A mosaic of Hercules and Neptune 40 mistresses from 1600 years ago was found in war-torn Syria.

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A mosaic of Hercules and Neptune 40 mistresses from 1600 years ago was found in war-torn Syria. Archaeologists in war-torn Syria have discovered a stunning mosaic from the Roman era. The mosaic depicts scenes from the Trojan War, the chiseled muscles of the Roman demigod Hercules, and the powerful ancient Roman god Neptune alongside 40 of his mistresses. The mosaic was discovered in a building that had been destroyed by the conflict.

The General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, which is part of the Syrian government, found the mural in Rastan, a town in central Syria near Homs, which was an important battleground during the Syrian revolution, according to representatives of the agency that made the announcement on Wednesday (Oct. 12), according to the Associated Press(opens in new tab). The mural measures 65.5 feet in length and 20 feet in width, or 20 by 6 meters (AP).

According to the BBC, the agency discovered the well-preserved mural in a building that was held by civil war rebels until 2018, when Syrian government forces took the town. The mural was painstakingly made in ancient times with colorful stones that each measured just 0.5 by 0.5 inches (1.2 by 1.2 centimeters) across.

According to the BBC, the stones each measured just 0.5 by 0.5 inches (1.2 by 1.2 centimeters) (opens in new tab). The ancient remains that lie beneath the building are still being excavated at this time.

According to Humam Saad, the associate director of the excavation and archaeological research at the directorate, “We can’t determine the type of the building, whether it’s a public bathhouse or something else because we have not finished digging yet.” This was stated to the Associated Press by Saad.

According to Saad, the mural is a unique discovery that is “rich in details,” and it is without a doubt the most significant archaeological find in the country since the civil war broke out in 2011 during the Arab Spring. The discovery of the mural was made possible by the fact that it was found in an area that had been destroyed by war.

After the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire had become separate entities by the fourth century A.D., the mural was painted (also known as the Byzantine Empire). According to the Associated Press (AP), businesspeople from Lebanon’s Nabu Museum had originally acquired the structure, and then later donated it to the state of Syria.

As portrayed in Homer’s epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” the mural contains pictures of the fabled conflict known as the Trojan War. This conflict took place in ancient Troy, which is located in what is now the country of Turkey, and was fought between the Greeks and the Trojans.

Hercules, or Heracles as he was known to the Greeks, is seen in the mural as killing Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazon warriors, after completing the ninth and final task of his 12 labors, which was to retrieve her belt.

During the previous 11 years of conflict in Syria, a significant number of the country’s antiques have been either destroyed or stolen. During the process of its excavation, the mosaic was exposed to an unknown destiny.

According to Saad, who spoke with the Associated Press, “Unfortunately, there were armed organizations that tried to sell the mosaic at one point in 2017, and placed it on social media channels.”