The city of Osmaniye in southern Türkiye revealed a great mosaic depicting the legendary Trojan hero Aeneas, the protagonist in Virgil's epic poem, the "Aeneid."
The mosaic was discovered during a foundation excavation of a construction site revealing the remains of a Roman villa and a mosaic depicting the hero of the famous Aeneas, which was also mentioned in Homer's "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey."
The experts noted no other example of this mosaic in the world. The visual quality and depictions of the mosaic rival the famous ancient city of Zeugma mosaics in Gaziantep. The mosaic area, built in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., is thought to adorn the floor of a villa from that period.
Cezmi Yurtsever, a historian and an author, described the Aeneas mosaic as "unique in the world."
"In 2015, it was announced that historical artifacts and mosaics were found on the floor of a building in the center of Kadirli district. Then many archaeologists came here and carried out excavations in the area. During these excavations, mosaic scenes were found on the floor of the building. In one scene, a warrior was riding a horse holding a spear, and there was a woman depiction with the inscription of Dido, the reputed founder of Carthage, who was going on a lion hunt with the warrior. The name of this warrior is Aeneas, a great Trojan hero. He was an important figure after Hector, the prince of Troy," he said.
Yurtsever also noted that the scene depicting Aeneas fighting with Leon was discovered in the same area.
"This place was the ancient Flaviapolis city built during the Roman era and according to our determinations, this mosaic was made in the A.D. 3rd century. For this, after the Trojan War, about 1,500 years ago, the discovery of a mosaic in the ancient Flaviapolis city during the Roman period depicting a hero of the Trojan War is a peerless discovery for archeology and history."
"If the excavations are completed, and this place is turned into a tourist attraction, Kadirli and Osmaniye will be on the world tourism agenda. Because the world's most valuable mosaic of the Trojan War hero is here," he remarked.
According to legends, Aeneas was one of the few Trojans who survived the fall of Troy at the hands of the Greeks. After the city was sacked, he gathered a group of survivors and embarked on a long, challenging journey to find a new home.
Aeneas traveled to many lands, encountering both friends and foes along the way. He was aided by the gods, who favored him for his piety and devotion, and he also received help from his father, who appeared to him in visions and guided him.
Eventually, Aeneas and his followers arrived in Italy, establishing a new kingdom and the city of Lavinium. Aeneas became the Roman people's ancestor and was revered as a hero and a symbol of Roman greatness.
