trojan war

The Hoby cups: Tracing connections in Iron Age Denmark

What can a pair of silver cups deposited as grave goods in Denmark reveal about links with the Roman world? Olympia Bobou, Ilaria Bucci, and Rubina Raja share a story of shifting political and cultural forces.

World news

Stunning painted banquet hall uncovered in Pompeii A banquet hall boasting some of the finest frescoes found in Pompeii has recently been uncovered by archaeologists working in Regio IX. The Third Style wall paintings depict particular imagery from the Trojan…

Fabulous frescoes at Pompeii

Archaeologists working at Pompeii have uncovered a spectacular banquet hall decorated with mythological images connected to the Trojan War. This luxurious space, once used for feasting and entertaining, was part of a grand private residence located in Insula 10 of…

New images of Rutland’s Roman villa

Earlier this year, CA reported the discovery in Rutland of a stunning Roman mosaic featuring scenes from the Trojan War. It was inside the opulent dining room of ‘a sprawling late Roman villa complex, complete with barns and potential bathhouses’,…

Opposite The first or bottom panel of the mosaic, showing Achilles (on the left) and Hector duelling on chariots. Achilles, the victor, appears larger than his opponent, whose horses are also smaller. Lines can be seen under the horses’ front feet, added to indicate movement, ULAS’ John Thomas said.

Greek myth in Roman Rutland: unearthing scenes from the Trojan War

An intricate Roman mosaic depicting the triumph of the Greek warrior Achilles over Hector of Troy, recently unearthed in Rutland, has been hailed as the region’s most stunning archaeological discovery to-date. Hazel Blair spoke to John Thomas, Anthony Beeson, David Neal, and Peter Kruschwitz to find out more about the meaning behind its motifs.

Below left The mosaic of the Roman villa discovered in Rutland depicting Achilles’ victory over Hector, Achilles dragging Hector’s body around the walls of Troy, and the ransom of Hector’s body.image: © Historic England Archive

New details about a Roman villa complex and mosaic found in Rutland revealed

The excavation has unearthed a large mosaic in what is thought to be the dining room or entertaining area of the villa, which was occupied between the 3rd and 4th century AD.

The Past

Roman villa and mosaic depicting Homer’s The Iliad discovered in Rutland

The stunning mosaic depicts the concluding scene of the Trojan War, in which Greek hero Achilles battles Hector, the leader of the Trojans.

Below Homer, as imagined in a 2nd century Roman copy of a Hellenistic sculpture. His weather beaten features would be appropriate for the itinerant lifestyle of a bard.

Trojan War: the archaeology of a story

Many cities have fallen to subterfuge, fire, and the sword over the millennia, so why does our fascination with Troy remain so keen? Perhaps it is because Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey have become potent examples of the power of words. These tales of derring-do and destructive depravity coloured the Greek, Roman, medieval, and modern worlds so vividly that they have created a richer archaeological legacy than many real events. Lesley Fitton and Victoria Donnellan led Matthew Symonds through the twists and turns of a tale that changed the world.