It was said that the safety of a city depended on it, so when it was stolen, its first home was destroyed. In its second home, to which it was supposedly taken by a famous hero, it was guarded by a sacred order; and when it was reputedly taken to its third resting place, the second went into decline. What was this legendary object, which shares its name with an element?

TabbyTom

This must be the Palladium, an effigy of Pallas Athene which was supposed to guarantee the safety of Troy. It was stolen, according to some accounts, by Odysseus and Diomedes. When Troy fell, it is said to have been taken by Aeneas on his wanderings and eventually housed in the temple of Vesta at Rome (I don’t know how Aeneas got his hands on something that his conquerors had already stolen). Subsequently it is said to have been taken by Constantine to his new capital at Constantinople. Nov 05 05, 6:54 PM

lanfranco

Well, that's Virgil for you, doing whatever was convenient. But yes, TT! It is the Palladium. Somewhere back in the mists of my adolescence, I read that the Vestals kept the real Palladium and six copies, and that each Vestal was required to be able to identify the real one blindfolded and by touch only. Sounds like something out of Bulwer-Lytton, doesn't it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palladium_(mythology) Nov 05 05, 7:38 PM

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Which group of animals shares its name with an archbishop? What is the name given to a young Hawk taken from its nest for training ? Its name was originally Celtic, elegantly incorporated by another ancient language and by the modern tongue derived from it. At one time, it was a typical example of a certain sort of camp, the influence of which is still evident in its layout. Eventually, it became the capital of a kingdom and briefly of a country; today, it is the home of a famous object of devotion. What is it? This unusual landscape, possibly the best known of the artist's works, is said to have been inspired when its creator was enjoying a snack of something that became popular in its country of origin after it was issued to troops during the First World War. What is the painting, and what supposedly suggested its most startling features?

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