Piraeus Lion, Marble statue at Venetian Arsenal, Italy.
The Piraeus Lion is an ancient marble sculpture at the Arsenal in Venice, Italy. The white marble work reaches three meters in height and carries Nordic runic inscriptions on its shoulders and flanks.
Francesco Morosini brought the sculpture from Piraeus to Venice in 1687 during the war against the Ottoman Empire. It had stood at the harbor of the Greek city since ancient times and guarded its entrance.
The inscriptions on the sculpture date from the 11th century and show the presence of Scandinavian warriors in the harbor of Piraeus. These runes connect Nordic travelers with ancient Greece and demonstrate how far Vikings ventured into the Mediterranean.
The sculpture stands at the entrance of the Venetian Arsenal and is visible from outside. Three other lion sculptures accompany this ancient work at the same spot.
The runes on the ancient Greek lion are so weathered that their exact meaning remains disputed to this day. Researchers believe they were carved by Scandinavian warriors who served in Byzantine forces.
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