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CORRECTION OF THE FIGURE TITLE INDICATED AT FRESCO, OF SPARTA QUEEN'S GODDESS – The Fresco & # 39; Leda e he cigno & # 39; (Leda and the swan) discovered last Friday in the Regio V archaeological area of Pompeii, near Naples, Italy, is seen on Monday, November 19, 2018. The fresco represents a story and a subject of art from Greek mythology , with the queen of Sparta Leda impregnated by Zeus – Jupiter in Roman mythology – in the form of a swan. (Cesare Abbate / ANSA via AP) (Associated Press)
ROME – Archaeologists have found a fresco in an old chamber of Pompeii which represents a sensual scene of the Roman god Jupiter, disguised as a swan and legendary queen of Sparta of Greek mythology.
The figure of Leda impregnated by the god as a swan was a fairly common theme of house decoration in Pompeii and Herculaneum, another town destroyed from the year 79 by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius near Naples today.
But the director of the Archaeological Park of Pompei, Massimo Osanna, described this fresco as exceptional because it had been painted to give the impression that Leda was looking at the one who had seen the fresco on entering the room.
"Leda looks at the viewer with utter sensuality," Osanna told the Italian news agency ANSA.
The details of the mural include a representation of Leda protecting the swan with his coat while the bird is sitting on his lap.
Osanna noted the Greek context of the fresco "the myth of love, with an explicit sensuality in a bedroom where, obviously, beside sleep, there could be other activities".
The fresco, with its still remarkably bright colors, was discovered Friday during ongoing work to consolidate the structures of the ancient city after the rains and wear of previous years that caused the collapse of some ruins, said the officials of the tourist site.
The room is located near a hallway near the entrance of a domus or an upscale home, where another magnificent fresco was discovered earlier this year, said the archaeological park, which is part of the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Leda is an important figure of Greek mythology. It would have given birth to children begotten by the god Zeus, Greek version of Jupiter, and by a mortal king of Sparta. According to the myth, his children included the beautiful Helen of Troy and the twins Castor and Pollux.
According to Osanna, one of the hypotheses would be that the owner of the house is a wealthy merchant who wants to give the impression that he is culturally advanced by incorporating frescos inspired by the myth. It appeared that the artist was inspired by a fourth century BC. Timothy's sculpture, he said.
For safety reasons, the unexcavated parts of the domus will probably remain so, ANSA said. Archaeologists plan to remove the two frescoes found in the house in a place where "they can be protected and shown to the public," said Osanna.
The vast, partially excavated plots of Pompeii are one of the main tourist attractions of Italy.
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This version corrects Leda's identity in mythology as queen of Sparta.
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