Several sculptures have been located and recovered during the summer of 1980 by tourists, in a distance around 300 meters from shore.
The impressive sculptures are dated to the Hellenistic Period. The sculptures were probably looted in the antiquity from a Greek temple. The ship sunk on its journey towards Italy.
The statues and the architectural elements are nowadays exhibited in the Pasha’s Building of the Fortress of Pylos as part of the ‘Exhibition of Underwater Antiquities’.
The archaeological finds include three marble column bases, two marble capitals and six marble statues.

A short description of the statues:
1. Statue of a standing nude youth in the type of “Satyr” accompanied by a small animal. The head is missing. The statue of Cephalonia Island is probably a copy of a famous prototype of the Hellenistic Era. The youth bends strongly towards the left, crosses the legs and leans against a tree trunk. Α hide is hanging from the left shoulder and is wrapped around the tree trunk. The loose bending of the figure is already present since 4th century B.C in sculptures of Praxiteles and was very common theme of sculptors in Hellenistic period.
2. Statue of a seated male figure in the type of god Sarapis or Serapis. The cult of Sarapis started during the period of the Hellenistic Kingdoms having the most renowned statue in the temple of Alexandria- Egypt, dated to the 3rd century B.C. The statue of Cephalonia, even though poorly preserved, shows some basic characteristics: the god is presented enthroned, with a short-sleeved chiton. A himation is hanging around his thigh. This type of statue is accompanied normally by Cerberus resting on his feet but here only part of it is preserved.
3. Another version of the type of “Satyr” is depicted as a standing nude youth with a short chlamys or a wide. The figure is presented tall and thin. His body is twined as if he is dancing. The head of the statue is missing. Satyrs, Maenads, Nymphs and other figures of the Dionysian Thiasus, the god’s retinue, are a common theme in the Hellenistic sculptures. During the Roman Period their depiction was common in the decoration of the gardens in villas. This could explain the final destination of the particular objects found in Xi.
4. The statue presents a standing, nude youth with a chlamys around his shoulder, following the type of Hermes or Ganymede. The head is missing. The chlamys is secured with a fibula on the right arm while it is wrapped around the left arm. The statue is based on the right leg whereas the left remains loose. Normally the statue should bend on its left side on a tree trunk, on which the chlamys would fall securing the statue.
5. The statue of a standing clothed woman or a goddess with a long chiton folded beneath the breast and a himation covering the back and the left shoulder creating folds. This type has been used since the classic period in order to depict goddesses such as Themis, Hygeia, Τyche or personification of cities or terms like “Democracy”.
6. Statue of a standing nude youth. His head, right arm and part of his legs are missing. A himation falls on the left shoulder and wraps around this arm.


Funding: Ministry of Culture and Sports