JAKARTA - A floor mosaic depicting the ancient Greek mythological hero Heracles, known as Hercules in Roman mythology, was discovered during excavations carried out in the ruins of the Ancient City of Syedra in the Alanya District of southern Antalya, Turkey.
The mosaic was found in the Roman baths of the ancient city and depicts the 12 works of Heracles, son of Zeus and Alcmene according to myth.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), professor Ertuğ Ergürer from Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University Faculty of Letters in the Department of Archeology, head of excavations at Syedra said, they have found excellent archaeological finds in the work that has been done since 2019 on the historical site.
According to Ergürer, they discovered a mosaic of Heracles in the ancient city in 2019 for the first time. However, thinking that it was not safe to fully reveal the mosaic at the time, the excavation team fully recovered the artifact by the end of 2020.
Seeing that the mythological scene in the mosaic called the "12 works of Heracles" was well preserved, the team then completely covered the artifact with earth to protect it and to get better results in future detailed studies.
"We have never seen such a mosaic in which mythological scenes from the 12 works of Heracles were depicted before. The fact that the mosaic figures are made in the human dimension also stands out. In this sense, it is a unique mosaic," he explained. Agency July 26.
Ergürer further explained, the floor mosaic which has a width of 7.9 meters and a length of 21.91 meters, is estimated to have been made in the second century AD and spread over an area of about 164 square meters.
According to mythology, in a fit of rage, Heracles killed his wife. When he asked how he could make up for it, he was told to travel to Tiryns and complete the task that King Eurystheus had asked him to do.
For 12 years, he traveled everywhere to complete the 12 jobs assigned to him. To date, this penance has been reflected in many artifacts such as vases and sarcophagi.
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