," Flourentzos said.
Archeologists think the scenes hint at the status of the coffin's occupant.
"Why else take these two pieces from Homer and why deal with Ulysses? Maybe this represents the dead person's character - who possibly was a warrior," Flourentzos said.
Reflecting a long oral tradition loosely based on historic events, Homer's epics were probably composed around 800 BC and written down in the 6th century BC.
bump
My thought also.
#12 - no doubt about it!
:)
A very rare 2,500-year-old stone coffin with well-preserved color illustrations from Homer's epics, that show two warriors on a chariot, has been discovered in ancient tomb in Kouklia village near the coastal town of Paphos, Cyprus, southwest of capital Nicosia about 130 kilometers (80 miles) on Friday, March 17, 2006. The white-stone sarcophagus was accidentally discovered by construction workers last week in a tomb near the village of Kouklia. The artifact dated to 500 B.C., when Greek cultural influence was gaining a firm hold on the eastern Mediterranean island. (AP Photo/Akis Ethelondis)
A very rare 2,500-year-old stone coffin with well-preserved color illustrations from Homer's epics, that show a drawings depict a figure carrying a seriously injured or dead man and a lion fighting a wild boar under a tree, has been discovered in ancient tomb in Kouklia village near the coastal town of Paphos, Cyprus, southwest of capital Nicosia about 130 kilometers (80 miles) on Friday, March 17, 2006. ... (AP Photo/Akis Ethelondis)
Perfect timing for 9th grade English students!
WOW!!!
I found an online article about this on, hmm, Saturday night? but didn't use it because the ESL was so poor. :')
Mmmmmmmmmm........doooooonuts!!!!
Workers of Antiquities Department work in the ancient tomb in Kouklia village near the coastal town of Paphos, Cyprus, southwest of capital Nicosia about 130 kilometers (80 miles) on Thursday, March 16, 2006. A very rare, 2,500-year-old stone coffin with well-preserved color illustrations from Homer's epics has been discovered in western Cyprus. The white-stone sarcophagus was accidentally discovered by construction workers last week in a tomb near the village of Kouklia. The artifact dated to 500 B.C., when Greek cultural influence was gaining a firm hold on the eastern Mediterranean island. (AP Photo/Andreas Lazarou)
How The Homeric Epics Were SavedThe Homeric tests as were brought in Athens by Ipparchos at the 6th cent. b.C (Plato Ipparchos 228B) and classified by Pesistratos (Cicero de Oratore III, 13t) and classified by the philologists of Alexandria Museum, were saved on many codices from parchment (scrolls) or paper of 10th or 11th century. Some texts were in fragments from Rhapsodies and saved in papyri, scrolls and many other materials during the Greek - Roman period. Many codices contain some comments something which referred to the great philologists of Alexandria Museum like Zenodotos from Ephesus (4th-3rd cent. B.C), Aristophanes from Byzantium (3rd -2nd cent. B.C) and Aristarchos from Samothraka {3rd-2nd cent. B.C). Apart from comments also memorandums were saved written by philologists of Ptolemian and Roman period. The Byzantine Lexicon of Archbishop of Salonica Eustace (12th cent. A.C) consists useful sources of comments in many ancient writers from Archilochos to Pindar and in many Latin writers too. Thomas W. Alien...
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Just updating the GGG info, not sending a general distribution. |
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