No Result
View All Result
Monday, June 5, 2023
24 °c
Tripoli
23 ° Tue
22 ° Wed
22 ° Thu
24 ° Fri
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
 
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

Philaeni statues’ disappearance refuted by antiquities authorities

bySami Zaptia
October 16, 2017
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Philaeni statues’ disappearance refuted by antiquities authorities

philaeni

21
SHARES
92
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Libya Herald staff.

philaeni
Bronze statues of the Philaeni brothers at the museum in Sultan

Tunis, 16 October 2017:

The head of Sirte Antiquities Office has denied reports that two bronze statues have been stolen from the museum in Sultan. Yesterday it was claimed that the two statues, of the Carthaginian Philaeni brothers, had been taken from the museum some two years ago.

According to Sirte antiquities director Abdel-Azim Hafez, the statues were removed simply for safe-keeping with the knowledge of UNESCO and are now being kept elsewhere. They had been moved, he explained, because because of the current political situation and because the outdoor site was insecure, the staff had not been paid and there was a need to have night guards as well.

The statues originally adorned the Marble Arch or Arch of the Philaeni that was built by Italian Fascist governor Italo Balbo in 1937 to mark the border between Cyrenaica and Tripoltania. Qaddafi had it blown up in 1973.

RELATED POSTS

Top law firm joins new British Libyan Business Association

An academy with a difference in Tripoli

According to Roman historian Sallust, the two Philaeni brothers were chosen to as envoys represent Carthage in a diplomatic move designed to put an end to wars between it and Cyrene. Fearing yet another costly war, the two cities agreed around 350 BC to have envoys set out from both places on a certain day. Where they met would become the border between the two.

However, when the two teams met it was much closer to Cyrene than had been expected and the Cyrenian envoys accused the Philaeni of cheating, of setting out before the day of departure. They demanded that the border be drawn wherever they wanted. This the Carthaginians refused. The Cyrenians then offered a choice: they would accept the border if the Philaeni agreed to be buried alive there. Alternatively they had to be allowed, as in the first demand, to settle the border further west but would themselves be prepared to be sacrificed there.

The Philaeni agreed to be buried alive.

Above where there were buried, an altar was erected by the Carthaginians in their honour. It has long gone but the border lasted for almost 2,000 years. It continued as the frontier between the Roman provinces of Africa Proconsularis and Cyrenaica, between Western and Eastern Roman empires, between the Zirid kingdom and the Cairo-based Fatimid caliphate, between the Hafsid kingdom in what is now Tunisia and the Mamlouk sultanate. The Ottomans also retained the division.

In the arch built by Balbo, the two brothers were depicted lying flat, as if buried, above an altar. The bronzes were placed over the entrance to the arch.

When Qaddafi destroyed it, they along with some other fragments were removed to a museum in Sultan.

Piece of Arch of the Philaeni
A remnant of the Arch of the Philaeni (Photo: Social media)

Other statues and artifacts from the Italian era to be stolen, destroyed or removed since the revolution include the much-loved Gazelle statue and that of fighting lions in Tripoli. The former was destroyed by fanatics before its remnants were removed by the former pro-Islamist Libya Dawn regime. The later was removed by the same regime, supposedly to protect it.

 

 
Tags: antiquitiesfeaturedIS DAESH ISISitalian colonial eraLibyaphilaeni bronze statuesSirteSultan
Share8Tweet5Share1

Related Posts

AMLY School is offering an innovative approach to learning in Libya
Libya

AMLY School is offering an innovative approach to learning in Libya

June 4, 2023
Attorney General orders arrests at Jumhouria bank branch for embezzlement
Libya

Members of illegal organizations given imprisonment and death sentences by Misrata Criminal Court

May 30, 2023
State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli
Libya

State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

May 29, 2023
FDCC destroys non-conforming shipments of medicines, calls on suppliers to respect Libyan health standards
Libya

FDCC destroys non-conforming shipments of medicines, calls on suppliers to respect Libyan health standards

May 29, 2023
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

Tripoli Libyan government conducts drone strikes against criminal hideouts in western coast

May 25, 2023
AmCham Libya Networking Breakfast
Libya

US Embassy in Tripoli announces easing of visa protocol: One-year multiple entry visas now replace three-month single-entry visas

May 24, 2023
Next Post

Mitiga airport flights resume after suspension due to airport attack

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov slams "dishonest" NATO in Libya

 

Advertise on LibyaHerald

Reach thousands of our site visitors daily

240 x 400px

Advertise Here
ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

    State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

    243 shares
    Share 97 Tweet 61
  • HB Group opens Apple authorised I-Shop reseller in Tripoli’s Siyahia

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Members of illegal organizations given imprisonment and death sentences by Misrata Criminal Court

    55 shares
    Share 22 Tweet 14
  • Sirte Oil Company’s smart fields give it higher efficiency, more accurate real-time data for timely decisions

    49 shares
    Share 20 Tweet 12
  • The International Conference on Arbitration in Libya – held in Tripoli with international participation

    43 shares
    Share 17 Tweet 11
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

On National Information Technology Day, the mini-satellite project CubeSat was launched

Ministry of Industry provides support to the Industrial Research Centre

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Cart
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Sign In with Facebook
    Sign In with Linked In
    OR

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Sign Up with Facebook
    Sign Up with Linked In
    OR

    Fill the forms bellow to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
    Are you sure want to unlock this post?
    Unlock left : 0
    Are you sure want to cancel subscription?