{"id":86229,"date":"2025-04-21T06:00:37","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T10:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=86229"},"modified":"2025-04-17T13:07:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T17:07:32","slug":"new-frescoes-discovered-at-pompeii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-rome\/new-frescoes-discovered-at-pompeii\/","title":{"rendered":"New Frescoes Discovered at Pompeii"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Fresco<\/a>

Fresco of Helen and Paris from the newly excavated dining room. Image courtesy of the Italian Ministry of Culture.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Ongoing excavations at the Italian site of Pompeii<\/a> recently revealed a spectacular dining hall with elegant black walls, decorated with beautiful frescoes featuring mythological scenes inspired by the Trojan War. Measuring about 50 feet long and 20 feet wide, the hall also had an exquisite mosaic floor.<\/p>\n

One fresco features two of the central characters to the Trojan War saga\u2014Paris and Helen, whose love ultimately resulted in the war itself. Helen is flanked by an attendant while a loyal hound sits at Paris\u2019s feet. Of note is the Greek inscription next to Paris that refers to him by his other name, \u201cAlexandros.\u201d According to legend, Paris received this name (which means \u201cProtector of Men\u201d) for his bravery in his days as a shepherd before being recognized as the lost prince of Troy.<\/p>\n

Opposite Helen and Paris is a scene featuring Priam\u2019s daughter Cassandra and the god Apollo. Cassandra is a tragic character who ultimately could not prevent the Trojan War even though she had been blessed with the gift of foresight. According to myth, Cassandra agreed to be Apollo\u2019s bride in exchange for the gift of prophecy. When the time came to give herself to Apollo, she refused and the god cursed her with a gift of true prophecy that would never be believed. Instead, she is treated as a madwoman by her family and people. Following the events of the war, she is taken by Agamemnon to be his prized slave.<\/p>\n

\"Fresco<\/a>

Fresco of Apollo and Cassandra from the newly excavated dining room. Image courtesy of the Italian Ministry of Culture.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

According to press statements<\/a>, the team believes the walls of the dining room were painted black to prevent the smoke from oil lamps staining the walls. When used in the dark of the evening, the flickering lights from the lamps would have made the beautiful images on the black background seemingly dance and move, \u201cespecially after a few glasses of good Campania wine,\u201d said Pompeii Archaeological Park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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