Viking Resident Historian Challenge: The Secret Writings on the Piraeus Lion of Venice by Bryan Babcock, PhD

Each cruise I give the passengers a challenge to identify some important historical location. For the Empires of the Mediterranean Cruse I challenged the guests to find the 2,400 year old Piraeus Lion. Barbara and Bernard G from New Orleans submitted the most creative pics – well done!

Here are the surprising secrets behind the history of this beautiful lion…

Venice, the City of Canals, is renowned for its splendid architecture, rich history, and remarkable art collections. However, amidst the intricate maze of canals and elegant palazzos, there’s an unexpected treasure: the Piraeus Lion, an ancient Greek sculpture that has found an unlikely home in this unique city. With a history as enigmatic as its origins, the presence of the Piraeus Lion in Venice adds another layer of intrigue to the Venice’s cultural tapestry. The real surprise is that the lion hosts two Runic writings from Vikings that visited Athens!

Before delving into the lion’s story, let’s paint a quick picture of Venice, a city known for its romantic gondola rides, vibrant Carnival, and picturesque bridges. It is a place where art, history, and architecture seamlessly converge, offering visitors an unforgettable experience. Yet, even amid the stunning Venetian vistas, the Piraeus Lion stands out as a historical marvel.

The Piraeus Lion, made in 360BC of white marble, is an imposing 9 feet tall. Regally posed in a sitting position and showing a hollow throat and the marks of a missing pipe running across its back indicates that the lion was most likely part of a fountain, as the description by the Venetians about water flowing from its mouth into a cistern at its feet indicates. This grand lion was once a guardian at the entrance of the ancient Athenian harbor, the Piraeus, welcoming seafarers and sending a clear message of the city’s naval power and protection.

It was stolen as war booty by a Venetian naval commander, Francesco Morosini, during the sixth Ottoman-Venetian war. Morosini is famous for two things during his siege of Athens: stealing this sculpture and destroying the Parthenon. The Ottomans, who occupied Athens at the time, used the Parthenon for gunpowder storage. One of Morosini’s cannons scored a direct hit on the cache, instantaneously turning the ancient wonder into a ruin.

On his return to Venice, he was hailed as a hero and made Doge. He set the Piraeus Lion at the entrance to the Arsenal, where it sits today.

While visiting Venice in the late 18th century, Swedish scholar Johann David Åkerblad identified the strange carving on the beast’s shoulders as Viking runes. This Viking graffiti was likely made by a Varangian mercenary in the 11th century when Athens was a part of the Byzantine Empire.

The runes are carved in what looks like a banner or a ribbon, but is, rather, a cryptozoological lindworm—a headless, serpentine dragon—that bears the inscription. What the inscription actually says has been up for debate since it was identified. A thousand years of wear, vandalism, and weather has turned the markings into a bit of a runic Rorschach. A possible translation reads:

RIGHT SIDE:

Asmund cut these runes with Asgeir and Thorleif, Thord and Ivar, at the request of Harold the Tall, though the Greeks considered about and forbade it.

LEFT SIDE:

Hakon with Ulf and Asmund and Örn conquered this port. These men and Harold Hafi imposed a heavy fine on account of the revolt of the Greek people. Dalk is detained captive in far lands. Egil is gone on an expedition with Ragnar into Romania and Armenia.

Ancient Greece, La Serenissima, Viking mercenaries, the Ottomans, and the Byzantine Empire have all left their mark, however invisible, on this special cat. 

The presence of the Piraeus Lion in Venice is a testament to the city’s rich history as a maritime empire and its enduring connection to ancient Greek culture. This ancient guardian, with its mysterious inscription, has weathered the ages, serving as both a symbol of power and a puzzle that keeps historians and art enthusiasts intrigued. While Venice itself is a treasure trove of art and history, the Piraeus Lion stands as a unique and captivating piece of antiquity in this timeless city of canals.