Piazza Armerina-Tour of Villa Romana del Casale

I know these posts are very long--I'm sure my daughter will say it's too much to read :)--but I was amazed by the Villa. The art work is much more beautiful than my pictures show, and the craftsmanship is amazing. When you are there and you can see the small pieces of stone used to make the mosaics you realize the artists must have spent months on their knees to make the beautiful pictures on the floor. The entire villa is amazing--not just because of the artwork, but the structure of the building itself. So, lets take of tour of the villa so I can share my amazement with whoever may visit my site. I hope you find some of the same awe I did in touring these ancient ruins

The Aqueducts

The Water Supply of the Villa

The villa received its water from two aqueducts. One entered from the north and fed the piscina or pool baths. Parts of this aqueduct still remain at the entrance to the villa. The second aqueduct entered from the east and feed a reservoir behind the Triclinium. The water was then led through a passage between the Hall of Orpheus and the Room of the Girls in Bikini into the pool of the Peristyle. The water then flowed from the pool and supplied the Internal Latrine and the fountain of the Atrium, then passed to the Outside Latrine.

The Atrium

An Atrium With Portico and Fountains

This is the first courtyard a visitor would see when entering the villa. It is located between the Entrance Arch, the Latrine, the Thermal Baths and the Tablinum leading to the center of the villa. The courtyard is an irregular shape, having a portico with Ionic columns on three sides, and the Entrance Arch on the fourth side. Under the portico was a mosaic of geometric design with a fish scale pattern in two colors. The center of the courtyard was paved with limestone, and there was a fountain. On the inside of the Entrance Arch were two semicircular fountains with slabs of marble. There are passages from the Atrium to the Latrine and to the Thermal Baths and the Tablinum. When the owner received his clients the less important ones would wait in the Atrium. It was probably usually very crowded when the owner was present with people entering, leaving and waiting under the portico. The large Latrine nearby indicated the presence of a large number of people for long periods of time. Some of the original columns remain in the Atrium, and parts of the pavement, including the mosaics, are also still visible. It appears much more open now than it would have been when the walls were present and columns were on all sides. The passage to the Thermal Baths is via two room north of the Atrium, The first is square with a semi-circular apse. The floor has a geometric mosaic with the squares slightly tilted to form horizontal and vertical rhombs (diamonds). The squares contain a guilloche (repetitive architectural pattern) along the border with various stylised flowers inside. The rhombs have a stylised guilloche along the edge and a four-petalled flower inside. The apse has a simpler mosaic with a diagonal pattern of squares, each containing another square with a symmetrical cross inside. The next room, which opens on the south end of the palestra, has a mosaic with ovals placed diagonally in alternating directions, forming two larger rhombs in between. The ovals are made by guilloches that intertwine. Inside is a weave pattern and a stylised elongated flower, with a smaller flower in the smaller rhombs, and in the larger rhombs is a smaller rhombic shape in red and yellow. There are remains of wall paintings with ellipses with human figures inside in this room.

The Atrium of the Fishing Cupids

The Atrium of the Larger Private Apartments

This Atrium is located at the south end of the Corridor of the Great Hunt, between the Vestibule of Eros and Pan, Hall of Arion and the Vestibule of the Small Circus. It is semi-circular with a four column portico. In the center is a small, shallow pool with the remains of a fountain in the middle. Above the pool is a brickwork niche on the wall in the direction of the Corridor of the Great Hunt. This is the first room of the larger private apartment of the villa. Two door lead from the Corridor of the Great Hunt into the portico. This is supported by four ionic columns. The mosaic in the portico is similar to that of the one in the Room of the Fishing Cupids. There are Cupids aboard six boats and they are fishing in an abundant sea, each employing a different way of fishing. In the center of the picture, in front of the entrance to the Room of Arion, a pair of Cupids are swimming in the sea. In the background, along the outer perimeter of the semi-circle, the shore is lined with several porticoes with pavilions, behind which are several types of trees. This mosaic is very well preserved.

The Corridor of the Great Hunt

Mosaic With Magnificent Scenes of Hunts for Live Animals

This is a long corridor located between the Peristyle on the west and the Vestibule of Polyphemus, the Great Basilica and the Atrium of the Fishing Cupids on the east. It separates the public spaces on the east, the Peristyle, the Thermal Baths and the guest rooms from the Great Basilica and the private apartments on the west. The corridor is elevated above the level of the Peristyle, with entry from the Peristyle via three stairways, two of which are aligned with the northern and southern parts of the portico, and another stairway in the center just opposite the entrance to the Great Basilica. The corridor is separated from the Peristyle by a gallery of eight Corinthian columns. The room has apses in both ends. The mosaic here is very complex, depicting the capture of live wild beasts in the most distant parts of the empire and their transport eventually to the Colosseum In Rome for the venationes, or fights involving wild animals that were held in the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus, and other arenas. The position of the mosaic is centered in front of the entrance to the Great Basilica, where the animals arrive in Rome. The hunt starts in the extreme ends of the corridor, where there are also images of other area of the Roman Empire. The animals are being transported towards the center where Rome is located.

The Cubicle of Children Hunting

The Bedroom of the Lady of the House

This is a part of the larger private apartment, located between the Great Basilica, Hall of Arion and the Vestibule of Eros and Pan, from which there is an entrance. The room is a cubiculum, or bedroom. It is rectangular in shape, with a slightly narrower alcove at the end which was separated from the room by two columns. Nothing remains of the columns. The mosaic in the center of the cubicle shows scenes of children hunting. It is divided into three areas, with the lower area being somewhat larger than the others. There are three children in the upper area, all wearing colored, embroidered full sleeve tunics. In the center a boy is chasing a hare towards a boy to the left. The second boy is thrusting his venabulum, or spear, into the breast of the hare and blood is flowing heavily from the wound. On the right a boy has lassoed a duck, and the bird is flapping its wings violently, attempting to avoid capture. The middle area also shows three children, but in less heroic poses. They are also dressed in brightly colored tunics. On the left a boy has fallen to the ground and an animal, possibly a rat, is biting him in the leg. His wound is bleeding heavily. In the center, another boy is looking on in horror, raising his arms to the heavens in a cry for help. To the right is a third boy on his knees being attacked by a cock, which is using its beak and spurs. The third area, which is taller, shows combat scenes. . In the upper center is a boy confronting a huge bird while protecting himself with a small shield. On the left a second boy is fighting a peacock with a stick, and to the right a third boy is killing an attacking goat with a spear. All the scenes are set on a background of green branches with leaves and lots of fruit and flowers. These hunting scenes have a certain similarity with the hunting scenes found in the Room of the Little Hunt. Many of the details and motifs are the same with the exception of children being used instead of adults, a reduction to infancy of the same hunting scenes. A similar reductio ad infantium can be found in the Vestibule of the Small Circus. There is some damage to the lower area, and the lower right corner is completely gone. In the alcove the mosaic is more peaceful. The two areas there show scenes of children gathering flowers and weaving wreaths of flowers. In the upper area women are picking red flowers from the bushes and trees, and in the lower area a woman, a coronaria, is making garlands of flowers she has in a huge basket and another woman is arriving with two new baskets full of flowers. The wreaths they have already made are hanging from a tree. The women are dressed in full length tunics with sleeves, and this scene is very similar to one in the apse of the Cubicle of Choruses and Actors. On the threshold between the alcove and the man room is a scene with a boy carrying two large baskets full of flowers on a long rod over his neck. The border around the entire mosaic is a geometric pattern of squares. There are fragments of wall paintings visible in this room. Octagonal fields formed by two intertwined squares with human figures inside alternate with rhombs with flower motifs. Separating them are narrow rectangles with flowers. Some parts of the walls are covered with plaster use to repair the marble slabs. It is certain this is a cubiculum, but it is not clear whose bedroom it was. It has been suggested it was for children of the owner because of the number of children int eh mosaics, but if the Cubicle of Choruses and Actors was the bedroom of the lord of the villa this room may have been the cubiculum of the domina, or lady of the house. Separate bedrooms were common among the wealthy Romans.

The Cubicle of Choruses and Actors

Probably the Bedroom of the Owner of the Villa

This is another room in the larger private apartment. It is located next to the Hall of Arion, with the entrance being from the Vestibule of the Small Circus. It is a cubiculum, and is rectangular with a narrower semi-circular apse that is separated from the room by two columns. The mosaic in the main room shows actors and musicians in artistic compositions. It is contained in three areas. In the upper area are four musicians, one with a cithara, or guitar, mounted on a table; one with a tyoe of organ carried on the head; one playing a double flute; and the last one with a tibicine, another kind of flute. To the left is a man dressed in a toga over a tunic, with his right arm raised and a palm leaf in the left hand. He may be the arbiter ready to give the sign to start the competition. This part of the mosaic has been damaged. Below this is a series of people who could be comedians or musicians. This part has been heavily damaged. On the left side two women are visible and to the right is a man in tights and tunic, holding a crooked stick behind his head with both hands. The center of the mosaic is almost completely destroyed but one can recognize two people and what appears to be one or two large cymbals, one of which has small circles attached with the Greek letters Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon, denoting musical tones. The last area is also heavily damaged. On the left there are fragments of two people and what might be the foot of a mounted cymbal. In the middle and another mounted cymbal can bee seen, with three of probably five circles attached, with the Greek letters Gamma, Delta and Epsilon on it. Further right is a better preserved area with two people depicted. One is playing a chitara and is dressed in a full length, long sleeve tunic with horizontal bands. The other appears to be a poet who is reciting who is dressed in a long wide tunic with two clavi, or vertical stripes. The apse has a mosaic similar similar to one depicted in the alcove of the Cubicle of Children Hunting. It shows two women weaving crowns of roses while sitting on woven baskets on each side of a tree. Half finished crowns are hanging from the tree. At the feet of the women are more baskets with roses waiting to be used. In the middle of the tree is a large ivy leaf. The threshold to the apse has a mosaic of a table with what appears to be prizes of the winners of the competition of musicians and actors in the main room. It is very similar to the prize table in the Vestibule of Eros and Pan. On the table are two cylindrical objects, probably a kind of elaborate headdress. They are decorated with bands and colors, and two palm leaves are on each object. On the top there is a crown of roses much like the one being woven by the women in the scene above it. In two corners of the table are two sacks of money with the amount written on them--12.000 denarii in each. There are remains of plaster and paintings on the walls and some fragments of marble is still in place. This room and the Cubicle of Children Hunting are the largest and most luxurious cubicles in the villa. These along with the Hall of Arion and the common Atrium of the Fishing Cupids probably are the private apartment of the owner of the villa and his spouse. When the areas are compared, this bedroom is distinguished by the ivy leaf in the apse. The ivy leaf is recurring so often in the villa that it must have some relation to the dominus, and it appears to be where the bed would have been located, making it very likely to be the bedroom of the owner. The mosaic in the main room is a tribute to music and poetry and is another indication the owner was a great lover of them.

The Cubicle of Fruits

Bedroom with Geometric Mosaic and Wall Paintings

This is a cubiculum, or bedroom, located behind the Vestibule of Polyphemus. It is divided into two parts. The front part is almost square and behind it is a rounded apse, slightly narrower than the front part of the room. There are no traces of semi-columns separating the alcove from the front room as found in other parts of the villa. The mosaics are simpler indicating an occupant of lower standing. The front room has a geometric mosaic dominated by twelve pointed stars, each formed by three intertwined squares made of guilloches in red, green and yellow. Within each star is a laurel garland, golden leaves on red background or green leaves on black, with an image of fruit--grapes, melons, figs and pomegranates--inside. Twelve parallelograms around each star fill most of the remaining space, leaving four hexagons, and halves and quarters along the edges of the mosaic, with large red flowers. The threshold to the alcove was decorated with an elongated motif, but little remains of this. It may have been a picture of Cupids. The alcove has a geometric pattern appearing to be fish scales, each scale with a tulip-like flower. There are remains of frescoes on the walls, and rectangular fields contain images of Cupids. The mosaic in the front room with the fruit motifs is very well preserved. The band on the threshold to the alcove is almost entirely lost, and only parts of the mosaic in the alcove remain.

The Cubicle With Erotic Mosaic

Bedroom With Geometric Mosaic and Wall Paintings

This is yet another cubiculum, or bedroom, located north of the Vestibule of Polyphemus. It is divided into two parts, with the front of the room being slightly wider than the alcove in back, and they are divided by two bases that have probably supported two semi-columns. The mosaic in the front part of the room is geometric, while in the center is a twelve sided irregular polygon with a laurel garland wrapped with a red band. Inside this a circular emblems with a man and a woman kissing and embracing. She has her back to the viewer and is half undressed. He wears a crown of laurel and holds a situla--a bucket or jar--in his left hand. The same polygons with laurel garlands are repeated in halves and quarters in the sides and corners of the room and contain geometric patterns in the center. Hexagons with busts of female representations of the four seasons are at the four cardinale points around the central polygon. Each bust is surrounded by a hexagonal border of sea waves. Similar hexagons are repeated in halves along the border of the mosaic containing flower-like patterns. The remaining sides of the polygons contain squares with guilloches in various colors which together form four huge eight pointed stars in diagonal directions around the central polygon. At the center of the stars are laurel garlands with golden leaves on a red background, each of which encircle a female theatrical mask. The threshold between the front chamber and the alcove has a narrow mosaic with four children playing ball games. The alcove has a much simpler mosaic of overlapping circles forming a pattern of four leaved flowers. This is where the bed would have been. The walls of the room are still standing, and are covered with frescoes, which have been fairly well preserved. Red triangles on a green/tourquoise background form two rhombs on the back wall and one on each side wall. Inside the rhombs are human figures, only partly preserved. On the left back wall is a dancing woman wearing a dress of light fabric. She appears to be throwing a scarf into the air like the dancing woman in the Room of the Dance. The rhomb to the right shows a dancing satyr whose tail is clearl visible. The images on the side walls are more damaged and not easily identified. The frescoes depict Dionysiac scenes.

The Elliptical Peristyle

A Secondary Peristyle for Invited Guests

This Peristyle is located to the south of the central part of the villa, and forms, together with the Triclinium, a separate part of the villa. It is an oval space on the main axes, open in the center with porticos on the northeast and south sides. On the west side is an apse, probably covered by a semi-dome at one time that included three niches. The entrance to the Triclinium is on the east side, and along the north and south sides are groups of three small rooms that may have been service rooms. The central open space was paved with marble, but it did have a many colored mosaic in zig-zag pattern along the edge of the portico. In the middle was a fountain, but little remains of it. There was another fountain at the northeast side, close to the Tricinium of which the basin remains. The portico extends along three sides of the Peristyle in a horse shoe shape. The walls under this were plastered and painted. Some fragments are still visible, but the mosaic is mostly destroyed. The surviving pieces show a pattern of whirling acanthus scrolls containing heads of antelope, geese, bull, leopard, horse, duck, lion, bear and others. In between are some four petalled flowers. Rooms on the west have lost all mosaics. The middle room, which gave access to the other two, has remains of mosaics showing Cupids working at a wine press. The last room has a badly damaged mosaic of Cupids vintaging. These mosaics are usually covered by sand as they are not covered by a roof, and therefore are not visible to the public. The rooms to the south are similar. The middle one gave entry to the other two, but has completely lost its mosaic floor. Two rooms on the sides have similar motifs of Cupids fishing, but these too are usually covered by sand. There are two entrances to the Elliptical Peristyle, one through the corridor from the southwest corner of the Central Peristyle and the other through an intermediary space from the Corridor of the Great Hunt. The first entrance was likely used by the guests of the villa and the host probably used the second entrance. The double entrance and the splendor of the Peristyle and associated Trinlinium indicates an area used for representative purposes, probably banquets and other social events. This has been one of the showpieces of the villa, designed to demonstrate wealth and power of the owner.

The Entrance

Main Entrance to the Villa Complex

The entrance is located in the southwestern corner of the villa, as the road of access to the villa was from the south in the direction of Sofiana. Behind the entrance is the Atrium. The entrance was formed by a long courtyard with walls on both sides, leading up to a monumental three way arch. The wall to the sides have been painted and parts of the frescoes remain to the right of the arches. The three arches were flanked by Ionic columns and between the arches were two fountains. Inside and above them are geometric mosaics with flower motifs. The appearance of the entrance is militaristic, with the arches appearing to be a triumphal arch, a symbol of military accomplishments that would be immediately understood by people arriving to the villa. The fragments of paintings beside the arch look a lot like military insignia, adding to the symbolism. The upper parts of the arches have collapsed and the huge block of masonry is lying in front of the remains now. The arches were most likely covered by plaster or marble, but nothing remains of them now.

The Great Basilica

The Central Hall in the Villa

The central space of the villa is situated east of the main axis defined by the Peristyle and the Corridor of the Great Hunt and the Great Basilica. The Basilica is large, a classic basilica centenaria--a hundred Roman feet. The entrance to it is by four steps from the Corridor of the Great Hunt and was flanked by two granite columns of which parts are still in place. Fragments of the entablature have also been found. The main rectangular part of the Basilica was paved with fine marble inlay of circles within squares, a technique called opus sectile. The floor is badly damaged and only fragments remain. The wall was covered with maarble slabs or possibly mosaics higher up the wall, as tesserae of glass pastes have been found. Now only the plaster used to hold the marble in place remains. At the end of the Basilica is a large apse, slightly narrower than the main room. The opening of the apse was flanked by two columns, of which only the bases remain today. In the center of the apse some brickwork indicate where a throne stood, but nothing of this remains. The floor of the apse is the same opus sectile as in the main room, but just in front of where the throne stood is a square of very delicate marble inlay. The floor is somewhat better preserved in the apse and a few fragments of the marble slabs on the wall are still in place. Above the area of the throne is a small niche in the wall which probably contained a statue, possibly of Hercules, as the head of such a statue was found during excavations. Little is known about the roof and ceiling, but it was probably a tile roof supported by wooden rafters. The outer wall of the Basilica was reinforced after the villa was built, possibly due to an earthquake that hit the area in 365 AD, about fifty years after the villa was built. The Great Basilica appears today to be very decorated, but when the villa was built the Basilica was the central public room. As such it would ahve been one of the most beautiful rooms in the villa. The Basilica is the last of a series of progressively prestigious areas, starting from the Atrium, through the Peristyle, across the Corridor of the Great Hunt to the Basilica. Each space is physically higer than the one before, so the Basilica is literally the apex of the villa.

The Guest Room With Geometric Mosaic

Cubicle With Antechamber and Simple Mosaics

This room is located on the north side of the Peristyle between the Room of the Little Hunt and the Corridor of the Great Hunt. There are two rooms, one behind the other, which are probably a cubicle with an antechamber, but could also have served a purpose in relation to the smaller private apartment just across the Corridor of the Great Hunt. The simple, and probably cheap, mosaics hint at a low-status purpose. The mosaic in the antechamber is formed by a number of circles connected by lens shaped fields made by two arcs which together define octogons with slightly concave sides. Along the border of each octogon are guillioches with laurel garlands inside. Within each garland and within each circle are patterns of stylized four or six petalled flowers or crossed squares. The mosaic is in green, red and black. The design is slightly asymmetric. From the right there are complete octogons, but along the left wall the space only allows halves. The back room also has a simple geometric design. The floor is divided into 5x5 squares, with halves along the left wall. Every other square contains a design with a smaller square inserted diagonally. In the corners are four peltae, or cresent shapes, with two curved recesses in the inner arc, which is the shape of the shields of the Amazons. Inside the squares is a waved pattern with a stylized flower in the center. The remaining squares are bordered by a guilloche with varying patterns inside. There are circles with four arcs in them to form a square, and four petalled flowers and stylized flowers made of four triangles. Some parts of this mosaic are missing.

The Hall of Arion

A Splendid Hall With the Legend of the Poet Arion

The hall of Arion is located in the larger private apartment, across from the Atrium of the Fishing Cupids and the Corridor of the Great Hunt. It is a large hall with an ample apse. The entrance from the Atrium of the Fishing Cupids is flanked by two columns, and the apse also has two columns. The shape of the room is similar to the Great Basilica. This room was probably used as a living room, a triclinium or a library. The mosaic in the rectangular part of the room depicts the Greek legend of Arion, a famous poet of Corinth in Greece. He decided to attend a musical competition in Sicily, which he won, but on his return from Sicily the avaricious sailors plotted to kill him and steal the rich prizes he carried homeward. Arion was given the choice of suicide which allowed for a proper burial on land, or being thrown into the sea. Neither choice appealed to Arion and he asked permission to sing a last song to stall for time. Playing his chitara, Arion sang a song of praise to Apollo, the god of poetry, and his song attracted a number of dolphins around the ship. At the end of the song, Arion threw himself into the sea to avoid being killed, but one of the dolphins saved his life and carried him to safety. Arion continued on to Corinth by another route and arrived there before the sailors who tried to kill him. On his return, the king of Corinth didn't quite believe his story. The sailors believed Arion was dead and on their arriveal in Corinth they told the king that Arion had decided to stay in Italy. The king realized Arion's story was true and punished the sailors by sentencing them to death. In the center of the mosaic Arion is riding a dolphin while playing his chitara, and above him are two Cupids holding a red canopy to shade him from the sun. Around him in three or four areas a multitude of naiads, tritons, Cupids, sea monsters and fish. The mosaic in the rectangular part of the room is very well preserved, but the one in the apse is not. The apse mosaic is in fragments, but appears to be a representation of Oceanus, the god of the seas surrounding the world. The wall in teh ahll was covered with slabs of marble and in some places still remains, showing two strata in different colors. The Hall of Arion is the central and most important room of the larger private apartment. The theme of the mosaic, the exaltation of the power of poetry, tells us the owner of the villa was probably a learned man with a passion for music and poetry. The theme here is similar to that in the Hall of Orpheus.

The Hall of Orpheus

Living Room With Mosaic of Orpheus Playing for the Animals

This is a hall or small basilica located at the south side of the Peristyle near the Room With the Girls in Bikini. It is a smaller room with an apse at the southern end with two columns. At the center of the room was a fountain and in the apse is the base for the statue of Apollo. The torso of the statue was found in a corner during excavations and has been restored to its original location. The mosaic that covers the entire room depicts Orpheus as he entices the wild animals with his music. In front of the apse the Thracian poet is sitting on a rock under a tall tree that extends into the apse. He is dressed in a purple mantle and red shoes. The rest of the floor is covered with pictures of wild animals--a total of 45--seduced by the beautiful music. The disposition is rather free, but generally the larger land animals are towards the entrance while the smaller land animals are in the middle and the birds are towards the apse. Among the animals are an elephant, a dromedary, a bear, various antelopes, a lion, a tiger, a peacock, a goose, a porcupine, a lizard and many others. Many of the animals are from Africa, but not all of them are. There are also some mythical animals such as a Phoenix and a Griffin. The mosiac is a celebration of the power of the human intellect, represented by music and poetry, over the savage forces of nature. Where Arion subdues the animals of the sea, Orpheus does the same to land animals. This mosaic is very damaged, with large parts missing, including half of the figure of Orpheus. The exact use of the room is not known, but since the entrance is directly from the Peristyle the hall probably had a public purpose. If the theory of a father-son occupation of the villa is correct, this could have been the audience hall of the son and the Great Basilica the audience hall of the father. It could also have been a room for leisure activities such as listening to music, poetry and reading.

The Internal Latrine

A Private Latrine Inside the Villa

This Latrine is located in a triangular space between the Thermal Baths, the Peristyle and the Tablinum. It served the people who were granted access to the Peristyle. It is a semicircular room with seats along the curved wall, a few of which are still in place. Underneath is a canal for permanently running water. This system of Latrines was very common and can also be seen in other homes. The floor is covered by a well preserved mosaic showing five animals. At the top there is an ass (how appropriate :)), a hare and a partridge and at the bottom is a bustard and a serval.

The Latrine

The Larger Latrine of the Villa

This Latrine is located between teh Thermal Baths and the Atrium. Access was primarily from the Atrium, which people would leave from a small room that gave passage from the Atrium to the Thermal Baths. There was no direct passage from the Atrium or the Baths, probably so people would not detect the odor. The water supply to the Latrine came from the fountain in the Atrium. The Latrine is semi-circular with seats along the circular side. The original seats have been lost as have the pavement and the colums that supported the roof above the seats.

The Octagonal Latrine

External Latrine Behind the Main Buildings of the Villa

This Latrine is located behind the Hall of Arion and the Great Hall near the Aqueducts. It is detached from the rest of the villa. It is a small octagonal building with five seats on five of the sides, a small basin on one side, and the entrance on another. The central floor is covered with a single color mosaic. At the top is a huge vase from which two long braches of ivy with several leaves extends, with two extremely large leaves placed at the entrance.

Passage From the Corridor to the Elliptical Peristyle

This Passage connects the Corridor of the Great Hunt with the Elliptical Peristyle. It was used by the residents of the villa when going from the private apartments to the Elliptical Peristyle and the Triclinium. When entering from the Corridor of the Great Hunt the first rectangular field displays ivy branches and leaves. The central part of the floor has only a few fragments of the original mosaic left, but it seems to have been a mosaic of intertwining lines. In a strip along the outer wall of the Triclinium is another pavement. The semi-circular step into the Elliptical Peristyle is flanked by two columns and has a pattern of ivy leaves and branches. A small apse on the north side of the passage has a multi-colored zig-zag mosaic.

Passage From the Peristyle to the Elliptical Peristyle

This passage connects the Peristyle with the Elliptical Peristyle. It is located at the southwest corner of the Peristyle and the northwest corner of the Elliptical Peristyle. It was a main passage for the guests of the villa into the Elliptical Peristyle where banquets and other social events were held. The passage is entered from a door on the south side of the portico of the Peristyle. There is a step up inside the passage, and just before the step is a mosaic of a huge footed vase. Four branches of ivy extend form the vase, each having numerous leaves. The main floor of the passage is covered by acanthus scrolls which contain animal heads, sometimes with the animal's forelegs extending outside the scroll. Only a small part of the mosaic has survived, and this room is not open to the public.

The Peristyle

The Central Open Space in a Roman House

This is the central part of the house. From here there is accdess to the Thermal Baths through the entrance to the baths, to the Service Rooms with Geometric Mosaics, to the Room of the Seasons, to the Room of the Little Hunt on the north side via three steps to the Corridor of the Great Hunt on the east side and to the Antechamber of the Room With Girls in Bikina, the Room of Orpheus and a corridor leading to the Elliptical Peristyle on the south side. The entrance to the Peristyle is from the Atrium via the Tablinum. The Peristyle is a trapezoidal, almost rectangular space. It is surrounded on all sides by a portico supported by a colonnade of slender granite columns with Corinthian capitals. There are ten on the longer sides and eight on the shorter sides. Not all the columns are equal in height--probably because they are reused from earlier buildings--so some have been placed in elevated sockets in brickwork in the room. A low marble covered brick wall separated the portico from the central garden. In the center of the Peristyle is a fountain, the basin mostly in an east-west position. It is rectangular in shape, with a circular widening in the middle and semi-circular basins at the ends. In the middle of the fountain is a small statue. The fountain received its water supply from the eastern Aqueduct. The inside of the basin was covered with geometric mosaics along the border and at the bottom. The garden around the fountain is not a reconstruction. Just in front of the Tablinum is the lararium, a small shrine for the gods that is always placed near the entrance of a Roman house. It's a small square room that fits between two columns of the portico. It has a small apse flanked by two columns, and the remains of the altar is in the bottom of the apse. The square mosaic has a geometric pattern of squares that form an eight pointed star in which there is a garland of laurel with a colored band. In the cneter of the garland is a large ivy leaf. The ivy motif is repeated under the apse where there is a branch of ivy with several leaves. The mosaic is usually covered with sand. The entire area unde the portico is covered with mosaics. Guilloches of three interwoven bands, intricately connected in the corners, divide the floor into squares. In each square is a circular garland of laurel, alternately with green leaves on a black background with a green band. In the garlands are the heads of different animals, both wild and domestic, some shown full faced, some half faced, and some in profile. Small bird and ivy leaves are in the corners between the garlands and guilloches. In front of the central flight of stairs leading to the Corridor of the Great Hunt the original mosaic has been changed. The date of this change is uncertain, but it was probably soemtime between 500 and 800 AD. In front of the stairs is a geometric zig-zag pattern, and along the sides of this are poorly done branches of ivy. Along the south side are the remains of wall paintings. The feet of three figures in separate rectangular fields remain, two of which appear to hold shields. One seems to be dressed in a full length embroidered tunic or toga.

The Room of the Dance

Cubicle With Mosaics of Dancing Women

This is a guest room in the villa and is located to the north end of the Peristyle between the Service Rooms With Geometric Mosaics and the Room of the Fishing Cupids with an antechamber between the room and the Peristyle. Along with the Antechamber the room is most likely a cubiculum or bedroom intended for guests of the villa's owner. The use of figurative mosaics shows it was intended to be a high status room as these expensive mosaics would not be used in service rooms used mostly by slaves. The mosaic is badly damaged, but some figures are almost complete. In the upper part there are one or two dancing women and a third resisiting being grabbed by a man. In the middle are fragments of a female dancer. The dancing women are throwing their scarves up in the air. Little remains of the lower part of the mosaic, but again there appears to be a woman resisting being grabbed by a man to the left and to the right are small fragments of at least two people. While there is a lot of damage, what remains could be a depiction of the Rape of the Sabine Women. The lower part of the wall is still covered with stucco painted with geometric shapes. The antechamber has all but lost its masaics.

The Room of the Fishing Cupids

Cubicles With Cute Mosaic and Remains of Wall Painting

This is another guest room located to the north of the Peristyle between the Room of the Dance, the Room of the Seasons and the Room of the Little Hunt. This is also most likely a cubiculum intended for guests of the owner of the villa, and it, too, appears to be for high status guests. The Room of the Seasons is the antechamber of this room. The mosaics depict Cupids fishing from boats. There are four boats, each with three Cupids. The Cupids are using variuous methods of fishing--net, trident, rod and trap. The sea below abounds with a variety of seafood and the Cupids are getting a good catch. On the shore in the background is a villa with a colonnade facing the sea, and behind the villa are different trees. The mosaic is pretty well preseved, with some damage in the center. The lower part of the wall is still covered with stucco and frescoes, which are of a geometric design in yellow and red. There are rectangular panels of human figures, the lower part of which is all that remains.

The Room of the Little Hunt

Living Room With Scenes of Hunting and Offering to Diana

This room is located to the north of the Peristyle between the Room of the Fishing Cupids, the Room of the Seasons and the Guest Room With Geometric Mosaic. The original purpose of this room is not clear, but by the very elaborate mosaics here it was a very important room in the villa. It is possible it was used as a triclinium or dining room for guests staying in the neighboring guest rooms.

The Mosiac of the Room of the Little Hunt

The mosaic in the room is very complicated. It consists of four rows with two, three or five sections. On the top row are two sections of equal size, the second row had three sections of equal size, the third row has one large section in the middle with two sections of equal size on either side and the fourth row is two sections of equal size. There are twelve separate motifs in the mosaic. The first mosaic shows a man in a yellow tunic with two slender fierce looking dogs on a lead. One dog is black, the other reddish brown. The man's head is missing. The second mosaic shows another man dressed in a green tunic and a red cloak and carrying a staff. He is encouraging two dogs to chase an escaping fox. The two dogs look the same as the ones in the first mosaic, and this panel also has some damge to it. On the second row the first mosaic shows two men, one in a yellow tunic, one in a green tunic, are carrying a wild boar with a net. Each man has a staff in one hand and an agitated dog is running below the boar. The center panel of the second row shows three men presenting an offering to Diana, the goddess of hunting. A statuette of Diana is standing on a tall base between two trees. In front of the statuette is an altar with a fire burning on top of it. A man in a red tunic is standing to the left of the altar holding a plate with offerings which he is throwing piece by piece in the fire. Behind this man is a man in a yellow tunic holding a horse's bridle. Opposite the altar is a third man in a green tunic assisting at the offering who is also holding a horse's bridle. To the extreme right a boy or slave is holding back a reddish brown dog that appears to be resisting him. The third panel on the second row is a scene with one man in a yellow tunic holding a dead rabbit in his left hand and a long staff in his right. This second row is pretty much in tact. The third row consists of five panels, with two minor motifs on each side of one larger central theme. The top panel on the left shows two men dressed in green and yellow hunting for birds. They each carry a bundle of sticks in a sling over their shoulder. The other shoulder is covered by a white scarf that is tied in the back. One man has a bird on his shoulder and the other has a bird in his hand, so they may be hunting for birds with trained falcons. There is a cylindrical container at their belts. The bottom left panel of this row shows a small scene with a black dog chasing what appears to be a fox trying to hide in its hole. Parts of this mosaic are missing making it difficult to determine what exactly is depicted. The large center panel of this row is the single most important part of teh entire mosaic. There are five people dining under a red canopy. They are sitting or lying on an elongated cushion or mattress behind a provisional table supported by stones. A man in a red tunic is sitting in the middle, either cutting or blessing a roasted bird on the table. It is impossible to tell exactly what he is doing as part of the mosaic is missing. To this man's right is a man in a green tunic holding a glass of wine. There is a man in a yellow tunic, but only his legs, one arm and part of his torso and head reamin. Another man in a yellow tunic is sitting/lying to the right of the man in the middle, and this man's arm is missing. At the extreme right a man in a green tunic is partially visible--his head and shoulders are missing--and he is feeding a brown dog. A two sided axe is lying on the ground to the left of the table. In front of the table are several slaves serving the people at the table. One is bringing a glass of wine and another is fetching food in a large basket. In the center is another basket full of amphorae, a ceramic vase with handles on either side and a neck that is narrower than the body. To the right is a large ceramic vase, but the area is largely damaged. In the background two horses are tied to the trees and the nets used for the hunt are hung over a branch of a tree. The red canopy is attached to the trees with ropes. The right top panel in this section shows a man in a yellow tunic hiding in a bush and is sending two dogs, one black, one brown, after a fleeing rabbit. One of the dogs is partially obscured by damage. The bottom right panel is a scene of a man on horseback wearing a red tunic hunting for a rabbit with a lance. The rabbit is hiding in the grass under a small tree. On the fourth row are two fantastic scenes. The one on the left shows two men on horseback chasing three deer into a large net that is attached to the ground with pegs. One deer has already fallen to the ground with his antlers entangled in the net. The man in front is dressed in a green decorated tunic, while the man in back is dressed in yellow and is partly obscured by damage to the mosaic. The panel on the right is a very dramatic scene. A man in a yellow tunic is lying on the ground under two trees. He appears to be in distress, and has a wound in the thigh from a wild boar that is about to attack him again. His broken spear is on the ground beside him and he is defenseless. Just behind him is a man in a red tunic who is about to kill the wild boar with a spear, which has just penetrated his breast and caused the boar to bleed heavily. There are two dogs also attacking the boar, one from the front, one from the back. Behind some rocks or bushes in the background are two more people. In the middle is a man in a brown tunic about to throw a rock over the boar, while the second man in a green tunic is looking perplexed and is definitely inactive. It is a very vivid and dramatic depiction of a kill that went wrong. We do not know who the people in this mosaic are, or even if they are real. But there are several things we can deduce from this mosaic. First, several of the people appear more than once in the mosaic, especially the three men on horseback in the green, red and yellow tunics. Several others seem to be slaves, such as those handling the dogs, carrying the game and hunting small game on foot. Of the recurrent people the man in red is the central person. He appears in four of the twelve motifs, but is always at the center of atention. In one scene he is performing while others are watching, and in another he is seated in the middle blessing or slicing the food. This would be appropriate for the pater familias, a head of household or the highest ranking man in a group. He is seen actively hunting in only one scene, where he is hunting for a rabbit, but in the last scene he is saving the life of a companion. He is the only one in red, and is depicted as a central figure and in a positive way. The second most important person is the man in green. There is more than one as he appears in several scenes, some of them twice, and the tunic is also more decorated than the others. In some of the motifs he is second only to the man in red, and is seated to the right of the man in red at the dinner table. He is also the leading figure in the hunt for the deer with the net. The third person in the hierarchy would be the man in yellow, and again there are more than one. These, too, appear in several of the scenes, some twice, but they do stand out in some of the scenes. A man in a yellow tunic appears in the offering scene, but he is in a plain tunic and is most likely a slave attending to his master's horse while the master give homage to the goddess. In the dinner scene the man in yellow is to the left of the man in red, and in the wild boar scene the man in yellow is not in a position of high ranking. Had he been a peer of the man in red, this depiction would never have been made. While we are not sure if the people in the mosaics are real people, it is possible the man in red is the owner of the villa, and his son may be the man in green. Such a costly mosaic would have depicted something and would have served a purpose, and in the Roman society that purpose would be to show wealth, rank and status. The mosaic does that well, but it would do even more if the guests knew the mosaic depicts the richness of the surrounding countryside, the plentiful game, and showed the host not only as a pious man, a good host and an able hunter as well as a man of great courage when a friend is in need. The scaffolds in the villa give visitors access to three sides of the room, so it is possible to get a good view of the mosaics. Unfortunately, the view not able to be seen is the one for which this mosaic was intended--from the entrance of the room.

The Room of the Seasons

Room With Geometric Mosaics With Allegories of the Four Seasons

This is a guest room locaed north of the peristyle between the Peristyle, the Room of the Fishing Cupids and the Room of the Little Hunts. The room was the antechamber of the cubiculum in the Room of the Fishing Cupids. The mosaic in this room is geometric. Horizontal and diagonal lines from a grid of rhombs and stars, the latter with circular emblems inserted, some of which contain allegories of the four seasons, while others contain images of fish and birds. This mosaic is very well preserved with only minor damage.

The Room With Girls in Bikini

Mosaic of Girls Dressed in Bikini-Like Costumes

This is a cubicle located between the Peristyle, the Corridor of the Great Hunt and the Hall of Orpheus. Entrance is through the Peristyle through an antechamber. The room was either a cubiculum (bedroom) or a service room of some kind, and there are indications it may have changed purposes after it was built. The mosaic shows ten young women, most engaged in athletic activities. It is divided into two areas. The left most girl in the upper area has been all but lost to damage. Next there is a girl exercising with hand weights, one about to throw a discus, and two running. Below this, to the right, two girls are playing with a multicolored ball. In the center the winner of the competition is standing with a palm leaf in her left hand while she is placing the rose crown on her head with the right. The next girl is holding an umbrella-like object in her right hand that could be a symbolic chariot's wheel. The last girl is entering from the left and is dressed in a golden mantle and carries a plam leaf and a rose crown for the winner. The mosaic is well preserved, with minor damage in a few areas. Much of the mosaic frame is derived from the bikini like costumes the girls are wearing. Below this mosaic was another one, part of which can be seen in the upper left corner. It is geometric in design with large eight pointed stars made of two intertwined squares with colored guilloches. In the center of the star is a garland with a flower motif in teh center. The mosic of the girls is later than most of the others in the villa, although how much later in unknown. Why a new mosaic was made is also unknown, but it may have been the room was to be used for other purposes than originally intended or infiltratin of water may ahve caused damage to the original.

The Antechamber

Between the Peristyle and the Room With Girls in Bikini is the Antechamber, which is decorated with a geometric design. The mosaic is divided in square parts by a grid made up of small triangles of varying size. Within the squares are different patterns--some have a stylized flower made of four triangles, others have a four petalled flower or four small lillies, and some a simple guilloche.

Service Rooms With Geometric Mosaics

Offices, Work Rooms and Kitchen

The Service Rooms are four rooms located in the northern part of the villa, North of the Perustyle and east of teh Thermal Baths. They are normally assumed to be service rooms, such as work rooms for the slaves and kitchens. The entrance to the first room was from the Peristyle, next to the Entrance to the Baths. The room has a geometric mosaic with crosses formed by intertwined ribbons and circles with various geometric designs inside. These mosaics are fairly well preserved. In one corner of the room the mosaics are destroyed. In the Arab or Norman era the remains of the villa were used for various types of production, and a kiln for burning ceramics was built in this room, causing the total destruction of the mosaics. The next room has a geometric mosaic in red, green and white. A diagonal pattern of hexagons containing six pointed stars with six petalled stylized flowers inside, forming four pointed stars on the outside with a square guilloche inside and squares containing circles with four petalled flowers. There are some fragments of wall paintings remaining. The third room was probably used as a kitchen, as there are no mosaics, but in the back of the room is a basin or a raised bed for hot coals used for cooking. This room had a separate entrance, indicating the villa originally had som outbuildings on the north side. The fourth room was enterend from teh Peristyle, next door to the first room. The mosaic is a geometric design with six octagons fromed by two interwoven squares with different geometric figures inside. The sapces in between are filled with square and rhombic shapes. The mosiac is half destroyed but large ares remain, enough to give a good impression of the original appearance.

The Tablinum

Room for Welcoming the Guests

The Tablinum is the entrance to the Peristyle and the main parts of the villa and is located between the Atrium and the Peristyle. The mosaic in this room is mostly geometric, but has an emblem in the middle depicting a symbolic welcome. Most of the figurative part of the mosaic is missing, but several people are visible. In the upper area three people can be seen, one an older, bearded person holding a candle, and two younger males hilding branches of laurel. Below this, fragments of younger persons can be seen, some holding diptychs (tablets used for writing, made of two rigid plates attached by hinges). The cnetral part of the emblem is missing, so it it difficult to guess what the meaning was, but it is likely it was a depiction of a group of people welcoming the guests with signs of hospitality, or maybe welcoming the returning owner of the villa. On the south wall are a few remains of a marlbe socle and some wall paintings.

The Thermal Baths

The Bathing Complex of the Villa

The Thermal Baths form the northwest part of the complex and are located to the north of the Atrium and to the west of the Peristyle, from both of which there were entrances. The layout of the Thermal Baths follow the normal scheme of Roman Baths. From the Entrance to the Baths, where people could undress, there was a palestra, or exercise room, the frigidarium, or cold bath, with a piscina, or pool,the tepidarium, or warm bath, and finally the calidaria, or steam baths. At the very end of the complex are the praefurnia, or ovens, that were used to heat the tepidarium and the calidaria. There was also an Entrance to the Baths directly from the Atrium. This could mean that the baths were available for use by the clientela of the owner at times. The normal procedure in the Thermal Baths ws to undress and enter the steam bath. After the steam bath one would enter the warm bath, tepidarium, to wash, anoint with oil and scrape off sweat, oil and dirt. Once clean one would enter the cold baths. The Thermal Baths of the villa re constructed on top of earlier baths.

The Triclinium

Dining Room With Herculian Mosaics

The triclinium was a monumental dining room located in the south part of the villa, with an entrance from the Elliptical Peristyle. It was probably used for banquets and other social events with important guests. It was a square room and the entrance was supported by two columns, with large apses on the north, east and south sides, each separated from the central room by two columns. In the back of each apse is a pedistal for a statue. The word "triclinium" meant the couch on which the Romans lay when dining, since it had room for three people reclining, and it also meant dining room because there would normally be three couches around the table, making room for nine people around a single table. With a table in each apse the triclinium would seat up to 27 people, leaving ample space for household slaves and entertainment. The entire floor is covered with spectacular mosaics, the common theme being various legends about Hercules and the idea of apotheosis (glorification).

The Twelve Labors

In the central room the mosaics depict men and animals related tot eh Twelve Labord of Hercules. Hercules himself does not appear in the scene. While there is a lot of damage here, many of the labors can still be determined. The first labor, the Nimean Lion, is in the upper middle, lying dead on the ground. Then came Hydra of Lerna, depicted in the upper left quadrant, in the form of a serpent with a woman's head with snakes instead of hair. Third is the Cerynithian Hind, in the upper right quadrant, shown slain on the ground. The Erymanthian Boar, the fourth labor, is depicted stuffed into a huge jar in teh upper center, near the central rock, maybe with reference to the jar in which Eurystheus hid. The next tow labors, the cleaning of teh Augean Stables and the Stymphalian Birds, appear to be lost. The Cretan Bull is pictured in the upper left corner, falling to the ground. The Mares of Diomedes appears in several places. Their riders have been hit by Hercules' arrows and are falling from the horses. The ninth labor, the retrieval of Hippolyte's Belt, is missing. Next is the Cattle of Geryon, where Geryon is to the left of the rock in the upper center. The cattle is nowhere to be seen, so supposedly Hercules has already taken them aeay. The retrieval of teh Apples of Hesperides is missing. Finally, Cerberus is depicted in the upper right, jut to the right of the huge rock. Only fragments of the heads remain.

The Defeated Giants

In the east apse the Gigantomachy is depicted. During the war between the gods of Olympus and the Giants, Hercules fought with bow and arrows on the part of the gods, and he killed several of teh giants. In this mosaic five giants have been hit by the poisonous arrows of Hercules and strive to extract the deadly points from their bodies. Four of the giants have snake legs, leaving the central figure who has been tentatively identified as Enceladus, the giant that was killed when Athena threw a mountain over him. The mountain became the Island of Sicily. The figures are very vivid in thrie agony. This mosaic is very well preserved. In the passage between the main room and the apse is a mosaic with various motifs. On the outside of the columns are two snakes, symbolizing the earth, of which the giants were born, and in front of the columns are an axe and what appears to be the head of an axe. In the center in the main entrance to the apse, are two mythological scenes. On the left is Hesione, liberated from the rock she was chained to and pointing at the mortally wounded monster in teh area, where it has been hit by Hercules' arrows. To the right Endymion is resting in a meadow. He is pointing at the sky, from where Silenus will descend. A dog is sniffing around the vicinity.

Lycurgus and Ambrosia

The mosaic in the south apse depicts the Dionysian myth of Lycurgus and AMbrosia. Lycurgus is standing in the middle, nide and muscular, with his axe raised and ready to hit the Manaed Ambrosia. Behind him is a group of three Manaeds, one of which touches Lycurgus on the shoulder while threatening him with her raised thyrsus (staff), in an attempt to stop him from finishing his insane act. Below the Manaeds is a spotted panther, ready to attack Lycurgus, but it is held back by a nude boy wearing a crown of flowers. To the right of Ambrosia the Bacchic group of Pan, Silenus and Dionysus is rushing to her aid. The metamorphosis of Ambrosia has already begun, and her legs are changing into a vine that extends to the left, below Lycurgus (Ambrosia was turned into a vine when she was killed by Lycurgus). The entangles branches of the vine cover the lower part of teh mosaic and a number of winged cherubs are playing between the branches. In the background, distant hills can be seen. This mosaic has been heavily damaged.

The Glorification of Hercules

The north apse depicts the coronation of Hercules in Olympus where he is accepted by the gods as their equal. Hercules is standing in the middle, bearded and nude except for a panther's skin knotted on his chest. Behind him stands an other figure, partially lost, clad only in a panther skin around the waist. It may be Dionysus. To the right a person, almost completely lost, is holding out his right hand and is about to place a wreath on Hurcules' head. This figure is probably Zeus. In teh lower left is a subdued giant, shown on the ground in agony, and in the lower right are the remains of a figure, surrounded by what appears to be water plants, so this amy be a river god. Behind Hercules is a tree with the Apples of Hesperides. At the entrance to the apse is a panel with two scenes of metamorphosis. To the left Daphne is changing into a laurel tree while felling Apollo, who is not shown, and to the right Cyparissus is becoming a cypress after going mad because he inadvertently killed his favorite stag. The exact meaning of these mosaics depends on who commissioned the villa, something that is not known. The mosaics are an allegory of heroic apotheosis through metamorphosis, and is one of the major arguments for naming the owner of the villa as Maximianus Herculius. As emperor he would be deified after his death, just as Hercules, and the apotheosis of Hercules would directly be a tribute tot eh emperor himself.

The Vestibule of Eros and Pan

Room With Mosaic of a Fist Fight Between Eros and Pan

This room is located between the Atrium of the Fishing Cupids and the Cubicle of the Children Hunting. It is the antechamber to the Cubicle of the Children Hunting. The mosaic shows a wrestling fight between Pan and Eros. Pan is bearded with a goat's horns and legs, while Eros is a winged boy. Between them is a palm leaf, the symbol of victory. The arbitrator of the match is standing in teh front to the left of Pan. He is dressed in a purple toga over a white embroidered tunic. His right arm is raised to signal the start of the match. Above the combatants is a rectangular table with the prizes for the winner. On the table are four rounded cylinders, which could be headdresses or vases. They are finely decorated with horizontal bands and different multicolored patterns. Two palm leaves are inserted into each vase or headdress. Below the table two bulging sacks apear to be full of money with the sum--22.000 denarii--written on each one. To the left of Pan is a group of three people. In front is a satyr with a nebris, a fawn skin, over the shoulder adn a pedium, a shepherd's crook, in the left hand. He is pointing at the winner's prizes with his right hand. Behind the satyr stand two Maenads, young female followers of Bacchus or Dionysus. They both wear tunics, one yellow and one red, that leaves the breasts exposed. In their hands they hold thyrsi, long sticks entwined with ivy that are normally carried by Bacchus and his followers. These are the followers of Pan. The followers of eros are on the right. Just behind Eros is a young boy, naked except for a purple tunic, his right hand stretched toeard Eros. Behind him is a little girl dressed in a yellow toga. She is wearing a black necklace and extends her right arm towards the prizes of fight. Further to the back stands a woman wearing a red tunic with a wide black clavus, a vertical stripe, and a blue palla, which is a woman's cloak. She wears a large golden ring aroundher neck and also extends her right arm toward the prize table. Behind this woman stand two other women, dressed in yellow tunics and palla. One has placed her fingers over her mouth and if she is disturbed by the commencing fight. This group does not seem to be related to Eros in the same way the other gorup is to Pan, and it has been suggested the group on the right are portraits of the members of the fmaily of the owner of the villa. If this is so, they could be the same people depicted in the Entrance to the Baths. In both cases they can be interpreted to be a mother with amale and a female child accompanined by two slaves. The overall significance of teh mosaic is not clear, but it can be interpreted as a fight between profane love, represented by pan, and sacred love, represented by Eros, or between the rational (Eros) and the natural, savage (Pan). THe mosaic is fairly well preserved.

The Vestibule of Polyphemus

Mosaic With Ulysses Offering Wine to Polyphemus

Entrance to this room is from the Corridor of the Great Hunt and the room gives passage to the Cubicle With Erotic Mosaic and the Cubicle of Fruits. This is the first room of the smaller private apartment and is an antechamber to waht appears to be two cubiculi or bedrooms. The mosaic is from the Odyssey. Ulysses and his men are trapped in the cae of the cyclops Ployphemus who has been eating some of Ulysses' men--two for breakfast and two for dinner. Ulysses tricks Polyphemus into drinking strong wine until he falls asleep, and while he is sleeping Ulysses and his men blind Polyphemus witha wooden pole they have heated in the fire. Though blinded Polyphemus tries to keep Ulysses imprisoned by blocking the exit with a huge boulder, but he men escape by tying themselves under the oversized sheep of Polyphemus, which he has to let out in the morning. In the center of the mosaic Ployphemus is sitting on a rock in the cave with a ram ripped open over his knee. He is naked except for a sheep skin tied around his neck. He is depicted with three eyes instead of one, maybe as a recognition of his half human descent, but it will make it harde for Ulysses and his men to blind him. Ulysses is approaching the cyclops to offer him wine from a huge cup and Polyphemus is reaching out for it greedily. In the background some of Ulysses companions are pouring wine into another cup. In front of the figures are the sheep of Polyphemus, unaware of the deceit taking place behind them. The colors are dark to reflect the cave environment and this mosaic is well preserved.

The Vestibule of the Small Circus

Room With Mosaics of Children Playing Race Track

This is a room of the larger private apartment and is located between the Atrium of the Fishing Cupids and the Cubicle of Choruses and Actors, and is the antechamber for that room. The mosaic depicts a child's version of the chariot races of the circus. In the center is the spina of the circus, complete with the oblisk and the metae, represented as three conical columns at each end. The four teams (factiones) are each represented by a chariot drawn by two birds of the color of the team. The factio russata is represented by red flamingos, the factio parsina by green wood pigeons, the factio albata by white geese and the factio veneta by blue plovers. The cahrioteers are children dressed in long sleeved tunics of the color of the factio. Each teem also has achild on foot, carrying an amphora and urging the birds to run. In the lower front the factio parsina has won and the charioteer is handed a palm leaf as a sign of victory. These mosaics are well preserved.