I thought I'd post this here rather than the reenactment/reconstruction section as most subjects there seem to be aimed at the knucklescraper fraternity :wink:
This is for project for 2013. I've attached an image from Zeugma of the mosaics from the triclineum showing Dionysus on parade and the other showing Pasiphae, 2 servants, Daedelus and that dozy son of his.
My question is aimed at those of you with a 'comfortable' understanding of the Greek myths, (by comfortable I mean that you know them not just as academic exercises). What would you have as subjects on the floor of your dining room. What would you want it to say to your guests about your taste, culture, need to show off ( :wink: ).
Sad to say I don't know the myths as well as I should but i'd be interested to see what replies I get. Style as pertaining to timeline or region is something I would deal with, it's the subject and composition that I need.
Are you looking for possible themes, or themes which actually appear as mosaics somewhere? Are you thinking of a dining room as we understand it now, or one specifically designed for Greek-style symposia? Also, does it have to be mythology, or can other themes be proposed? Do you want Greek, or also Roman?
One of the problems, as far as my knowledge with triclinia floor mosaics goes, is that you need to accommodate the couches. Not much sense in hiding a wonderful image under one of the clinia. So, many of these suggestions would be more appropriate to the vestibulum or equivalent, rather than the triclinium.
- For the lover of culture, we have the common set of Homer and the Muses. Cf. for example the Mosaic from Vichten (Luxembourg). Optionally replace Homer by Virgil or Hercules Musageiton. For a different experience, use the the Seven Sages. Even fewer people will be able to enumerate them than are able to give you the names and associations of the Muses.
- Should you want to remind your guests of the cost of Hybris, the myth of Marsyas is a fine, if somewhat gory example: make sure your guests can stomach eating meat whilst watching a mosaic of someone being skinned. So this works for the moraliser and the person of somewhat... eccentric tastes. Alternatives would by Niobe and her children, Arachne at her loom, and a few other tales. The Sword of Damocles could also work. You can go all the way of the House of the Moralist, and actually write rules on the walls.
- Would you rather people understand you are an admirer of physical strength? The labors of Hercules won't fail you. Possibly the Trojan War could be used, but you risk people think you are a bit trivial. If your name is Trimalchio, that won't matter, but then you've probably gotten the myths wrong anyway.
- Are you a hero yourself? Or, at least, would you want people to believe it? Check out Plautus's Miles Gloriosus, and imagine how fine it would be if you could not only tell people how you killed that elephant with one blow, but actually show it! [The play is based on a Greek original, so this could work for Greece too, though it might need a lot of explaining].
- Do you simply love wine and women? There's always the centaurs stealing the women of the Lapithes. With or without the comeuppance. A Bacchanalia, as featured in the Villa dei Misteri, could also work. Possibly also a hunt with Artemis and her followers (Acteon will help), a parade of Aphrodite and her Erotes.
- Inclined towards the mythical? Amor and Psyche. Also, if your neighbour has the parade of Dionysus, (and following Apuleius) use Isis. At least as mythical as the Bacchanalia, and even more esoteric.
- If you are a patriot, remember those glorious battles fought by your people. If the inhabitants of the Villa of the Faun can put up a mosaic of Alexander, counter with Marathon, Salamis, Thermopylae, Leuktra, the "Battle of the Fetters", or the defeat of the Athenians at Syracuse. Or the foundation myth of your city.
- Hate cleaning up? Depict the remains of food on the mosaic [these exist!] and nobody will notice! ;p
- If you are the emperor Domitian, keep it all black and pretend you're in the Underworld to give your guests a good scare. But I doubt a pure-black mosaic is what you are looking for.
M. Caecilius M.f. Maxentius - Max C.
Qui vincit non est victor nisi victus fatetur
- Q. Ennius, Annales, Frag. XXXI, 493
Thanks Max, that's given me a lot to go on.
I won't be copying previously found mosaics as this is technically difficult in that with figural and portrait work you either do a piece for piece copy or you copy the subject but using your own style. Anything in between ends up very badly, as I know from experience!
It will be for a triclineum floor so I need to have a smaller compostion facing the guests as they are reclining to eat so I see that as more the discussion piece.
The larger one would be orientated to face the guests as they entered the room.
With all your suggestions I'd be interested to know what you would choose?
Quote:It will be for a triclineum floor so I need to have a smaller compostion facing the guests as they are reclining to eat so I see that as more the discussion piece.
The larger one would be orientated to face the guests as they entered the room.
With all your suggestions I'd be interested to know what you would choose?
Ah, I get the system. It'd be tricky to decide what to chose for myself. For a real conversation piece, I'd check up some of the debates of scholars in the vein of Varro, Aulus Gellius, and some of the scholiasts about myths, and include as many less-known aspects around the common image as possible. One example that springs to mind is Romulus and Remus not only with the wolf, but with the ficus ruminalis, the woodpeckers, some birds to indicate the omen of the foundation of Rome, a city in the background to represent Alba, perhaps someone ploughing in the background (which would be out of place, but might suggest the foundation of Rome), and so forth. Essentially, hiding as many clues as possible. That's inspired by a coin of Pompeius Fostulus, by the way - although the ficus ruminalis would not have been as obscure back than as it would be now outside certain circles. That's merely an example, but it would be a central story that is well known with numerous clues about other elements and future events hidden in the image. I'm not quite sure the Romans did this outside of literature (there's a passage in the Aeneid that springs to mind), though.
Another theme I'd quite like would be the selling of the Sybilline Books to King Tarquin, although discussions about the economical reasons and sense of buying 3 books for the price of 9 will get old soon.
I would never do anything of this kind if I lived in ancient Rome, though, unless I really was a Roman: otherwise, I'd probably be considered like the already-mentioned Trimalchio or make an appearance in Martial or Juvenal!
For the floor piece, I'd be inclined to a simple geometric pattern, which is more calming; but if looking for a conversation piece, I'd probably go with the moralistic pattern. Something like the murder of Tarpeia for betrayal or the expulsion of the Kings from Rome.
Come to think of it, I may want to keep another dining Room decorated with some of the stratagems of Frontinus or stories by Valerius Maximus, but I'd have to read through them again to find something appropriate. Unfortunately, I'm currently too tired to do some proper research, but that is probably one direction I would turn to.
It would be easier if I was a sports fan. I could chose a circus racing team in that case!
M. Caecilius M.f. Maxentius - Max C.
Qui vincit non est victor nisi victus fatetur
- Q. Ennius, Annales, Frag. XXXI, 493
I would want the Pandoras Box imagery, Persephone, herecules, Perseus,
Imagry from the trojan war, The odessey and the Illiad,
plus a few nods to the gods....Bahaccus, Mars, Mithras, Apollos, Artemis....
Confused? I am! lol
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
You wouldn't be short of conversation, for sure....
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
A dramatic scene from the story of Glaucus and Scylla might be good - lovestruck sea-god and rather less enamoured water nymph.
Particularly good if you could depict the moment where Scylla herself turns into a sea-monster, although that might put people off their dinners...
A fragment of a poem by Cornificius (1st c. BC) suggests that 'binatured centaurs' might have featured in the story in some way as well, but quite what part they had in the saga I can't imagine!
Thanks for all those suggestions, with the subjects you've suggested it does make you think how many mosaics we've lost given the breath of subjects for figural work.
I've copied the texts and will follow them up later on. Once I've done the pebble floor then I'll start on the plans for this and hope to have the artwork done by March/April next year.
It'd be tricky to decide what to chose for myself. For a real conversation piece, I'd check up some of the debates of scholars in the vein of Varro, Aulus Gellius, and some of the scholiasts about myths, and include as many less-known aspects around the common image as possible. One example that springs to mind is Romulus and Remus not only with the wolf, but with the ficus ruminalis, the woodpeckers, some birds to indicate the omen of the foundation of Rome, a city in the background to represent Alba, perhaps someone ploughing in the background (which would be out of place, but might suggest the foundation of Rome), and so forth. Essentially, hiding as many clues as possible. That's inspired by a coin of Pompeius Fostulus, by the way - although the ficus ruminalis would not have been as obscure back than as it would be now outside certain circles. That's merely an example, but it would be a central story that is well known with numerous clues about other elements and future events hidden in the image. I'm not quite sure the Romans did this outside of literature (there's a passage in the Aeneid that springs to mind), though. 
