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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
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