Libyan Archaeologist Found the Head of Dionysus’ Greek Statue in the Ancient City of Cyrene

LIBYA-FLOOD-ARCHAEOLOGY-HERITAGE — Water flows through the ruins at the site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Cyrene (Shahhat) in eastern Libya, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Derna, on September 21,2023, in the aftermath of a devastating flood. OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Libyan archaeologist Issam Menfi happened upon the head of a statue depicting Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, the Greek god of wine and theater, in the ancient city of Cyrene located in modern-day Shahhat in Libya.

According to the Libyan News Agency, Menfi was carrying out his research inside a water channel near Cyrene when something of interest caught his eye.

The artifact itself was the third object to be discovered since the storm named "Daniel" hit the eastern region of Libya in September of last year.

Following its discovery, the researcher turned it over to the Shahhat Antiquities Control Authority for safekeeping.

History Behind the Ancient City of Cyrene

The ancient Greek city of Cyrene is situated near the Meditteranean shore, within the foothills of the al-Jabal al-Akhdar region, and was believed to have been established in 631 BC by a group of immigrants originally hailing from the island of Thera in the Aegean Sea.

The first king who ruled the city was Battus, founder of the Battiads Dynasty who governed Cyrene for a total of eight generations or until 440 BC.

Within the rule of the Battiads, the ancient city grew to be financially prosperous, which allowed it to expand its control of the nearby coastlines in a handful of ports existing today as Marsa Susah, al-Marj, and Benghazi.

After the rise of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt at around 323 BC, Cyrene also developed into an intellectual capital for the classical world.

With its medical school and numerous philosophers, the city generated enough notoriety to attract the attention of the Romans and eventually succumbed to their rule in 96 BC.

In 67 BC, the Cyrenaica province joined with Crete which made Cyrene the capital of the whole locality.

Two centuries after that, the ancient city experienced relative harmony and prospered under its Roman rulers, however, the city experienced a gradual decline after the Jews living in it rebelled in 115 AD.

This constant decline was made worse by an earthquake that occurred in 365 AD. In 642 AD, Arab conquerors finally sealed the fate of Cyrene and have since left it in ruins.