engleski

The Roman mosaics of Dalmatia : Histria and Pannonia

In the first centuries of Roman rule, mosaics were most often used to cover the floor surfaces of public and private structures in cities and on country estates (villae rusticae). Mosaics appear into two color variants: in a black and white technique, almost graphic, particularly represented during the Antonine period, and in a rich polychrome that appears in the Croatia region from the 3rd century. The motifs are very different, geometric, and floral ornaments appear, as well as figural compositions with mythological and similar scenes. The black and white mosaics were rarer appearing at Senj, Split, Pula, and Zadar. Istria was an exception, where it was very common as a floor decoration. The most attractive examples of early polychromatic mosaics include mosaics with geometric motifs from Vis (Narona) and Pula, as well as figural polychromatic mosaics with motifs from classical mythology: from Pula (the punishment of Dirce), Nin (gladiator fights), and Solin (the poetress Sappho surrounded by the nine Muses, with images of Triton, Orpheus and Appolo). The confirmed numerous archaeological discoveries of mosaics in Dalmatia, Histria and Pannonia bear witness to the importation, acceptance, and imitation of artistic forms in the stylistic development, but also local forms of creation, often even with certain local contributions. However, the distribution of finds is unfortunately not equal throughout the entire area. The greatest number of finds are concentrated on the Adriatic coast, while there are only a few examples from the continental regions: the Roman villa at Benkovac near Okučani from the 3rd century (Pannonia, the Roman villa at Orlić near Knin from the 2nd-4th centuries (Interior of Dalmatia), and some others. The flourishing of mosaic art on the Adriatic coast is connected to its urbanization at the end of the 1st century and in the first half of the 2nd century, when intensive artistic activities developed, with a new taste in decoration. Cities and rich aristocrats commissioned luxurious artistic works that are scattered along the coast. Many eastern Adriatic cities have preserved chronological sequences of rich archaeological strata with mosaics, often in situ. The cities of Poreč, Pula, Zadar, Solin, and Split are only some of the centers where the artistic and craft level of the monuments is often equal to the achievements of Rome, Pompeii, Ostia, and later Ravenna.

Roman Mosaics; Dalmatia; Histria; Pannonia

AIEMA = Association International pour l'Étude de la Mosaique Antique