Israeli archaeologists unearth 1,800-year-old mosaic, also featuring Greek inscription

A 1,800-year-old mosaic of toga-clad men dating back to the Roman era has been unearthed in Israel, archaeologists said on Thursday.

The mosaic was discovered during the excavation of a building from the Byzantine period - some 300 years younger than the mosaic it was on top of - in the coastal city of Caesarea.

"The surprise was actually that we found two beautiful monuments from the glorious days of Caesarea," Peter Gendelman, co-director of excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority, told Reuters of the building and mosaic.

Caesarea was a vibrant Roman metropolis built in honour of Emperor Augustus Caesar by King Herod, who ruled Judea from 37 BC until his death in 4 BC.

The excavated portion of the mosaic, which the antiquities authority said was 3.5 metres by 8 metres in size, depicts three toga-clad men, as well as geometric patterns and an...