Quiz

[PhilusEstilius]

There are indeed many Villas around the southern areas of England but only a few here in Northumberland must go chase a few more in some of my books.

[Nathan Ross]

Littlecote Villa - the 'orpheus' mosaic.

Function? Well, it's a large hall, part triconch part rectangular, probably used as a pagan cultic dining hall separate from the main villa, with its own bath suite and courtyard constructed c360. The mosaic may represent Orpheus, or Apollo 'with orphic attributes' (Toynbee, Britannia, 1981).

Unusual layout - hmm, halls like this are usually integrated with the main building, perhaps? It has a very long rectangular area outside the triconch (for lesser status diners)? Otherwise not sure!

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Nathan,

Good enough for me. Correct place, correct function.

The 'unusual layout' that I was looking for is that this part of the building was built across part of the Roman London-Bath road. Not very common in Roman days - but perhaps the villa owner was powerful enough to force a 'Littlecote bypass!' :woot:

Over to you Nathan!

[attachment=7319]mosaicorpheuslittlecote.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=7320]mosaic.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=7321]mosaiclittlecotevillalayout.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=7322]mosaiclittlecotevilla.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=7323]mosaiclittlecotevillaplan.jpg[/attachment]

[Nathan Ross]

Alright, here's another bit of unusual domestic architecture. Again, where and what?:

[attachment=7324]Image.jpg[/attachment]

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Is that supposed to be a leopard in the mosaic btw?

[Nathan Ross]

Some clues - it's part of a villa, in Italy, next to the sea... ;-)

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

The villa of Licinius Murena? With the basins for some kind of exotic warm water fish?

[Nathan Ross]

That would be neat, but sadly no! It's actually a form of dining room...

[Vindex]

Tiberius' villa at...erm...Clactonius??

Damn - can't remember it; will have to go and look it up! :errr:

[Nathan Ross]

Sperlonga? (although Clactonius - or Clactonium - might have been safer...)

No, it's not! ;-)

[Nathan Ross]

Hmm, I suspect nobody's going to get this one (or perhaps nobody fancies guessing?)...

So, to get things moving again, I'll reveal that the picture above was taken at the Roman Villa at Minori on the Amalfi coast. The room is apparently a nymphaeum-triclinium: the water cascaded down the 'stairs' at the back and flowed around the decorative basins in front of the seating couches; diners could presumably dabble their hands in the water as they ate, or even float dishes in the basins, perhaps... More pics of the triclinium here.

Meanwhile, an easy one for anyone who fancies continuing. Where's this tree?:

[attachment=7403]tree.jpg[/attachment]

[Flavivs Aetivs]

The Forum in Rome?

[Nathan Ross]

The Forum in Rome?

Very close! ;-)

[caiusbeerquitius]

Baths of Caracalla?

[caiusbeerquitius]

Or is it the tree on the little mound that partially covers the well in the garden outside of the imperial palace, in front of the Museo Palatino?