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https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/11/banquet-room-with-preserved-frescoes-unearthed-among-pompeii-ruins>
"A banquet room replete with well preserved frescoes depicting characters
inspired by the Trojan war has been unearthed among the ruins of Pompeii in
what has been described as one of the most striking discoveries ever made at
the southern Italy archaeological site.
The 15-metre-long, six-metre-wide room was found in a former private residence
in Via di Nola, which was ancient Pompeii’s longest road, during excavations in
the Regio IX area of the site.
The “black room”, so-called because of the colour of its walls that were
probably intended to mask the soot from burning oil lamps, was a “refined
setting for entertaining during convivial moments”, experts said.
Its walls are adorned with artworks featuring mythical Greek characters,
including one of Helen of Troy meeting Paris, prince of Troy, for the first
time. The fresco includes a dog and a Greek inscription that reads
“Alexandros”, the prince’s other name. According to Greek legend, the pair’s
elopement triggered the Trojan war in the 12th century BC.
Another fresco depicts the Greek god Apollo trying to woo the priestess
Cassandra. In his efforts to seduce her, Apollo had bestowed upon her the power
to foresee the future, but when she rejected him he cursed her so that nobody
would believe her predictions. As a result, she was unable to thwart the tragic
events of a battle she had prophesied. After being raped during the capture of
Troy, Cassandra ended up enslaved.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii’s archaeological park, said the
mythological figures had the explicit function of entertaining guests and
providing talking points during feasts."
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
