Bust of Caesar found in Rhone

A BUST of Julius Caesar, believed to be the oldest depiction of the emperor, has been found in the River Rhone near Arles.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Culture said the bust was “typical of a series of realistic portraits from the period of the (Roman) republic” and “the oldest representation yet known of Caesar.”

Arles was founded by Julius Caesar in 46BC.

An archaeological team found the bust along with three other statues, including one of the god Neptune dating from the beginning of the third century AD.

French archaeologist Luc Long, who directed excavations at the underwater site, said: "I suspect the bust was thrown in the river after he was assassinated because it would not have been good at that time to be considered a follower of his,

"In Rome you don't find any statues of Caesar dating from the time he lived, they were all posthumous.”