[lorenzo]

I have some exciting inside news. The Belgian archaeologists working in Sagalassos recently discovered two huge statues of Roman emperors (Hadrianus and empress Faustina), which made headlines because the statues are in a unique condition (the Hadrianus is now the center piece of a large expo in the British Museum).

Well, today, they discovered a marvellous statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius - you know, "the philosopher", the emperor from the movie "Gladiator". The statue is 5 meters tall and partly made out of marble.

What's best of all: the statue is contemporary, dating from the time Marcus Aurelius lived, so it will give us a very exciting new insight into how he looked.

According to the latest news (just in a few minutes ago), the head of the statue is entirely intact.

Marcus Aurelius is definitely one of the most interesting Roman emperors.

The news will be announced soon, perhaps first here: link

Or here: link And later on your news channel or newspaper.

What a fantasic summer season for the Sagalassos team. They've really hit the jackpot!

[Plantagenet]

It appears the noble emperor had syphillus.




....his nose is half eaten away by the ravages of the disease.

[TheDude]

That's Hadrian, Not M. Aurelius. Fallaces sunt rerum species. Can't find any announcement of this new find...Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo.

[Plantagenet]

Of course ---its the Hadrian found earlier at Sagalossos.



Why do you imagine its Marcus Aurelius? Its obviously Hadrian...look at the distinctive nose.

[lorenzo]

And here it is! Five days after I got the scoop, the media have picked up on it. Yea.





Huge statue of Roman ruler found
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7580745.stm

Parts of a giant, exquisitely-carved marble sculpture depicting the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius have been found at an archaeological site in Turkey.

Fragments of the statue were unearthed at the ancient city of Sagalassos.

So far the statue's head, right arm and lower legs have been discovered, high in the mountains of southern Turkey.

Marcus Aurelius was portrayed by Richard Harris in the Oscar-winning 2000 film Gladiator and was one of the so-called "Five Good Emperors".

He reigned from 161AD until his death in 180AD.

In addition to his deeds as emperor, Marcus Aurelius is remembered for his writings, and is considered one of the foremost Stoic philosophers.

The partial statue was unearthed in the largest room at Sagalassos' Roman baths.

The cross-shaped room measures 1,250 sq m (13,500 sq ft), is covered in mosaics and was probably used as a frigidarium - a room with a cold pool which Romans could sink into after a hot bath.

It was partially destroyed in an earthquake between 540AD and 620AD, filling the room with rubble. Archaeologists have been excavating the frigidarium for the past 12 years.

The dig is part of wider excavations at the ruined city, which was once an important regional centre.

Imperial gallery

Last year, the team led by Prof Marc Waelkens, from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, uncovered fragments of a colossal marble statue of the emperor Hadrian in the rubble.

This month, the researchers found a huge head and arm belonging to Faustina the Elder - wife of the emperor Antoninus Pius.

Archaeologists now think the room hosted a gallery of sculptures depicting the "Antonine dynasty" - rulers of Spanish origin who presided over the Roman Empire during the second century AD.

Early on 20 August, a huge pair of marble lower legs, broken just above the knee, turned up in the debris.

They also found a 1.5m-long (5ft-long) right arm and hand holding a globe which was probably once crowned by a gilded bronze "Victory" figure.

But it was the giant marble head which identified this statue as the young Marcus Aurelius. The colossal head, which is just under 1m (3ft) in height, is said to bear his characteristic bulging eyes and beard.

Prof Waelkens said the pupils were gazing upwards "as if in deep contemplation, perfectly fitting of an emperor who was more of a philosopher than a soldier".

He added that this was one of the finest depictions of the Roman ruler.

The emperor wore exquisitely carved army boots decorated with a lion skin, tendrils and Amazon shields.

The torso was probably covered in bronze armour filled inside with terracotta or wood. When the niche's vault collapsed in the earthquake, the torso would have exploded.

Bath complex

The statue of Hadrian was found lying halfway down in the frigidarium's rubble.

This initially led archaeologists to think it had been hauled in there from another part of the huge bath complex, perhaps to remove its gilded bronze armour, or to burn the huge marble pieces to make cement in a nearby lime kiln.

However, they now think sculptures of Hadrian, his wife Vibia Sabina, another Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, his wife Faustina the Elder, and Marcus Aurelius all once adorned niches situated around the room.

There were three large niches on both the western and eastern sides. The fragments of Hadrian's statue were found near the south-west niche.

The front parts of two female feet were discovered in the opposite niche, on the room's south-eastern side.

The remains of a globe can still be seen, cupped in the right hand

The archaeologists now think these belonged to a colossal figure of Vibia Sabina, who was forced into marriage with the homosexual Hadrian at the age of 14.

Remains of the statue depicting Faustina the Elder were found further along, on the eastern side.

In the opposite niche, they found the front parts of a pair of male feet in sandals, which could belong to her husband, Antoninus Pius - who succeeded Hadrian as emperor.

The experts suggest Antonine emperors occupied niches on the western side of the room, while their spouses stood opposite, on the east side.

Five good emperors

After the discovery of Faustina and her male counterpart, the archaeologists guessed the north-western niche would contain a colossal statue of Marcus Aurelius - the longest surviving successor of Antoninus Pius.

The discovery on Wednesday confirmed this prediction, and suggests the north-eastern niche may contain remains of a statue depicting Faustina the Younger, Marcus Aurelius' wife.

Archaeologists will get the opportunity to excavate this part of the room next year.

Despite his philosophical leanings, Marcus Aurelius had to spend much of his reign fighting Germanic tribes along the Austrian Danube, where in 180AD, he died in nearby Carnuntum.

The part of Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator was one of Richard Harris' last roles (the actor died in 2002). Although much of the storyline is fictional, it is set against an historical backdrop of the imperial succession from Marcus Aurelius to his son Commodus.

While Marcus Aurelius is considered, along with Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, as one of Rome's Five Good Emperors, Commodus' reign was marked by internal strife, cruelty and conspiracies.

Commodus took part, naked, in gladiatorial battles - which he always won. Opponents, whose lives were apparently spared, would eventually submit to the emperor.

He was murdered in 192AD: not by a general called Maximus, but by an athlete named Narcissus, sent by conspirators to strangle the megalomaniac emperor in his bath.