From the volcanic rubble of Pompeii, archaeologists have recovered over a dozen mini-statues, some of which may depict a dark and twisted myth that speaks of love, renewal, and the changing of the seasons.
The relics were recently found by researchers from the
The house, first uncovered by archaeologists between 2018 and 2019 as part of the Great Pompeii Project, was named after an amazingly well-preserved fresco within the villa that depicts a myth in which Zeus takes the form of a swan and rapes Leda, a Spartan queen.
Excavations within this important part of the ruined city are still ongoing – and still producing some stunning discoveries.
The collection of 13 terracotta figurines was recently discovered beneath some 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) of pumice, the porous volcanic rock that’s created when
Researchers suspect that some of the figures may depict the
There are several retellings of this tale, but here’s how one of them goes: Cybele, a powerful and motherly goddess associated with fertility and nature, falls in love with a handsome young man named Attis. However, Attis becomes enamored with another, driving Cybele into a jealous rage. Her fury sends Attis into madness, causing him to castrate and kill himself under a pine tree.
Consumed by remorse, Cybele then convinces the gods to transform Attis into a pine tree surrounded by violet flowers, allowing him to live forever. This is often interpreted as an allegory for the cyclical nature of life, rebirth, and the renewal of the planet’s seasons.
While the Greco-Roman world was filled with bizarre tales of tragedy like this, the reality of
The ancient Roman city was annihilated when the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, killing thousands of people in the settlement and the nearby towns of
Pompeii is perhaps best known for its iconic stone bodies that appear to show the city’s inhabitants amid their grisly deaths. However, these objects aren’t actually petrified remains from ancient times, but a