Villa Owned by Ben-Hur's Rival Identified

Discovery News ^ | Friday, February 13, 2015 | Rossella Lorenzi

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists investigating the Tuscan island of Elba have identified the remains of the villa belonging to the real-life individual that inspired one of the principal characters in the epic tale of Ben-Hur.

Overlooking Portoferraio's bay, the once magnificent 1st-century B.C. villa has long been believed to have been owned by Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, portrayed as Ben-Hur in the Hollywood blockbuster starring Charlton Heston.

Now in ruins, the property was known as Villa Le Grotte (the Caves) because of the shape of its vaulted facades facing the sea.

While Ben-Hur was a fictional villain dreamed up in Lew Wallace's 1880 novel and immortalized in the 1959 MGM movie, the Messalla character was based on a real-world historical figure. Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus was a member of one of the oldest and most important families in Rome, the patron of the poet Ovid, and a commander at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C., fighting for Octavian against the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

The now ruined villa has long been associated to Messalla's patrician family but no evidence was ever found to confirm the speculation. It is known that the poet Ovid, of whom Messalla was patron, went to visit Messalla's son on Elba prior to his exile on the Black Sea. However, in his account Ovid doesn't provide any detail about the place he was staying.

Startling evidence about Le Grotte's owner came when archaeologists excavated the area just below the villa. Along with the remains of a large collapsed building, five dolia, large earthenware vases, were uneathed. Each vase could hold between 1,300 and 1,500 liters of wine. Clearly, the site was a farm serving the Roman villa.

[Billthedrill]

What's so funny about Biggus...

[Ellendra]

Each vase could hold between 1,300 and 1,500 liters of wine.

I'm wondering about the kiln that fired those things!

[vetvetdoug]

Its good Lew Wallace could write. He took a day and a half to find an active battlefield with over a hundred thousand men trying to kill each other.

[Pollster1]

There is a 2014 Ben-Hur movie??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoEtt0MFT60

There are also (legal) clips of the 1959 version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIC284e0AuE

It’s a good story, and the older version is a great movie. I’ll be interested in seeing what they learn over time from this villa, besides that wealthy Romans did some serious drinking.

[SunkenCiv]

I think one of the disk sets around here has the silent production on the “extras”. Before it was made into a movie, it was a huge stage hit; there was a big treadmill prop that made it possible for the chariot race to use real running horses. It was a massive success and led both to a lawsuit (it was adapted for the stage without Wallace’s permission or remuneration) and eventually the film version(s).

[SunkenCiv]

They must have been expecting a lot of company, regardless. ;’)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Derwood Kirby played the part of BEN HIM in a skit on the old GARY MOORE SHOW back around 1960.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, I like to throw in the movie and just watch the galley / sea battle scenes.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I'm related to Francis X. Bushman who played Mesalla in the silent version of Ben Hur.

I didn't get his looks or physique...

[SunkenCiv]

It’s not out of the realm of possibility, had he been a real person.

[SunkenCiv]

Slaves make a bad investment, what with all the politically correct nanny-state regulations. But give Obama another couple of years, and shariah will change all that.

[central_va]

I thought Ben Hur’s friend was Ben Him and their rival was Ben Gay!

The gay rival's name was Ben-Dover.

[Fiji Hill]

Victor Davis Hanson, whose writings frequently appear on this site, has argued that Ben-Hur is really about the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, in which the author took part.

[Hugin]

Maybe, but he wouldn’t have been driving chariots in the circus.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Ben Hur - starring John Candy in the title role;
( 24 minutes )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK4uTmwPC5o

[wildbill]

Oh, you must be referring to Incontinentia.

Funniest movie of all time, hands down.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it certainly is funny. Now I think I’ll dig it out and watch it again.

[minnesota_bound]

Along with the remains of a large collapsed building, five dolia, large earthenware vases, were uneathed. Each vase could hold between 1,300 and 1,500 liters of wine.

Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus drank a lot!

[TigersEye]

Each vase could hold between 1,300 and 1,500 liters of wine.

Party on, Marcus!

[Swordmaker]

How obvious can it be that Rossella Lorenzi has never even READ Ben Hur, a Novel of the Christ, or seen the various film adaptations of Ben Hur when she claims that Messalla was played by Charlton Heston and that Ben Hur was a villain dreamed up by author Lew Wallace???? Why should we give any more credence to the rest of the “facts” presented in her article? I started laughing with her first howler. The rest was lost while I Rolled on the floor laughing my Posterior off.