A German citizen sent per post to the Greek Embassy in Berlin what has been stolen decades ago: three fragments of ancient Greek mosaics.
Two of the fragments were removed on the island of Delos and one from the Hadrian Liberality in Athens in the 1960’s, an attached note clarified.
Experts who examined the fragments found out that that
– the two mosaic from Delos, measuring 7 x 8 cm were probably detached from the floor of a Hellenistic house [323 – 31 BC].
– the mosaic from the Hadrian’s Library, measuring 10 x 9 cm, were detached from the floor of the four-story building dating back to 5th century AD.
The island of Delos in the Cyclades group is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece.
According to Greek mythology, Delos was the birthplace of god Apollo and his sister goddess Artmis.
Investigation of ancient stone huts found on the island indicate that it has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BCE.
The Hadrian’s Library was created by Roman Emperor Hadrian in 132 AD on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens.
The library was seriously damaged by the Herulian invasion of 267 and repaired by the prefect Herculius in AD 407-412. During Byzantine times, three churches were built at the site, the remains of which are preserved, the latest in 12th Century.
The stolen mosaics were repatriated to Greece on 10. October 2018 and were handed to the Antiquities Departments in Cyclades and Athens in charge of the archaeological sites form where the mosaics were stolen.
