Image Credit: ULAS

Rutland Mosaic Reveals a Lost Trojan War Story in Roman Britain

New research has revealed that the celebrated Roman mosaic discovered in Rutland does not depict scenes from Homer’s Iliad, as originally believed. Instead, scholars have determined that the artwork draws on a “lost” version of the Trojan War once told by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus.
The Ketton mosaic — hailed as one of the most important Roman finds in Britain in a century — was uncovered in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown and later excavated by University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS). The surrounding villa complex has since been designated a Scheduled Monument for its exceptional significance.
The mosaic presents three dramatic episodes from the conflict between Achilles and Hector: their duel, the dragging of Hector’s body, and the moment when King Priam ransoms his son, whose body is weighed out in gold. While these scenes appear in Homer’s epic, the Rutland versions contain details that match the lost Aeschylean tragedy Phrygians rather than the Iliad.
According to Dr. Jane Masséglia, the lead researcher, the mosaic also incorporates artistic motifs that had circulated around the Mediterranean for centuries. Several panels mimic designs seen on ancient Greek pottery, silverware, coins and objects from Greece, Turkey, and Gaul. This suggests that craftsmen in Roman Britain were part of a much broader artistic network, exchanging patterns and imagery across the empire.
The discovery challenges long-held assumptions about Roman Britain, revealing a society far more connected to classical culture than previously appreciated. Jim Irvine, who first found the mosaic on his family farm, noted that the new research highlights a level of cultural integration “we’re only just beginning to appreciate.”
Historic England and ULAS continue to study the villa site, while experts say the mosaic provides a rare glimpse into how classical myths travelled through both text and visual art, shaped by generations of artisans across the ancient world.

Published on: 05-12-2025

Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie

Source: University of Leicester