On Tuesday Libyan authorities reported that a she-wolf Capitoline bronze statute was recovered in a recovery operation.
Under the supervision of the Attorney General’s Office, an ambush and raid were executed in the Al-Asabaa area. Al-Asabaa is located 120 km south of Tripoli in the Western Mountains.
The authorities reported that as a result of the difficult geographical terrain of the area, the suspect escaped. The seized statue was referred to the Public Prosecution for disposal.
The statue of the she-wolf Capitoline (Lupa Capitolina) represents the emblem of Rome. According to Roman legend, the she-wolf nursed the twins Romulus and Remus, who founded Rome in 753 BC.
The recaptured statue is a very similar copy to the version that used to sit on one of the two obelisks in front of the Martyr Square / Saraya al-Hamra Museum in Tripoli. That was removed from the obelisk in 1963 and placed in the museum. Statutes of human beings or animals are forbidden in Islam in fear of iconolatry. Its unclear where the recaptured statute was stolen from.
