Rescue of the Palladium

The Palladium was a wooden image of Pallas created in her memory by her foster-daughter, the goddess Athena. This fell from heaven in answer to a prayer by Illus, the founder of Troy, and became one of that city's greatest treasures. After the destruction of Troy, the Palladium was taken by Aeneas to Italy, and became a treasure of the new city of Rome. Okay, moving from mythic origins to history, the Palladium was seen by the Romans as one of their most sacred relics and a guarantee of the city's protection. It was kept in the Temple of Vesta, and in 241 BC the temple caught fire. The famous general and Pontifex Maximus Lucius Caecilius Metellus did not fear for his own life, but bravely plunged into the flames and came out carrying the precious Palladium, as shown by -lokosuperfluoLEGOman-. Metellus survived, but was blinded, and he was honored by the Roman Senate for his heroism.