Mosaics of Roman Africa

by Michèle Blanchard-Lemée

During the days of the Roman Empire, between the second and sixth century A.D., some of the most spectacular mosaics in the history of art were created in the area largely comprised by present-day Tunisia. Ironically, these mosaics were designed as floor pavements, to be walked upon by the patrons that commissioned them as well as the public. Designed and produced by workshops staffed with master artists and skilled artisans, the floors were commissioned by provincial aristocrats seeking to display their social status and opulent lifestyles. The mosaics abound with images of exuberant plant forms, with animals both real and imaginary, and with individuals - nobles, farmers, hunters, chariot drivers, and wrestlers - going about their daily activities. Watching over them are the various divinities: Neptune with his Nereids, images of the muses, Venus and her entourage. As few paintings survive from this period, mosaics remain our richest legacy of the magnificent lifestyles enjoyed in no