Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – A outstanding discovery has been made within the historical metropolis of Laodicea in southwestern Türkiye, the place a two-meter-tall white marble statue of the goddess Athena has been uncovered within the stage space of the Western Theatre.
Discovered mendacity face down in a pile of rubble, the statue is lacking its head, but the remainder of the determine is impressively nicely preserved, providing students a helpful window into the creative and spiritual lifetime of the Roman period.
Credit score: Türkiye’s Minister of Tradition and Tourism
Archaeologists clarify that this Athena statue as soon as fashioned a part of the theater’s grand ornamental program, the place columns had been adorned with sculptures of Roman gods, rulers, and mythological scenes. Its refined classical type, attribute of the Augustan interval, and its excessive creative high quality spotlight the care and creativity invested on this cultural house. The discover underscores as soon as once more how this theater, which served as a setting for performances of Homer’s epics, additionally functioned as a vibrant heart of cultural expression.
Ongoing excavation and restoration work at Laodicea—one in all Denizli’s most treasured cultural heritage websites—continues to carry the creative and cultural legacy of the traditional world into the current. Particularly, analysis within the Western Theatre’s stage constructing is yielding vital discoveries that enrich archaeological information and deepen our appreciation of historical storytelling traditions.
Constructed a number of centuries earlier than our period and later expanded, the theater hosted not solely dramatic performances but in addition mythological narratives, together with episodes from the Iliad and the Odyssey. Earlier excavations have revealed sculptural motifs from Odysseus’ journey, reminiscent of his encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus and the ocean monster Scylla. The venue was richly adorned with sculptures impressed by Homeric epics, turning the house into a visible celebration of those timeless tales.
Credit score: Türkiye’s Minister of Tradition and Tourism
Courting again to the 2nd century BC, the Western Theatre’s stage constructing options a powerful three-story architectural design, with 16 columns on every degree. Between these columns as soon as stood statues of gods, goddesses, rulers, and scenes from Homer’s works. Sculptural teams depicting locations just like the Land of the Laestrygonians, the cave of the large Polyphemus, and the fearsome Scylla present that the construction was greater than a efficiency venue—it was a strong medium for transmitting cultural narratives throughout generations.
Laodicea on the Lycus, Western Theatre. Credit score: Basak – CC0
Quite a few sculptures associated to those tales, unearthed in the course of the 2024–2025 excavations, invite deep admiration and gratitude for the enduring richness of the traditional world and for the devoted efforts of those that proceed to uncover and protect it.
The statue of Athena, proven standing on a spherical pedestal, is rendered with outstanding care and artistry. Her finely woven, sleeveless peplos, the chlamys draped round her neck, and the aegis on her chest—adorned with a Medusa head and snakes—collectively spotlight the sculptor’s deep consideration to element and symbolism.
Credit score: Türkiye’s Minister of Tradition and Tourism
The elegant folds of her garment and the lifelike texture of the material communicate to an impressively excessive creative high quality. The distinctive function of the cape round her neck additional elevates the significance and uniqueness of this work. Despite the fact that the again of the statue was left tough, seemingly as a result of it stood between columns and was not totally seen, it’s nonetheless acknowledged because the creation of a extremely expert sculptor. It’s a true work of historical artwork!
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Artistically and stylistically, the statue is appreciated as a high-quality reflection of the early classical type of the Augustan interval (27 BC–14 AD). Its presence in Laodicea—an necessary weaving heart in antiquity—provides much more that means. Right here, Athena was particularly honored as a weaver somewhat than primarily as a warrior, and festivals had been dedicated to her, as confirmed by inscriptions. This connection between the town’s heritage and the goddess’s id makes the statue all of the extra vital.
The restoration work within the Western Theatre stage constructing is deliberate to proceed with out interruption from the start of 2026, guaranteeing that this cultural and creative legacy might be preserved and appreciated for years to come back.
Supply: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Workers Author
