LIBYAN TREATISE: Mosaic masterpieces of Roman Tripolitnia

Roman Mosaics from Libya

Text & Photos by Yousef A. al Khattali -Tripoli. Libya/ June 6- 2004

Mosaic work, one of the most ancient artistic techniques, of which there were documents as early as the third millennium BC, uses small pieces of enamel, semi-precious stones, pot shards, pits of basalt, river pebbles or marble, later these stones were refined to consistent cubic shapes, with smooth shiny surfaces, known in Latin as "Tesserae", which are placed on a layer of cement consisting of "pozzolana", marble dust and slaked lime. Later the Roman artisans used some type of concrete: a mixture of plaster and a grain of pot shards, which they had called OPUS SIGNINUM.

The earliest finds of mosaics were discovered around "Mesopotamia" in the city of Babel, where they were made of colored pieces of terracotta, other types were found in some palaces in Asia Minor and Egypt.

The art of mosaics was highly developed around the 2^nd century BC, in Alexandria City, in a special style called later by the Romans: "Emblemata". That was a rectangular panel of mosaics, executed by very minute and brilliantly colored pieces of tesserae and extremely settled gradation of hues, so meticulously placed, that they give the spectator an optical elusion of an oil painting. These micro-lithic polychrome tesserae were fixed into rectangular marble or terracotta trays. The tray panels were placed into the floor pavements of deferent rooms in royal palaces or rich villas.

Late into the 1^st century BC, the Romans had adopted this emblemata mosaics to Italy, with very profound Alexandrian influence in style, technique and subject matter. But being not satisfied with large floors of only a few emblemata pavements, the Romans came to the idea of making whole floor mosaic pavements; from one end to the other, which was done in black & white large size tesserae, usually depicting geometric, and foliage decorations.

This art was called by the Romans after its adoption: "OPUS MUSIVUM" , being described as the work of the muses, or the Goddesses of Art, thereafter was designated as the most sublime of all arts. Later this term was used to describe only regular (wall mosaics).

The Roman mosaic techniques were executed by a team of three categories of workers:

1) The "Imaginarius" / who designed the whole composition.

2) The "Parietarius" / who was responsible for arranging each scene on the wall.

3) The "Musearius / who had the difficult task of setting each tessera in position.

On the other hand, and along the course of scholastic studies of Roman arts, it has been - and only recently - unanimously agreed by most scholars that the whole floor polychrome mosaics were only developed in Africa! Henceforth, the Romans had adopted that style to Italy.

The art of polychrome mosaics had flourished to its zenith in quality and quantity in Libya, around the end of the 1^st century AD, then declined about the end of the 4^th century, enjoyed only a short surge of recovery at the mid 6^th century, hence totally collapsed. The most exquisite pavements of mosaics would be found in Romano-Libyan Villas scattered over some coastal cities such as Villa Zliten- V. Silin –V. Tajura, and at the ancient cities like V. Nillus and V. Orpheus at Lepcis Magna also in some Churches such as the Early 4^th century Basilica and the Basilica of Justinian at Sabratha Antiqua, and the Central Church at Cyrene Ancient City and Gaser Libya Church near that City. Other good mosaics had been quarried from what we call Romano-African Baths like those at the Office Baths- Sea Wards Baths and Oceanus Baths in Sabratha Ancient City, also at the Imperial Hadrianic Baths and the Semi-Private Hunting Baths in Lepcis Magna. Also in Ptolemaes City excellent pieces of mosaics had been found in the Colonnaded Palace and in the Roman Villa of the Four Seasons, and Villa Orpheus near by the sea.

No Roman art history book can avoid mentioning the mosaics of Zliten and Silin Villas, for both the technical qualities and subject of themes.

In Villa Zliten mosaics, for instance, in the floor pavement of the Four Seasons (now in the National Museum) we can recognize three types of mosaic techniques common to the Roman Empire: four " EMBLEMATA " ancient Egyptian style of marble trays depicting the heads symbolizing the seasons, those were fixed in a special pattern to alternate with five other rectangular panels of geometric motifs laid in colored marble: a style which is called in Latin " OPUS SECTILE ", all that was flanked on both sides, by six rectangular panels of braided borders - depicting land and marine fauna along with mythological figures: this was called by the Latin term " OPUS VERMICULAUM ".

Mosaic of the Gladiators – found at the previously mentioned villa – demonstrating a mixture of "emblemata" and "opus sectile" techniques in the center of the panel, surrounded by a consistent pavement of micro-lithic polychrome tesserae called : " OPUS TESSELLATUM ", depicting almost every act which had taken place in the arena of the Roman amphitheater. Later the term " OPUS TESSELLATUM " was used to describe only regular (floor mosaics).

These 1^st century A D, master pieces of African mosaic, were done all in colored stone, marble and terracotta, by mixing all these deferent artistic methods it was possible for the African artisans to achieve the highest quality of mosaics, through an admirable adaptation of a wide range of chromatic shades, and masterly precision of placing the tesserae in its very accurate position.

Besides their artistic qualities, mosaics in Libya depicted so candidly, some local fauna, flora, landscape, and classical mythology, also many images of life style like agriculture, hunting wild game, fishing, circus chariot racing, and gladiatorial sports.

In fact some examples of mosaics in Libya would be considered as rare historical documents: such as the Mosaic of the Gladiators at Zliten, where some scholars (Aurigemma) had distinguished Libyan captives from Garama, were brought in shackles, to the Roman Coliseum around the year 79 BC.

The other case of an historical significance would be the light tower of Alexandria, which was illustrated in one of the mosaic panels of Gaser Libya Church that was precisely dated by inscription, at the year 534 AD.

In general, Libyan mosaics - from its start - would reflect that strong trend of Hellenistic influence which had swept all of the Roman Empire, a trend which was once called " Egypti-mania ".

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LIBYAN TREATISE

Mosaic masterpieces of Roman Tripolitnia

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