4 Roman Treasures Destroyed during World War II

A huge collection of marble sarcophagi. Thousands of artifacts from a world-class museum. The longest road tunnel in the ancient world. Two colossal floating palaces. These are the greatest Roman treasures destroyed during World War II.
For many other fascinating facts about the lives and legacies of the Greeks and Romans, check out my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans:”
www.amazon.com/Naked-Statues-...
If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
/ toldinstone
/ toldinstone
/ toldinstone
/ 20993845.garrett_ryan
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:43 Sarcophagi of the Camposanto
3:48 Antiquities of the Berlin State Museums
6:17 The Crypt of Cocceius
8:21 The Nemi Ships
12:40 Conclusion
For the intro theme, I'd like to thank Julien Monette, whose compositions can be found here:
/ @julienmonette27
The closing theme was kindly provided by Jacob La Bar of Above the Bar Productions.
Thanks for watching!

[@rickb3078]

The “lost buildings / treasures” videos cause a generous amount of heartbreak. But please keep them coming. It’s very good to know.

[@bradarmstrong3952]

@Christo Genea What kind of revisionist tripe are your peddling? Some of the artifacts from the museums in Berlin were stolen by German individuals. The Germans blew up munitions that destroyed the Roman tunnel. Mussolini, who was propped up by the Germans, pulled the barges from where they had been for a few thousand years and they were destroyed by fire shortly after. The building in Napoli was collateral damage in a war started by one particular European country that wanted to rule the world ... what country would that have been ...?

[@Rickuo]

​@@bradarmstrong3952 Just stop it with the whataboutism and excuses for savagery and mass murder.

[@pierrefranckx6363]

@@Rickuo What do you mean?

[@bradarmstrong3952]

@@pierrefranckx6363 I don’t think “he” is even an actual person

[@pierrefranckx6363]

@@bradarmstrong3952 That might be...

[@scottwall8419]

This video leaves me wondering over the course of history how much history has been destroyed by war. Obviously natural disasters have destroyed alot of very ancient history but cultures long ago seemed almost possessed to destroy some cultures entirely and would go to any length to do so, most likely even erasing its written or artistic history. Theres so much we will never know about history.

[@user-uf2df6zf5w]

All of chinas ancient architectural masterpieces were destreued by war. Today only 4 wooden buildings are more than 1100 years old in the country. And ceep in mind that the early dynasties cut down the largest trees for the columns, meaning that ancient chinese architecture had several times the size of all the artefacts seen today. If it would be not for the armed conflicts, china would be dotted today would be dotted with buildings comparable to the Todai Ji in Japan. Wich is actually a lame copycat of what was build at the time in China.

[@johnmcglynn4102]

@@user-uf2df6zf5w And what happened to China's massive ancient forests? Gone, I understand to burning for making porcelain.....

[@nutzeeer]

@@johnmcglynn4102 very little truly natural forests remain in the world anywhere

[@user-uf2df6zf5w]

@@johnmcglynn4102 And for construction too. From the ming dynasty (from the 14 century) they had a massive problem with timber shortages. That's why China couldn't construct very large timber halls from the 15 th century onwards and lost parts of the wooden esthetics, still seen in Japan.

[@pierren___]

Especially in northern countries, which mostly used wood in antiquity

[@damascus21]

I probably wouldn't have believed the Nemi ships were ever real if they hadn't been recovered. That's incredible

[@sethlutz4694]

Well if they hadn’t been recovered they might still be here

[@visiblehuman3705]

@@sethlutz4694we can’t wait for humankind to come to its end before uncovering past works of art and construction.

[@Blox117]

well, i think most of the ship was deteriorated. only the bottom portions stuck in the mud survived

[@michaelhoffmann2891]

Sometimes I don't know what I should be more surprised at: that so much antiquity and so many archaeological finds have survived the ages - or that anything actually has at all.

[@Bakedea87]

Probably the latter

[@damobart]

If you are surprised that even something survived, logically you would be more surprised if more of it survived.

[@dima97]

Like how does anything survive more than 39 days?

[@CopenhagenDreaming]

I never realised the Nemi barges were actually recovered! So double-whammy of realising this and learning that they are now completely gone.

[@ThorusCZ]

They might have been OK in the mud now if they never recovered them back then.

[@CopenhagenDreaming]

@@ThorusCZ Yes, after nearly 2000 years I'm sure another 100 years wouldn't have been too big an issue for them. It's very sad, really.

[@miguelconti2304]

@@CopenhagenDreaming this timeline is compromised I refuse to live in a world without those ships :’(

[@CopenhagenDreaming]

@@miguelconti2304 All right, Miguel. Meet me on Tuesday morning by Lake Nemi and we will rebuild them! I'll bring a saw and a hammer; could you bring any spare bits of wood you have lying about?

[@alukuhito]

It also seems ironic that it took a fascist leader, friends with Hitler, to finally get the job done, and it was the allies that destroyed them, not the axis powers. We tend to think in black and white - good vs. evil, but the "other" side has its humanity and we have our depravity.

[@a_l_b__a607]

So much was lost in Ww2, it is a great shame... I have great respect for the men and woman who have since worked to restore these treasures as best they can.

[@Sakattack2023]

What about the men who died so they could?

[@alexmag342]

@@Sakattack2023 They died has puppets of the Judas and their Banks and Masonic Lodges, the good guys lost

[@Sakattack2023]

@@alexmag342 found the edgy middle schooler. Lmfao, Shut up

[@Sakattack2023]

@Hugh Mungis lmfao, omg listen to yourself. The people get persecuted for thousands of years by idiots of the same fabric as you. And you think they have power and control. Or that the Jews involved are United under the religion they all shun. It’s actually hilarious how stupid you people are. I bet you think communism is a jewish plot, despite communism seeking to replace religion with the state.

[@Sakattack2023]

@engineer gaming meaning what exactly? Everything is the way it is, because things happened, lmfao. Go on say it, stop beating around the bush little Jewspiricist. Is it that or are Germans natural collectivists like the Chinese and Russians? And are easily swayed by peer pressure.

[@EpreTroll]

I get so worked up over these videos but I can't stop watching. Those ships! I remember seeing the viking ships in Oslo, this is so much bigger and so much older and all burnt.... Pfffft

[@roy_for_real2674]

exactly

[@johnwhite4861]

T t t t Cy. C. C

[@IsengardMordor]

remains of the ships survived despite all the destruction. So i guess we should find some solace at the thought that at least part of them still managed to survive this senseless act of destruction

[@jaimevalencia6271]

It may be significant but time destroys all you think the monuments we have now will stand throughout time? No sadly Murphy’s law and nature be it human or other nothing lasts that may make you mad but just learn to appreciate what we have and know

[@IsengardMordor]

@@jaimevalencia6271 true, but that does not mean we can take steps to try and protect what we already know or manage to learn.Via these steps, we can prolong the lifespan of what is already left

[@buttontobutton]

Wow I've never heard of the Nemi ships, absolutely crazy! They went through all of that effort to drain a lake and move them to land only for them to be destroyed forever shortly thereafter. Should've left them on the lake bed 🙁

[@hansvonmannschaft9062]

Gets way worse, m'friend. I knew about the ships, but had never learnt about the fact that *yes!* they were actually found and recovered!! - So watching that bit of the video was brutally heartbreaking.

[@pierren___]

The size of the ship OMG Makes you realise that they were playing on another level. Ancient writers never lied.

[@speggeri90]

What I'd like to have seen is the possibly still the largest naval battle in human history, by number of men and ships involved. The classical world truly played on another level. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Ecnomus

[@goosenuggets9693]

Ancient writers lied all of the time.

[@goosenuggets9693]

Modern day aircraft carriers are far larger by surface area and heavier by total water displaced.

[@edwardligma356]

@@goosenuggets9693 but not even those carriers come close to the surface area and weight of your mom

[@beurksman]

@towels towels If you find modern history comparably accurate to ancient one, you have never read a page of either.

[@pawpatrolnews]

To be honest, I'd probably prefer ancient artifacts to be looted then destroyed. Then one may hope these looted artifacts may see the light of day in the future, even if that happens after out lifetime.

[@rexmundi3108]

This is exactly why I have no sympathy for people who accuse the British Museum (or other museums) of theft. Just one example is the Elgin Marbles: they were being ground up to make cement. Look at every supposed theft: these artifacts were preserved when the local people had no appreciation of their worth. Egyptian artifacts? The Muslim rulers at the time gave no value to the remnants of the pagan past. They were using the ruins as quarries.

[@pelicanus2197]

I'm sure the Russians felt like they deserved them and I can't say I'd blame them for feeling that way. They lost so much too, incl. the famous 'Amber Room' in one of the Petersburg palaces.

[@intiorozco5063]

I had a hard time understanding what you meant because of "looted **then** destroyed", I was thinking "why would he want artifacts to be looted first, and destroyed afterwards?"

[@pelicanus2197]

@@intiorozco5063 typo. he meant "looted than' destroyed. Or looted instead of destroyed.

[@brianmccarthy5557]

@@pelicanus2197 You should follow the news. It was revealed recently that he Russians have the Amber Room hidden away.

[@stefanhuber7357]

This has made me weep. I couldnt imagine the pain and suffering the people who brought the ships to the surface felt after just a few years they were destroyed. Both the sadness of knowing (possibly) your lifes work is gone AND the guilt/shame of knowing that because you brought them to the surface, they were susceptible to harm. Tragic.

[@mikeheavener2510]

The loss of those ships is by far the worst thing they lost how amazing it would be to still have all that stuff they pulled out that lake.

[@Holdthetomatoesplz]

The story of the Nemi ships breaks my heart

[@hansvonmannschaft9062]

Oh man tell me, I didn't even know they were recovered at some point, so it was terrible to hear the last point.

[@johnmcglynn4102]

Thank you. What a tragedy. I have read about the Roman ships but I never realized how colossal they were. Ancient Rome.......really something it was!

[@GalaxyJ-vm2rn]

Rome still is.. the vatican to be mire precise

[@SlimeJime]

they were pleasure craft for very calm waters tbf

[@andreacosta74]

has to be not forgotten the aircraft bomb, unexploded, fallen at 1 meter from the Sixtine Chapel…

[@jonathansoko5368]

@@GalaxyJ-vm2rn You're aware that ancient rome was ... Ancient by the time the vatican was built tho right? That's not the same time but I forgive your ignorance.

[@Rhiannonganon]

@@jonathansoko5368 Rome was already ancient by the time of Jesus, albeit not as ancient as Egypt but ancient nonetheless 🙂

[@pp7x79]

it's so cool that we still have pictures of a lot of artefacts like the ships (which are incredible!). they are so important so that they will be remembered for ever onwards.

[@karlmarxii1898]

Remembering isn't enough. The government should pay to hire historians to make a replica to as close to the originals as possible. Of course we shouldn't forget the destruction of the originals, but at least we will have a 1:1 replica.

[@valentinozangobbo]

For those interested, go check out the bronze valves that have been found in the ships of Nemi, it's amazing how technically advanced the ancient Romans were

[@karlheinzvonkroemann2217]

Yeah, hot and cold running water on those ships. What enabled the Romans to build like they did was their concrete.

[@littlsuprstr]

i believe the mosaic pictured was found in new york city in 2013. it was being used as a coffee table in a park avenue apartment. it's been repatriated to italy and was unveiled last year.

[@drutalero2962]

A coffee table?!

[@CarthagoMike]

@@drutalero2962 You cannot deny it makes for a pretty fancy coffee table.

[@karlheinzvonkroemann7267]

We looted as much as anybody from Germany and Japan weren't ever the most considerate of art treasures.

[@eolobrontolo9117]

Thank you for this news. 🙂 What happened to the coffee drinkers? 🤔

[@littlsuprstr]

@@eolobrontolo9117 The coffee drinkers were Helen and Nereo Fioratti, who are art dealers. They bought the Neri mosaics from an Italian art dealer that dealt with Nazi-looted art and artifacts. As far as I know they received no compensation for the coffee table.

[@leemosher5513]

Breaks my heart! Impressed with the many people that worked so hard to salvage/recover what was left.

[@tomg5187]

Agreed good sir. Unsung heroes for sure!

[@hgfclay6524]

Had no idea about Caligula's boats, thank goodness theres at least some photos

[@xmaniac99]

Although not as impressive as the Nemi ships, our museum in De Meern has an completely recovered Roman river boat with cabin and tools.

[@miguelconti2304]

I noted this : )

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

Oh, I've gotta' look that up! Thanks!

[@Ellis01234567890]

That just went on the list of places to go to when I am financially stable.

[@xmaniac99]

If you want to look it up; it is called the Museam Castellum Hoge Woerd in de Meern (near Utrecht).

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

@@xmaniac99 I just looked it up. Thanks! If I ever get back to Nederland, I'll have to go to Utrecht for a few days.

[@danielchequer5842]

Ah yes, the best schedule for friday afternoon: hearing about deliberately destroyed roman artifacts

[@yeahweburnstuff]

😪

[@larrysorenson4789]

Deliberate? Hardly. Inadvertently from 20,000 feet, probably. Except for Monte Casino which was a strategic target. Read history.

[@Rickuo]

@@larrysorenson4789 It was almost always deliberate, because it was almost always unnecessary.

[@lukefish7562]

@@larrysorenson4789 if you were a bird you’d be a wood PECKER. 🙂

[@larrysorenson4789]

@@lukefish7562 wouldn’t it be fantastic to fly?

[@Toxic-fn9tz]

Great, now I have MORE historical tragedies to cry about at night!

[@samuraikatsumoto]

There was a good 60 minutes video on the mosaic table from the shipwrecks that was recovered and eventually ended up in an apartment in New York City. As always great information, thanks for the upload!

[@TheRisesStorm]

whatt any links?

[@briggitelondon]

Any links?

[@samuraikatsumoto]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2Kke5x8pJmao9E

[@perfeitobr]

on youtube: Roman Emperor Caligula's coffee table

[@lassebjornjensen1327]

It’s an unbelievable amount of remains from the ancient world that’s been destroyed in modern times. Especially in the name of early archeology - sad reality. Thanks of making this vid - watching it make me wonna travel to all these locations.

[@dominicm255]

The one thing I take hope from after learning these rather depressing facts about cultural destruction is there are still mainly things yet discovered by archeology which in time will be revealed. Down here in new Zealand I dream of travelling again to Italy, Egypt, morocco one day.

[@takashitamagawa5881]

A famous example of what was destroyed by early archaeology is Heinrich Schliemann's excavation of Hissarlik in Turkey, generally accepted as historical Troy. He removed the structures standing above ground, thinking that the Troy of Greek mythology lay underneath, and did not realize that the center of the city had lain in plain sight when he first arrived to dig. All gone now due to Schliemann's initial excavation.

[@lassebjornjensen1327]

@@takashitamagawa5881 Perfect example. Early archeology was basically systematic raiding for the white and wealthy but it also gave way for locals to smash up ancient wears because they could get more profit out of multiple pieces instead of a hole item. Human kind is probably the most destructive animal on the planet.

[@sam23696]

Even as recent as 7 years ago this happened. In the advent of the islamic state and the destruction they brought so many famous locations, which had survived world wars, ancient wars and even the gulf wars, were systematically targeted and destroyed. In most cases they didn't even serve tactical _or_ ideological purposes, their destruction was purely for terror. Temples and fortresses built before the Roman empire even existed, demolished with c4 in pointless terrorism.

[@lassebjornjensen1327]

@@sam23696 Human nature - incomprehensible.

[@paoloviti6156]

It is very sad, like the destruction of the Abbey Abbey of Monte Cassino but also many Roman structures, truly one of the most useless destruction of the war but I should mention the bombing of Ravenna together with the destruction of many late Roman and Bizantine construction including the ruins of the Palace of Imperor Honorius. Just to tip it off I should mention that the Americans bombed the outskirts of Pompeii destroying a warehouse packed with priceless artifacts from the Roman city. Just to name a few things....

[@miguelconti2304]

Ho perso la voglia di vivere

[@giovannimoriggi5833]

@@miguelconti2304 ❤‍🩹

[@chokichocat3083]

MURICA!! FUCK YEAH!! DESTROYING EVERYTHING WE MF TOUCH YEAH!!! MURICA!!!

[@tedking6790]

I hate stories like this, but I love hearing them. Great content as always.

[@josephjr]

It is really awesome to know the engineering skills of the Romans from the past like how advance their structures were during that period of time. All these destructions reminds me of the burning of the Library of Alexandria...

[@joeturner9280]

Far more than us today.

[@militant_daisies2194]

losing those ships is heartbreaking. just heartbreaking

[@Evigmae]

this hurts me deep in my soul

[@spunj]

Thank you so much for your videos. I came across them almost by mistake months ago and I look forward to a new one every time!

[@afwaga]

somehow you answer all the questions about romans I never knew I had, got that book ordered up, cant wait!

[@patriciapalmer1377]

Thank you for your time and effort on our behalf. This saddens me to my core. Pat

[@donrobertson4611]

These videos are a valuable historical service, I've never heard of most of these stories.

[@karlmarxii1898]

More people, especially politicians, should see these so they will sponsor restoration or creating replicas of the works that were completely lost. It's our duty as humans to restore our own heritage. So many governments are wasting money on looking to the stars and beyond, when that money could have gone to restoring our heritage which is far more valuable and important.

[@rogerlawrencewhite1475]

TY for creating this series

[@playme129]

I preordered your book, because I find your videos to be fascinating and informative. Thank you. Virginia

[@edwingatongomez7242]

Thank you. These are stories that need to be told 👍👍

[@22vx]

I knew, however painful to watch, that this would be excellent!

[@MichaelHayesagent]

Hey man you always have interesting historical videos . Just wanted to say thanks for the great content .

[@MikeSmith-fs9wh]

The floating palaces are amazing- with the landscape on the top.

[@muskratrepairservices7701]

Been watching a bunch of your videos. Great stuff; keep up the good work!

[@SeanGooley]

good job man, fascinating!

[@carleslazaro6117]

Superb video, thank you very much.

[@josephlloyd9636]

Amazing to know this history !! Thank you.. enjoy all your🦉 wonderful videos so much.. keep them coming..ty...

[@PrimephotoStudio]

Great video, thank you for sharing it with us.

[@erisu69]

Great video on an absolutely fascinating topic! It's so easy to think of historical artefacts as unchanging snapshots of the past moment when they were created, but the reality is that they continue to exist, change and take on new meanings as time goes by. Sad to see these ancient objects swallowed by history, but I suppose that's the fate of everything in the end.

[@Nerthos]

"The Germans were the worst offenders" *proceeds to explain how 3 out of four sites were shelled, bombed or looted by the allies*

[@RazrIllusion]

I think he means he worst offenders in looting art, not shelling it or anything

[@entropyapathy]

3 out of 4 noteworthy ones doesn't outweigh all the ones looted/destroyed from France, Egypt, and North Africa. Besides you can't guarantee the safety of historical artifacts when you garrison soldiers and store munitions next to them while losing a war.

[@jpvansplunder]

I noticed this too. I was looking for this comment, before I was going to comment it myself.

[@jamesricker3997]

The allies didn't go out of their way to do it. Well the Western allies anyway.

[@Nerthos]

@@jamesricker3997 The Germans didn't any more than others either, a lot of their art moving was to tunnels and vaults where they wouldn't be destroyed. I'm not saying they were carebears but in this regard they were far from the worst, there are many examples, like the refusal to loot and burn Paris on the way out.

[@forzastella1]

Your videos are fantastic. Very well put together and presented. Thank you for sharing

[@TheCrusader1000]

Love your video. Heart breaking to see this lost tresure. Thankyou for what your doing.

[@ma32851]

This was really interesting! Such great losses.

[@robbabcock_]

Great video! The tragic stupidity and futility of war is amply displayed by looking back at the priceless artifacts of the past that have been lost forever.

[@btetschner]

Excellent video, very interesting. Thank you for the video.

[@Eggust]

You’re my new favorite channel !!! I wish they made learning history fun in school, I really do love learning this stuff!! Thank you for the amazing content !!

[@macgregorpaxson]

The history lost is tragic! Great job on this video, helping keep this information known and appreciated.

[@whimsymaker]

Such an awesome channel...

[@Articulate99]

Always interesting, thank you.

[@timdurham8989]

Thank you so much for this history lesson!

[@leftyfourguns]

Makes you realize that there really could've been an Atlantis. 4,000+ years is plenty of time to wipe out all traces of a civilization

[@paulcarpenter885]

Yes but I'd imagine we'd still have something maybe not directly from them but at least a mention in other civilizations writings. But sadly nothing.

[@SonofSethoitae]

Obviously not, given that we have a ton of artifacts from the Bronze Age, which was about that long ago

[@Home_Rich]

​@@paulcarpenter885 Plato

[@brianthesnail3815]

Little known fact. Some of the Elgin Marbles were in crates in the hold of the battleship called HMS Rodney that actually sank the Bismarck. The ship was taking the marbles to the USA bound for Boston when ordered to divert and intercept the Bismarck. The HMS Rodney was built in 1923 and therefore old and was sent in first in a suicide charge as the other large battleships like King George V stood back. The orders to sink Bismarck at all cost including ramming to take it down. My grandfather was a gunnery officer on HMS Rodney and saw the battle at first hand. In the final hour the two ships slugged it out just a mile apart. Had the HMS Rodney sunk many of the Elgin marbles would have been lost at the bottom of the Atlantic but luckily it prevailed and limped home to the UK, low on fuel and heavily damaged. It set sail again for Boston a week later after patch up repairs.

[@toldinstone]

That's fascinating. I may have to use that episode in a future video...

[@JohnDaubSuperfan369]

I mean the Elgin marbles had no business travelling anywhere, especially the states or UK

[@kaloarepo288]

There is a theory that the famous amber room -originally in a Russian palace -then packed into crates to save it from destruction during World War 2, ended up on the bottom of the Baltic when a German ship on which it was being transported was sunk by the allies.Could have been that German ship where something like six thousand lives were lost making the "Titanic" disaster look tame. Forgotten the ships name.

[@kaloarepo288]

@@JohnDaubSuperfan369 I disagree - they most probably would have been destroyed had they remained in situ on the Parthenon as Turks had no interest in ancient Greek relics and Athens was in the Ottoman empire at the time. Ottoman government was grateful for Britain saving its bacon in the Napoleonic wars and gave Lord Elgin, British ambassador free reign to have the marbles. Similarly Ottoman empire decades later gave their new imperial German allies to have the Pergamum altar - just as spectacular as Parthenon frieze and now in a German museum and no one seems to protest about this as Pergamum is in today's Turkey not in Greece.

[@ExVeritateLibertas]

@@kaloarepo288 The Wilhelm Gustloff is I believe the ship you are referring to. It was evacuating German civilians from East Prussia when sunk by a Soviet sub. Nearly 10,000 died.

[@march11stoneytony]

I love your videos. Especially the longer ones.

[@adambrown4162]

I bought your book, can't wait for it to arrive. Thanks for the great videos

[@sppl623]

i was just binging your videos and here you are further feeding my addiction

[@classiclife7204]

I love the classical world and this sort of stuff makes me unutterably sad. Especially those Caligula boats, only old b&w photographs remaining. Did not know about the tunnel. Anyway, another great video, thank you.

[@David7500]

Thank you for the video

[@patrickdwyer320]

very well done, bravo, keep 'em comin' buddy

[@kevb3047]

Garrett I can still see the beauty of those achievements- humans waste so much, but it's still enlightening to know what beauty came before us, rather than never learn about it

[@diegocembrolamusica]

Great video. N. 1 is perhaps the bombing if Pompeii in August 1943. Many of the houses were severely damaged and the antiquarium was almost destroyed.

[@toldinstone]

I'm planning a separate video on the bombing of Pompeii, which should appear in a few weeks.

[@steadybacon1606]

Cool video. Thanks for your time.

[@williamirvine7071]

Amazing Information

[@robertgiles9124]

So glad Staglieno was not bombed. THAT is such a treasure. I shoot cemeteries all over and went to Genoa in 2000. Amazing sculptures there.

[@cherylsmith4826]

All the senseless loss because of war is simply heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing with us these amazing places

[@susanhepburn6040]

Thank you very much.

[@jupiterbeings]

Excellent. Thanks.

[@AnyoneCanSee]

Great video, I know time is a constraint but you should have mentioned the recent discovery of the part of the floor of one of the Nemi ships made into a table and found in New York. There are also other bronzes that survive from the ships, a bronze head of Medusa and lions and boars in bronze with rings that are stunning.

[@blastfromthepast7119]

How did it get in a table in NY?

[@AnyoneCanSee]

@@blastfromthepast7119 - If you Google "Mosaic floor from Caligula’s ship, coffee table, New York" you'll find many articles about it as it. In brief, the floor was stolen from a museum in Italy in WW2. It went onto the black market of stolen antiquities and was sold to wealthy Americans who used the 2000-year-old mosaic as a coffee table top for 50 years. Incredibly, there was a book signing by an expert on ancient mosaics and there was an old picture of the mosaic in the book and the author overheard someone say, "hey look, that's your mosaic". They say it was an "innocent purchase" but they made a sharp exit but were eventually tracked down. It's been returned to Italy. There are still many stolen artefacts, especially stolen in the war period that still turn up. Some were destroyed and some were thought destroyed but turn up. Whoops that wasn't so brief after all.

[@anitapodsudek8041]

Funny thing: the most determined destroyers of Christian treasures as well as ancient monuments and artifacts of Western culture heritage were the "Allies," who bombed tham without any military objectove excuse (they would do the same decades later in Syria), while fascist Mussolini was concerned to salvage the ancient Roman ships...

[@deeem2628]

Yup. This channel is communist joke!

[@entertherealmofchaos]

Today I learned something interesting. Nice video 👍

[@seaninness334]

Thanks for the video and terrible story of loss, which in and of itself, is also a kind of treasure. Subscribed!

[@miguelconti2304]

I lived most of my life in Rome and knowing I could never see the Nemi ships is a trauma that has never left me. I truly appreciate there are other people that care as much as I do. Makes me feel I am not suffering alone :’( I appreciated how in Pisa they gained all those thousands of piece to try and put those artefacts together.

[@chino3796]

The loss of these ships is a loss to the world. We who value the past, weep with you.

[@t16205]

So many important clues to our past have been destroyed by war through the ages, we now know very little about ancient humanity. Its gut wrenching

[@josesandoval1440]

A reminder to us of the danger of fascism

[@donaldfuck]

​@@josesandoval1440 Mussolini spent millions for saving those incredible and unique roman ships and the last thing he wanted was to destroy them.

[@sergi7071]

@@josesandoval1440 3 of 4 piaces o art in the video were destroyed by allies tho and many more aren't mentioned in the video. 94% of my city, Rimini, was bombed by US troops killing thousands of innocents and destroying several archaeological sites.

[@silverstar8868]

It's kinda crazy that items and buildings as old or sometimes older than the Roman State lived long enough yo see destruction in WWII. From spears and shields to rifles and tanks.

[@bob1si]

Great vid

[@shawna620]

Oh, that is so terrible! I'm glad there were some photos but still, what a tragic loss.

[@modulusorbis5323]

as italian and roman, i cant never forgive usa for bombard and burn down the roman naval museum and his absolutley unic imperial ship in ww2

[@dragoon343]

The Nemi ships sound very interesting, can you do a video about them?

[@robertonarvaez7848]

History channel did a special on Caligula's ships.

[@coffeeNTrees]

your videos are just %$@!%$% amazing. thanks for the work that you do.

[@Viking88Power]

Great video

[@bubbles190]

Maybe a video of ancient artifacts that never should have survived but did? Just to even out the mood...

[@rickb3078]

Yes please!

[@paulohagan3309]

Good call!

[@freestyla85]

Its amazing the colosseum is still around, one bomb from WW2 could've destroyed it almost entirely

[@Envy_me94]

While its painful to hear about these treasures lost forever, please don't stop what you are doing.

[@caseygravity4211]

Absolutely love this video

[@williamkreth]

These videos are fantastic

[@abroadwiththeburrells]

Gut wrenching. Especially the Nemi ships. Such a monumental loss for all of humanity. How many other treasures (that we've never heard of) have been lost to human destruction?

[@naturbursche5540]

Worse was the loss of people and culture. Look in the mirror what shameful things happened to white women since the last good country was desroyed.

[@karlmarxii1898]

Many others. Library of Alexandria, Library of Baghdad, the Swedish Deluge and Partitions of Poland and the Jagiellonian collections, the Sack of Constantinople, there's far too many.

[@Ellis01234567890]

These were all very interesting and tragic, but I only just found out about Caligula's barges and was really hoping you weren't going to say what I thought you was going to say. Would have loved to have seen them

[@kidbyart6224]

Thnx!

[@4pmpm114]

Ive often lamented over the classic buildings bombed to rubble. I wasnt aware of this.

[@csvvv]

The more I learn about WW2, the more I see that the allies weren't as good as the press make them look like.

[@manos7958]

As Winston Churchill once said, “History is written by the Victors”.

[@GoodVideos4]

I recently read an article saying that quite a number of allied bombs were dropped on Pompeii. There are even still some unexploded ones. It makes me wonder how much of Pompeii was destroyed.

[@AntiM1001]

It makes you also wonder why they bombing historic places. But americans are known for reckless bombing

[@Dorilefishy]

​@@AntiM1001WW1 and 2 were just covered ups

[@liberalbias4462]

​@@AntiM1001hell ya 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@csabaszabo8624]

Congrats, this is a rare and very interesting topic! Some notes: there is a comprehensive catalogue of the lost and transfered objects from the Berliner Sammlung, but as you mentioned, several objects are impossible to follow. Another great loss can be named also in Pompeii, which suffered several explosions in the war.

[@jac1897]

I LOVE THIS CHANNEL!!!

[@thickernell]

Ordered the book, but I hope some production company opts to pick up the book and make a mini-series, with you as host, for Discovery Channel, Smithsonian Channel or similar.

[@leegould5306]

Strange how historically important architecture is destroyed in massive numbers in all great wars, WW1, WW2, Korean, Cambodia etc. Etc. Even now in Syria

[@m.e.345]

Thanks!

[@toldinstone]

That's very kind of you!

[@Insectoid_]

I can’t watch this. It’ll break my heart.

[@miguelconti2304]

: ( don’t let us suffer alone. I’ve been carrying this pain in me for 7 years I’ve known about them