Treasure Hunting

Maybe it’s because we loved the movie “Gladiator” so much, or maybe because this was discovered by divers and we secretly hope to one day go on a diving expedition… but this article is just cool.

- Shaun & Crew

The BBC News is reporting that “divers in France have found the oldest known bust of Roman dictator Julius Caesar at the bottom of the River Rhone.” Found near Arles, a city founded by Julius Caesar, the bust dates back to the town’s foundation in the year 46B.C.

It was found with other items including a 6ft marble statue of the god Neptune that is from the first decade of the third century A.D., and two smaller, bronze status.

This bust is a favorite of ours here at TreasureHunting.com because it is so life-like; wrinkles, lines, a bald head. Apparently this is typical of the realist portraits of Caesar’s republican era.

Luc Long, the archaeologist who directed the excavations, said “all the busts of Caesar in Rome were posthumous. I suspect the bust was thrown in the river after he was assassinated because it would not have been good at that time to be considered a follower of his.”

A group of republican senators assassinated Caesar in 44BC. On the Ides in 44 BC, a group of senators called Caesar to the forum for the purpose of reading a petition, written by the senators, asking him to hand power back to the Senate. However, the petition was a fake.

As Caesar began to read the false petition, Tillius Cimber, who had handed him the petition, pulled down Caesar’s tunic. While Caesar was crying to Cimber “But that is violence!” the aforementioned Casca produced his dagger and made a glancing thrust at the dictator’s neck. Caesar turned around quickly and caught Casca by the arm, saying in Latin “Casca, you villain, what are you doing?” Casca, frightened, shouted “Help, brother” in Greek.

Within moments, the entire group, including Brutus, was striking out at the dictator. Caesar attempted to get away, but, blinded by blood, he tripped and fell; the men continued stabbing him as he lay defenseless on the lower steps of the portico. According to Eutropius, around sixty or more men participated in the assassination. He was stabbed 23 times. According to Suetonius, a physician later established that only one wound, the second one to his chest, had been lethal.

Some of the objects found in the river will be displayed in a museum on ancient Arles, the culture ministry said.

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