Froso Koumpoula of the LZ EPKA and Nicol Anastassatou, conservator of the Corinth Excavations cleaning Gaius before the move.
Two of the most admired finds from the Corinth Excavations, the statues of Gaius and Lucius Caesar, have left to be exhibited in Haltern am See, Germany. Augustus’ grandsons and heirs will be part of the exhibit “Imperium-Conflict-Myth, 2000 years Varus Battle” at the LWL-Römermuseum until October 2009. The effort and manpower to move them from their home for the last 78 years in the Roman Gallery into a truck made us think back in time to their previous moves. First, they were set up in the Julian Basilica at the east end of the forum dedicated by the Corinthian elite to honor the imperial family very early in the 1st c. A. C. Then, in 1914, when they were found by Emerson Swift lying many meters below the surface of the ground in medieval levels inside the basilica, they were moved first to the Old Museum and then into the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth in 1931. Conservation and cleaning of the statues prior to transport was the collaborative effort of Vlasis Delistathis, Froso Koumpoula and Elena Georgiou of the LZ Ephoreia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, and Nicol Anastassatou, conservator of ASCSA’s Corinth Excavations.
Gaius in situ
The crowd watching the uncovering of Gaius in 1914
Gaius safely unpacked in Germany
