Recently discovered scenes from Homer’s Illiad show how the influence of the epic poem spread far and wide Archaeologists always hope for a mosaic. Roman-British sites have yielded some remarkable treasures, from writing tablets at Vindolanda near Hadrian’s Wall to curse tablets at Bath, but there is something magical about seeing tesserae – the little coloured tiles of a mosaic – emerge from beneath the soil. And few have been more remarkable than those recently found in Rutland, which depict scenes from the latter part of Homer’s _Iliad_. There may be debates about the skill of the mosaicist but the scenes have sequential movement and energy that we might more commonly associate with a comic strip. The first shows the duel between Achilles – the greatest Greek warrior of the war of Troy – and Hector, his Trojan counterpart. They fight on chariots: the golden-haired, highly muscled Achilles on the left, the smaller, tunic-wearing Hector on the right. Achilles is naked, cementing his status as the most heroic figure. Hector is literally smaller (even his horses look a little smaller). He is putting up a brave fight, but we’re in no doubt who is the alpha male. Continue reading...
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