I'll bet that cost many a hard earned silver talent to build, but here it is, hundreds of years later, still in good shape.

 A huge Roman-era mosaic with scenes from the Trojan War has been unearthed in the city of al-Rastan in central Syria. Dating to the 4th century A.D., the mosaic is 20 meters (65.6 feet) long and six meters (19.7 feet) wide for a total surface area of 120 square meters (1300 square feet) and that’s only the part that has been excavated. Archaeologists believe it continues under neighboring properties.

I see Achilles lounging around in that central circle.

The mosaic was first found when ISIS’ murderous despoilers controlled the area in 2017. They planned to tear the mosaic up and sell it to the highest bidder, and had even gone so far as to list it on the internet, but thankfully Syrian military retook the city in May 2018 before the worst could happen.

One figural panel features the god Neptune encircled by the Nereids, the 50 sea-nymphs who rode the waves in his entourage. One of them, Thetis, was the mother of Achilles. He appears in the second panel with the other heroes of Troy, their names labelled in Greek. The Amazons are also represented, which is rare for a Roman mosaic.

Founded by Seleucus I Nicator in the 3rd century B.C. as the city of Arethusa, Rastan was the first capital of the Emesani kingdom, a Roman client state. Its importance faded when neighboring Homs, the ancient city of Emesa, became the new capital in the 1st century B.C., but the area rose to global prominence in the 3rd century after Emperor Septimius Severus, born in Leptis Magna in Roman Libya, married the formidable Julia Domna, descendant of the Emesani royal family and native-born Emesan.

Via the always good History Blog.