The fresco was unearthed in a home where, last November, archaeologists excavated a bedroom fresco of Greek mythology, the rape of Leda by the god Zeus in the form of a swan. Both works survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which buried the Roman city of Pompeii in fire, pumice and ash. The fresco probably dated to “the last years of the colony,” Massimo Osanna, the site’s director general, said, citing the “extraordinary preservation” of the image’s colours. In the fresco, Narcissus reclines by a pool, his face damaged but looking downward toward the water, where his greenish reflection stares back. A nymph named Echo falls in love with him — and Narcissus rejects her.

Source: bd News24 February 15, 2019 06:22 UTC