Marble statue discovered near Acropolis during gas works
A white marble statue depicting a nude male in the Hellenistic style of Hermes Ludovisi type has been found in Athens during works for a natural gas network, TASS reports
“A white marble statue depicting a nude male figure in the style of Hermes Ludovisi was found at a short distance of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus between the Erechthiou and Kallisperi streets. It was discovered within a trench only 1 metre wide during the supervision of a natural gas network installation project [by archaeologists]. The statue was located inside a structure built of rectangular bricks and is in fairly good condition,” the statement from the Greek Culture Ministry reads.
“In this area south of the Acropolis lay some of the wealthiest urban villas of Athens that were built during the Roman imperial period (1st-5th centuries AD). These buildings were proof of the wealth of Athens and its attraction to rich and cultured citizens, whose homes were decorated with mosaic floors and statues produced by the famed Neo-Attic workshops,” the statement continues.
The staff of the Athens Antiquities Department of the Culture Ministry, upon completion of the documentation of the find, will transport the sculpture to a laboratory where conservation work will be carried out.
