Striking Mosaic Found In Greek Tomb Dates From 4th Century B.C. by BILL CHAPPELL

We are now in our second month without the classicist among our ranks, but we amateurs can still do our part to share stories of interest from the world of classics. Hermes was there all along of course, for about 2,400 years since the image above was created, but amazingly we are still finding new hiding places for a character mentioned in these pages more than once:

Archaeologists have uncovered an intricate and beautiful floor mosaic in a large tomb in northern Greece. Dating from the last quarter of the 4th century B.C., the mosaic covers a space of nearly 15 feet by 10 feet. It features two horses, a man and the god Hermes; it was found in a tomb that was discovered in August.

“The detail of the work is amazing, in the depiction of the horses, the persons, and the chariots and also the harmony of the colors,” Greece’s Times of Change site says.

The mosaic is made of small pebbles whose colors range from white, black and grey to blue, red and yellow. They’re arranged to create a scene in which two horses draw a chariot carrying a bearded man with a laurel wreath on his head.

“The Greek God Hermes is shown leading, for he is the traditional guide to the spirits of the dead, into the underworld of Hades,” according to the website The Amphipolis Tomb. Hermes is depicted wearing a hat and cloak, and carrying a caduceus.

Photos posted online by Greece’s Culture Ministry show that the mosaic has been damaged in its center, but the accompanying notice says many of the pieces from the damaged area were found nearby…

Read the whole story here.