Kalinowski, Angela

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Mosaic of the Bulls and the Banquet
Mosaic of the Bulls and the Banquet
Mosaic depicting a banquet scene with bulls. Five male figures sit along a curved dining couch in the shape of an arena wall (stibadium)with a single goblet on it. Above each of these figures is an associated inscription. [N] OS NVDI [F] IEMVS; BIBERE VENIMVS; IA(M) MVLTV(V) LOQVIMINI; AVOCEMVR; NOS TRES TENEMVS (Dunbabin 1978 p.78). These inscriptions translate to: "We shall strip off"; "We have come to drink"; "You are talking too much"; Let us enjoy ourselves"; "We hold three" (Dunbabin 2016, p.205). Each of these figures also have a distinctive attribution: the first man on the left holds an upraised cordiform leaf and has another decorated on the sleeve of his right arm; the next two men both wear crowns, one with three spikes topped with an 'S", the other with five spikes topped by a fish respectively; the last two men on the right each hold a an object, the former a stalk of millet and the latter a staff topped with a crescent moon (Dunbabin 1978: p.78). In front of the table two attendants stand on either side of a large mixing-bowl and a small table with two jugs on it. The attendant on the left holds his finger to his mouth and the one on the right offers a cup to the men sitting around the table. Between the attendants is the inscription: SILENTIV(M) DORMIANT TAVRI, which translates to "Silence, let the bulls sleep" (Dunbabin 2016: p.205). In front of the attendants are five zebu bulls lying asleep. Each of the bulls have a mark on its hindquarters as identified by Dunbabin: a cordiform leaf, a fish, a millet-stalk a heavy-armed gladiator, and a mark that appears to be a sistrum (Dunbabin 1978: p.78)., Dates to c. 3rd century CE. This appears to be a scene where venatores from different factions (sodalites) participate in a banquet with a depiction of the bulls that they will be fighting the next day (Dunbabin 1978: 79). It is unlikely that the banquet took place at the physical location of the arena (Dunbabin 2016: p.205)., Blazquez Martinez, J.M, G. López Monteagudo, M.L. Neira Jimenez, M.P. San Nicola Pedraz, Pavimentos Africanos con espectaulos de toros. Estudio comparativo a proposito del mosaico de Silin, Antiquités Africaines, 26.1 1990, 155-204. Dunbabin, Katherine M.D. The Mosaics of Roman North Africa: Studies in Iconography and Patronage. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978. Dunbabin, Katherine M. D. Theater and Spectacle in the Art of the Roman Empire. New York: Cornell University, 2016.
Mosaic of the Charioteer Eros
Mosaic of the Charioteer Eros
The charioteer, Eros, is driving a quadriga (four horse chariot) with only three horses being visible. Eros carries a whip and laurel crown in his right hand and a palm branch of victory in his left, and is dressed in green, the colour of his factio (faction). Behind him, the starting gates (carceres) of the circus are visible. The horses are characterized by a noble bearing, and vegetal symbols on and near their heads. Two inscriptions are found on this mosaic. To the right of the charioteer reads 'EROS OMNIA PER TE' meaning 'Eros everything for you!' and above two of the horses are their names 'AMANDUS' and 'FRUNITUS'., Dates to c. 2nd half of the 4th century CE. The inscriptions found on this mosaic celebrates the victorious charioteer and his horses. Scholars Poinssot and Merlin, and Dunbabin have variously interpreted the vegetal symbols on this mosaic., Dunbabin, Katherine M.D. The Mosaics of Roman North Africa: Studies in Iconography and Patronage. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978. Lassus, J. BAC 1961-2, pp.42-3; id., 'La Vénus de Khenchela au Musée de Constantine', Rec. Const. lxxi, 1969-71, pp.45-55. Merlin, A. and L. Poinssot. 'Factions du cirque et Saisons sur des mosaïques de Tunisie', Mélanges Charles Picard (=Rev. Arch. 1949), ii, p. 732-8.
Mosaic with Amazon Hunt
Mosaic with Amazon Hunt
Mosaic depicting armed women or amazons on horses hunting various beasts., Dates to c. late 4th-early 5th century CE.
Mosaic with Amazon Trick Riders
Mosaic with Amazon Trick Riders
Partial mosaic depicting two female Amazons with their horses. The Amazons are both preforming tricks with their individual horses. Various objects are depicted in the background., Dates to c. 3rd century CE. This mosaic was found in the corridor between the oecus and reception room of the house of the Ostriches.
Mosaic with Animal Hunt
Mosaic with Animal Hunt
Fragmentary mosaic consisting of two registers. The upper register shows a mounted hunter galloping left, an assistant in the short tunic on foot and a rampant hunting dog. Inscription above the hunter identifies him as NARCISSVS. The lower register shows a horse galloping right, with most of the mounted rider missing. A fragmentary inscription associated with the hunter reads ]AXSIVNIOR. In front of the rider are pictured a fragmentary large hunting dog grasping a rabbit in its jaws. The dog is identifies SAGITTA PERNICIES LEPORUM ("Arrow peril of the hares")., Dates to c. 4th century CE. The popularity of hunting scenes within houses was due to the desire of the patrons to showcase their favourite pastimes and display their wealth (Dunbabin 1978: p.48-50)., Dunbabin, Katherine M. D. The Mosaics of North Africa: Studies in Iconography and Patronage. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978.
Mosaic with Animal Hunt
Mosaic with Animal Hunt
Fragmentary mosaic depicting an animal hunt. The beasts are portrayed mostly enclosed in a large fenced area of nets strung up. There are three entrances shown at the bottom left, centre, and right of the mosaic through which men in short tunics are entering with eager dogs. The beasts are grouped according to species, with twenty ostriches in the lower register and thirty fallow deer in the upper, which are running in all directions. The ground is covered in what has been identified as rose petals (Poinssot and Quonian (Karthago, 1952))., Dates to c. 2nd century CE at the end of the reign of Marcus Aurelius. This mosaic may be depicting a scene in the amphitheatre, and that the net has been placed to create a kind of park for the vention and centre the action (Poinssot and Quoniam, p. 164) They also suggest that the sparsio of rose petals has just occured and the excited hounds are being introduced into the area and are about the pursue their prey, the ostriches and fallow deer. Sicca Veneria is modern Le Kef, Tunisia. Scholars suggest that the full mosaic would be twice its current size.
Mosaic with Animals
Mosaic with Animals
Partial mosaic depicting a variety of animals that would be used in amphitheatre spectacles. There are seven rows of approximately three animals each that are arranged in alternating patterns: bear flanked by boars or bulls and a boar or bull flanked by bears, with the exception of the bottom row which also includes a deer and an ostrich (Dunbabin 1978: p.72). The bears are all named: --] ITVS, NILVS, FEDRA, ALECSANDRIA, SIMPLICIVS, GLORIOSVS, BRACIATVS. The only remaining bull of this mosaic has the stable mark of AR and number N XVI on its flank and is the only animal on this mosaic that is numbered (Dunbabin 1978: p.72). The number XVI on the bull most likely references how many bulls took part in the spectacle (Dunbabin 2016: p.201). The partial inscription of MORI is found at the top left., Dates to c. late 3rd century CE (Dunbabin 1978: p.267). The fragmentary inscription MORI is said to be part of the name LVSIVS MORINVS; originally it was interpreted as the name of a venator, but Dunbabin indicates its more likely representative of a munerarius who had given a munus to the public (Dunbabin 1978: p.73). The bears are most likely specially trained performers as indicated by the bear climbing a pole in the middle of the mosaic (Dunbabin 1978: p.72). This type of 'animal-catalogue' was used as a commemoration of the animals that were included in a munus (Dunbabin 1978: p.72). It was most likely part of a triclinium (Dunbabin 2016: p.201)., Dunbabin, Katherine M.D. The Mosaics of Roman North Africa: Studies in Iconography and Patronage. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978. Dunbabin, Katherine, M.D. Theater and Spectacle in the Art of the Roman Empire. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2016.
Mosaic with Animals
Mosaic with Animals
Mosaic depicting various animals including: six panthers, two bears, two boars, two mouflon sheep, two ostriches, one bull, one fallow deer, one bushbuck in a harness, and one addax. Between the panthers of the upper register is an inscription in two lines: MEL (line one) QVAESTURA (line two). A partial inscription is also found on the upper left portion: ...L(?)ETI . M. Several of the animals have numbers inscribed on their flanks: N XL (bear); N XXV (ostrich); N X (mouflon sheep); N XXX (left bear); N (line one) VI (line two) (left mouflon sheep); N XV (left addax)., Dates to c. 3rd century CE. The mosaic was found in the remains of a Roman house 3000 cm east of the amphitheatre. The numbers found on the animals represent each sort of animal that participated in the munus. The mosaic likely decorated the house of the person who held the spectacle, who was a magistrate or a priest, perhaps the quaestor of the colonia Karthago, wich may be the allusion in the inscription MEL QVAESTURA (Poinssot and Quoniam (Karthago, 1952 p. 141).

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