- Archaeologists discovered a well-preserved fresco among the ruins of the city of Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
- The fresco tells the story of sisters Phrixus and Helle in Greek mythology.
- Although the archaeological park has not yet announced a detailed restoration plan, Zuchtriegel said he is hopeful that the fresco of Phrixus and Helle will be displayed soon.
Archaeologists discovered a well-preserved fresco among the ruins of the city of Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The almost poster-sized fresco tells the story of Phrixus and Helle, brothers in Greek mythology, with colors that look as vibrant as the day it was first painted.
The fresco was found in an upper-class residence located near the Leda residence and the Swan House, where another fresco depicts Jupiter seducing the Spartan queen while disguised as an animal. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said that it is possible that the Phrixus and Helle fresco was made by the same artist. told.
In Greek mythology, Phrixus and Helle ride a ram with golden manes to escape their evil stepmother Ino. While traveling from Europe to Asia Minor, Helle falls off the ram and drowns in the Dardanelles in Turkey, known in ancient times as the Hellespont. Phrixus survives and reaches the legendary land of Colchis, where he is received by King Aeëtes, son of Helios.
Zuchtriegel noted the story’s parallels with today’s immigrant crises. “History repeats itself,” said Zuchtriegel, adding that Phrixus and Helle were “two refugees at sea, a brother and a sister, who had to flee because their stepmother wanted to get rid of them and did this through deceit and corruption.”
This fresco joins the list of discoveries made at Pompeii in recent years. These include old kitchen utensils, a servant’s quarters and a fresco of a pancake resembling a pizza. Recently, a carbonized scroll from the town of Herculaneum, also buried under volcanic ash, was deciphered using artificial intelligence in an open-source competition called the Vesuvius Challenge. However, the decipherment of the scrolls made local people worried that further excavations might be carried out to discover other artifacts.
The discoveries can be partly attributed to UNESCO threatening to list Pompeii on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2013, which resulted in the Italian government pouring more money and resources into preserving and excavating the archaeological site.
Although the fresco appears to be well preserved, this is not entirely true. Much of the painting is broken or obscured by piles of rubble. Although the archaeological park has not yet announced a detailed restoration plan, Zuchtriegel said he is hopeful that the fresco of Phrixus and Helle will be displayed soon.
Compiled by: Burçin Bağatur