Legacy MattersA legacy from the past discovered. Roman ruler's head found in sewer
A 1,700 year carved marble head of Emperor Constantine has been found in a sewer in central Rome.
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Constantine, who reigned from 306 to 337, is known for ending persecution of Christians and founding Constantinople.
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"Recovering a portrait of this size and in this state of conservation in the very heart of the city is really extraordinary," said Mr La Rocca.
"We have concluded that the head did not fall by accident into the passage, but was put there on purpose.
"It could have been used as a big piece of stone to divert water from the drain, or it could have been put there to symbolise the resentment of a pagan people for their Christian emperor."
The head's unceremonious insertion in the drain may have saved it from the plundering of the Forum after the fall of the Roman empire in the 5th Century.
It is expected to go on display in Rome's museums after a brief period of restoration.
Posted by Jill Fallon at July 29, 2005 9:02 PM | Permalink