Sewer Repair Workers Stumble Upon Roman Sculpture Dating Back To 3rd Century

Workers handling sewer repairs in Rome had a whiff of a long-forgotten past when they came across an ancient marble statue now believed to be depicting an emperor.

The construction workers were ripping through old pipelines with a bulldozer near the Appia Antica, said to be the capital’s first-ever highway and one of the most crucial routes traveled by the Roman Empire, when they were greeted face-first by a life-sized marble carving. 

It was quickly decided that the sculpture was being portrayed as Hercules, as hinted by the figure’s recognizable lion skin and club. Experts believe that the model is an artistic interpretation of Emperor Decius, who ruled the Roman Empire from 249 to 251 AD.

According to archaeologist Francesca Romana Paolillo, the figure bears some resemblance to known artworks of Emperor Decius. In addition, its forehead is wrinkled, a consistent feature of depictions of emperors from the third century as this was a period of great stress.

The statue took some accidental damage from its unearthing. Conservators are currently repairing it and plan to have it up on public display.

Al @archeoappia iniziano le operazioni preliminari al restauro della statua ritrovata.#ercole #hercules #appiaantica #viaappia #reginaviarum pic.twitter.com/HP5wYW06wU

— Ministero della Cultura (@MiC_Italia) January 30, 2023

[via CNN and BBC, video and cover image via Italian Ministry of Culture]