Villa containing mosaic of Homer’s Illiad found on family ramble through fields
It was a family ramble through fields during lockdown last year that led to an “oh wow moment”: the discovery of a Roman villa complex containing a rare mosaic depicting Homer’s The Iliad, now thought to be one of the most remarkable and significant finds of its kind in Britain.
The mosaic – the first example found in the UK displaying scenes from the Greek epic poem, and only one of a handful from across Europe – was found beneath a farmer’s field in Rutland. It is now protected by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.
