Have a beautiful Day of Aphrodite aka Venus' Day aka Frigg's Day aka Friday 🌹
"I will sing of stately #Aphrodite, gold-crowned and beautiful, whose dominion is the walled cities of all sea-set #Cyprus. [...] Hail, sweetly-winning, coy-eyed goddess!"
Homeric Hymn 6 to Aphrodite
🏛️ Aphrodite #mosaic from East Bouleuterion, 2nd century CE, Aphrodisias
This photo in no way does justice to how detailed and amazing this mosaic is, but it was the best I could find 😭 Depicted: Sol Invictus surrounded by the signs of the zodiac.
📍 Roman villa at Münster-Sarmsheim
🏛 Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn
This beauty is one of the absolute gems at Herculaneum! So much so that the findspot is named after the two figures: the House of Neptune & Amphitrite.
The gorgeous gradations of blues sets this piece apart 💙
It's the Day of Hermes aka Mercurius Day aka #Wednesday! 🐏
#Mosaic of #Hermes-Mercurius, easily recognisable by the wings on his head, representing the planet Mercury or the fourth day of the ancient Roman week, diēs Mercuriī (Wednesday).
🏛 #Mercurius as Planet Mercury in The House of the Planetarium, Italica, #Spain
This skeleton is determined to make the best of their situation. They are reclining to dine and there’s clearly plenty of wine and bread to add to the feast. The ancient Greek reads “ΕΥΦΡΟΣΥΝΟΣ”: “Be cheerful, enjoy your life”
It's the Day of Zeus / Jupiter's Day / #Thursday! ⚡
#Zeus, disguised as a #satyr, seduces Antiope, daughter of the river god Asopos or of Nykteus, the king of Thebes. Antiope fled in fear of her father and was abducted by the hero Epopeus, eventually giving birth to two sons, Amphion by Zeus and Zethus by Epopeus.
CUTE alert! This depiction of a tiger chasing a goat (or perhaps another animal!) is rendered slightly less fearsome by the faces of both animals. The details of the tiger’s eye and apparent smile add an adorable element to this mosaic.
This C5th CE mosaic depicts an unswept floor scene at a banquet. Diners recline in a triclinium and its appears they may be some hours into their revels while attended by slaves.
It's the Day of Zeus / Jupiter's Day / #Thursday! ⚡
Humourous Roman #mosaic of #Ganymedes and #Zeus as a heron with a sponge on a stick, commony used by the Romans to clean the bum after going to the toilet. But if you know that Ganymedes is Zeus' lover, a different reason for sponging his genitals comes to mind 😏
🏛️ Dated 2nd century CE, discovered in Antiochia ad Cragum, Turkey
Do you feel spooky season coming upon you? Let this so-called ‘carpe diem’ mosaic send shivers down your spine! Certainly the jugs suggests some celebration to come 🏺🏺
The Three Graces in their classic pose. This mosaic is from the garden of the House of Apollo at Pompeii. Today this scene is held by the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli.
The touches of blue background give a sense of the original richness of the piece.
This panel from a larger mosaic depicts the goddess Diana with two of her nymphs. They appear to have just been surprised by the arrival of the young hunter Actaeon. Things are not about to end well for the mortal!
It's the Day of Hermes aka Mercurius Day aka #Wednesday! 🐏
Baby #Dionysos sitting on the lap of his big brother #Hermes is given to the #satyr Tropheus and the nymphs of Nysa. Also in the scene are Anatrophe (“upbringing”), as well as Ambrosia and Nektar (food and drink of the gods).
This C2nd CE Roman mosaic suggests the preparation for a feast. On the menu: an array of meats, what looks to be dates (or something else, I’m not sure?), and a good dose of leafy greens!
Mosaic of #Helios, #Selene and the 12 labours of the months. The Sun and the Moon are in the centre with the 12 labours arranged around them. Each of the labourers is labelled at the feet with the number of days as well as the Latin name of the month in Greek letters.
🏛️ Roman era #mosaic dated 6th century CE, Beit She'an, Israel
Chariot mosaic with parrot ~ late C2nd–early C3rd CE
This gorgeous piece was found in
1876 during the construction of Via Nazionale in Rome. It seems to depict a larger-than-life parrot driving a chariot!
This Severan era portrait is believed to be of an athlete given the emphasis on muscle delineation. Having said that, he doesn’t look like the happiest camper going around!
🏛 Centrale Montemartini (Capitolini AC 4492)
📸 My own