Domestic and Divine: Roman Mosaics in the House of Dionysos

378 Pages·2018·344.249 MB·English

by  Christine Kondoleon

Domestic and Divine

DOMESTIC
DIVINE
AND
ROMAN MOSAICS
IN THE HOUSE
OF DIONYSOS
Christine Kondoleon
Cornell University Press
Ithaca and London
Published with the assistance of the J. Paul Getty Trust and of Williams College.
Copyright © 1995 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or
parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in
writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University
Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.
First published 1994 by Cornell University Press.
@> The paper in this book meets the minimum requirements
of the American National Standard for Information Sciences
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39-48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kondoleon, Christine.
Domestic and divine : Roman mosaics in the House of Dionysos I
Christine Kondoleon.
p. em.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN o-8014-3058-5 (hardcover : acid-free)
1. Mosaics, Roman-Cyprus-Paphos. 2. Pavements, Mosaic-Cyprus
Paphos. 3· Mythology, Greek, in art. 4. House of Dionysos
(Paphos, Cyprus) I. Title.
NA377o.K66 1994
729'.7' 093937-dc20 94-33565
To the memory of Kyriakos Nicolaou

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Technique and Style
Mythological Mosaics and Geometric Ornament 25
Chapter 3 The Entrance
Salutations of the Seasons and a Peacock ss
Chapter 4 The Reception Suite
Xenia and Ganymede Mosaics 119
Chapter 5 The West Portico
Prelude to a Banquet 147
Chapter 6 The Threshold of the Triclinium
The Triumph of Dionysos 191
Chapter 7 The Triclinium
Dining in an Arbor 231
Chapter 8 The Peristyle
Public Spectacles in the Private Sphere 271
Chapter 9 Conclusions 315
Abbreviations 333
Bibliography 335
Index 349
VIU Contents
Acknowledgments
The questions teased out by the bold and unusual mosaics in the House of
Dionysos at Paphos in Cyprus sparked my interest over a decade ago and
prompted the initial research that led to this book. The anomalies presented by
these compositions, especially for the work of the middle Roman date established
by the archaeological finds, offered a rare opportunity to examine a host of issues
currently pressing social historians. Close analysis of these pavements yielded
strategies for "reading" Roman interiors. Analogous mosaics, reliefs, and paint
ings elsewhere indicate a dynamic history of cultural and economic exchanges
among Mediterranean communities, from which we can trace the impact of
Romanization on domestic life.
Among the many individuals and institutions to which I am indebted for
assistance during the writing of this book, Ernst Kitzinger must be named first for
his continued advice and suggestions. For the initial invitation to study and
publish these mosaics, I am deeply grateful to the late Kyriakos Nicolaou, excava
tor of the site at Paphos. His generous and open attitude was greatly appreciated
by his colleagues. In keeping with her husband's wishes and with her own gra
cious spirit, Ino Nicolaou aided my work by sharing important plans and draw
ings. From my early field research to the final stages of publication I was depen
dent on the cooperation and excellent services of the Department of Antiquities,
Cyprus. For their permission to study and to photograph mosaics at sites and
museums, Vassos Karageorghis and Athanasios Papageorghiou, former Directors
of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus, were instrumental. A. H. S. Megaw set
me on course with his profound knowledge of Cypriot archaeology during the