Experts have recently discovered a stone sarcophagus adorned with vibrant illustrations from the timeless epics Iliad and Odyssey by Homer in eastern Cyprus.
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| Images remaining on the sarcophagus |
The aforementioned stone sarcophagus was discovered by construction workers in a tomb near Kouklia, a coastal town in Paphos, in an area rich with ancient cemeteries belonging to the town of Palaepaphos, which was first settled around 2800 BC and is home to the temple dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty who was born in Paphos.
Pavlos Flourentzos, the Director of the island’s antiquities office, stated that the sarcophagus is painted in red, black, and blue on a white background, dating back to 500 BC, when Greek culture had a significant influence on the island in the eastern Mediterranean. Many of the decorations within the sarcophagus are believed to be made from a special type of palm tree.
“The decorative style of this sarcophagus is quite unique; it is not necessarily a work of art, but the colors and themes are presented in a distinctive manner,” Flourentzos noted.
Experts believe that the decorative images depict the hero Ulysses from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. In one large illustration, Ulysses and his companions escape from the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus and hide among a flock of sheep. Another image depicts the battle between the Greeks and Trojan warriors from the Iliad.
Archaeologists suggest that these images reflect the status of the sarcophagus’s owner. “These images may illustrate the character of the deceased, and it is possible that they were a warrior,” Flourentzos remarked.
Additionally, there are other paintings depicting a character carrying a severely injured or dead person, and a lion fighting a wild boar under a tree. However, these images do not relate to Homer’s epics.
To date, Cyprus has discovered two similar sarcophagi, one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and another in the British Museum in London, but the colors of those have faded, Flourentzos added.
Homer’s works, based on historical events, are thought to have been composed around 800 BC and were written down in the 6th century BC.
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