Archaeologists have unearthed a floor mosaic of approximately 164 square meters, depicting the 12 missions of the mythological hero Heracles, discovered in 2019 during the archaeological excavations in the Ancient City of Syedra.
Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University Faculty of Letters, Archeology Department Lecturer and Syedra Ancient City Excavation Committee Head Assoc. Dr. Ertuğ Ergürer said that they have reached very good archaeological data in the works they have been carrying out since 2019 in the ancient city of Syedra in the Alanya district of Antalya.
Stating that they encountered a very special piece of art in a three-year period, Ergürer continued: “We thought it was unhealthy to fully reveal our mosaic, which we first identified in 2019, for that period. With the works we started after the necessary preparations, we fully revealed our mosaic on ‘Herakles’ towards the end of 2020. We saw that the mythological scenes in the mosaics called ‘the 12 works of Heracles’ are well preserved.”
Ergürer stated that the mosaic was completely covered with soil in order to preserve it and to obtain better results in future detailed studies. Expressing that they found it appropriate to share with the public that the mosaic was found after the necessary protection measures were taken, Ergürer noted that they are continuing their work to unearth the mosaic and other artifacts in the area.
Heracles Mosaic Found in Great Roman Bath
Pointing out that there is no example of the historical artifact unearthed in the great Roman bath in the ancient city, Ergürer said: “We have never seen such a mosaic in which this mythological scene was processed. There are mosaics with fragments of mythological scenes, but in the mosaic here we see all the works of Heracles (12 tasks). The fact that the figures are made in human dimensions also stands out as the only example. In this sense, we are faced with a unique mosaic. The well-preserved mythological scenes in the mosaic add importance to the work.”
Assoc. Dr. Ertuğ Ergürer stated that the floor mosaic, which is 7.9 meters in width and 21.91 meters in length, is considered to have been made in the 2nd century AD and spreads over an area of approximately 164 square meters.
– 12 missions of Hercules
Stating that the “12 works of Heracles” is a mythological subject worked on many vases, artifacts and sarcophagi that are very well known in ancient times, Ergürer gave the following information: “The mythological hero known as Heracles in Greek mythology and as Hercules in Roman mythology is given 12 very difficult tasks. . He is asked to fulfill these duties. His first task is to kill the ‘Nemean Lion’, which has a skin that does not penetrate the sword and spear. Here he is strangling her to death. In the figures after that, the struggle with various mythological characters and figures is staged. In the last scene, there is a scene where he takes the Hesperids’ apple and rests. Some scenes were destroyed in antiquity, while others are quite well preserved.”
Pointing out that they were still at the beginning of the works in Syedra, Ergürer noted that the population of the city could have been around 5-6 thousand at the time of the mosaics.
Source: arkeolojikhaber.com
Source: arkeolojikhaber.com
