Image credit: Italy’s Minister of Culture
NEWS: Ancient Greek hoplite helmet and inscription found in ruins of Velia, Italy
An ancient Greek hoplite helmet as well as an inscription have been discovered in the ruins of the ancient city of Velia on the Tyrrhenian coast. Velia’s ancient Greek name was Hyele and changed to Elea before becoming the Roman Latin Velia. Hyele was one of the city-states of Magna Graecia, or ‘greater Greece’ that were founded by ancient Greek peoples on the Italian coast. Hyele was founded by Ionian Greeks who were forced out of Phocaea (Herodotus, Histories, 1.167). The helmet and inscription, which translates to the word ‘sacred,’ were found in the area of the city’s acropolis. Massimo Osanna, Director of the Museum of Velia, explained that the structure atop the acropolis of Velia was built in dedication to the goddess Athena following the Greek naval victory at the Battle of Alalia (541 - 535 BC). Researchers have speculated that the helmet was an offering to the goddess.
In a press statement, the Italian Minister of Culture stated that the discoveries of a Greek helmet and inscription underscored the importance of investing in archaeological research to reveal “important pieces of the history of the Mediterranean.”
Hyele/Velia is perhaps most famous as the birthplace of two great Greek philosophers, Parmenides and his student Zeno. Parmenides founded the philosophical group ‘the Eleatics,’ the term Eleatic coming from the city’s previous name of Elea. In Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas’ coxswain Palinurus washed ashore and died near Velia (Book 5).
With the Italian cultural minister recognising the importance of archaeological funding, hopefully work in the area of Velia will continue and add to the history of this once great city.
22/10/2023