Recent subway construction in Rome has revealed a rare fourth-century golden glass depiction of Roma, the goddess personifying ancient Rome. It is the first known artifact of its kind. The excavations for the construction of the #MetroC Porta Metronia station, uncovered the bottom of a golden glass cup with the personification of #Rome. In ancient Roman religion, Roma was a female deity who personified the city of Rome and more broadly, the Roman state. She was created and promoted to represent and propagate certain of Rome's ideas about itself, and to justify its rule.
Golden glass, prized by the upper classes as a luxury item, it is a design in gold leaf that is encased and preserved by clear glass on both sides. The discovery comes on the heels of another accidental find: Last month, construction workers repairing a Roman sewer were surprised when they stumbled upon a life-size marble statue of a Roman emperor dressed as Hercules. Like other subway stations in Rome that have already been completed, the Porta Metronia station will house its own mini-museum, where the golden glass fragment will be displayed alongside other artifacts found nearby. The site should open in 2024.
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