Two ancient marble statues depicting young men came to light during natural gas installation works around the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, this week.
On Sunday, the Greek Culture Ministry said a headless statue had been found in “fairly good condition” near the AD 161 Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a stone Roman theater located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis.
The statue, found inside a brick structure during natural gas works at a depth of one meter on Erechthiou and Kallisperi sts, is believed to be a Roman-era copy of a 5th century BC original. The Greek Culture Ministry said it bore stylistic similarities to the Hermes Ludovisi, a Hellenistic sculpture representing Hermes in his role as Hermes Psychopompus.
This week a second headless statue measuring 1.65 meters in height also came to light during gas works. Archaeologists suggest a mosaic may be lying at a deeper layer beneath the current works.
According to the ministry, the area south of the Acropolis hill was known for its magnificent urban villas, constructed between the 1st and 5th centuries AD.
Both statues have been transferred to the restoration workshops of the Athens Ephorate of Antiquities for detailed examination and preservation.
