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Fresco depicting Odysseus stealing the Palladium at the Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy
Odysseus steals the Palladium, Pompeii, II 6, Triclino
Fresco – Water-based pigments on Coating (192 × 127 cm) 20 BC–37 ADOdysseus had learnt from the soothsayer Helenus that Troy would never fall into the hands of the Greeks as long as it remained protected by the Palladium, an ancient statue of Pallas Athena that had fallen from the sky during the construction of a temple.
Odysseus Theft Palladium One night, Odysseus scaled the walls of Troy accompanied by Diomedes to seize this statue located in the temple of Athena.
The beautiful Helen and her confidante led Odysseus to the temple.
The brave Diomedes, clad in a lion’s skin, stands behind Odysseus, who seizes the statue whilst holding his hand over his mouth for the sake of discretion.
On the right, the temple official betrays his own people by leading the priestess guardian of the sacred Palladium away.
The theft of the Palladium does not appear in the Iliad, but the story of this ancient statue of Pallas Athena in the Archaic style was important to the Romans.
Odysseus: The Theft of the Palladium The fresco perfectly depicts the Palladium, this statue of Athena shown with her legs together and her right hand holding her spear, whilst her other hand holds a distaff and a spindle.
According to legend, the protective power of the Palladium made it so valuable that the Trojans had copies made to deceive thieves, whilst the original remained well hidden.
The Palladium thus escaped the enemy and completed its long and perilous journey to the Temple of Vesta in Rome, which thereby became invulnerable.
Mythology Achilles | Aeneas | Alcestis | Alexander | Aphrodite | Apollo | Arianne | Artemis | Ceres | Chryseis | Cupid | Daedalus | Dionysus | Dirce | Endymion | Flora | Galatea | Ganymede | Graces | Hephaestus | Hercules | Io Argos | Iphigenia | Isis | Leda | Marsyas | Medea | Nereids | Niobids | Odysseus | Pan | Paris | Perseus | Phaedra | Phrixus | Pirithous | Saturn | Satyrs | Sophonisba | Theseus | Troy | Zeus
Frescoes Mythology | Portraits | Life Leisure | Animals | Religion | Landscapes | Decoration
Artworks Sculptures | Frescoes | Eroticism
MANN Artworks | Schedule Tickets | Location | Authorizations
Museums Borbonica | MANN | Catacombs | Capodimonte | Royal | Jago | Neapolis | Diocesano | Martino | C.Elmo | Zevallos | Floridiana | Filangeri | C.Nuovo | Aquarium | Natural H. | Archivio | Pignatelli | Madre
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