Archaeologists have discovered a mosaic floor depicting the Greek god Hermes as a charioteer, Greece's Culture Ministry announced Sunday.
The archaeologists found the mosaic during an excavation at the burial complex of Amphipolis in northern Greece. The mosaic, which covers the entire chamber floor, includes pebbles of various colors and was found in a tomb guarded by two female statues, a.k.a. Caryatids.
The researchers determined that the charioteer was Hermes thanks to his insignia and winged sandals. In the mosaic, Hermes leads an unidentified bearded man who wears a laurel wreath. Some of the archaeologists suspect the passenger is Philip II, who was Alexander the Great's father and won a wreath during the Olympic games.
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According to Greek mythology, Hermes guided souls from the bodies of the dead to the river Styx, where they entered the underworld.
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