ATHENS, Jan 24 (AFP) - Heavy rainfall in Athens has brought an unexpected find: an ancient marble statue which had been buried in a ditch near the capital, Greek archaeologists said Monday.
The 1.8-metre (5.9-foot) tall marble torso of a young man was accidentally discovered Friday by a passer-by who alerted authorities, said Yiorgos Steinhauer, director for Athens classical antiquities at the Greek culture ministry.
Pending its exhibition, the first century AD statue was transferred to the archaeology museum at the Athens port of Piraeus.
The statue is a Roman copy of an ancient Greek original and possibly represents Apollo -- ancient god of medicine, music, poetry and prophecy. Ancient artists represented Apollo as an archetype for manly youth and beauty.
The statue could have been recently discovered by building workers during residential construction, and thrown into the ditch for fear that archaeologists might stop the works if alerted to the finding, Steinhauer said.
01/24/2005 15:28 GMT - AFP