Recently discovered scenes from Homer’s Iliad 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.
