Mosiacs

A mosaic from the slope houses at Ephesus

A mosaic is the decoration of a surface by applying small, closely-set pieces of a material (usually stone or glass) to an area prepared with an adhesive.  The technique was invented by the Greeks but was important in Roman art as well. The subjects of the mosaic form ranged from relatively simple geometric designs, such as that seen above, to intricate copies of paintings based on important historical and mythological events.

Mosaics were a luxury found only in the homes of the most elite classes, and were very expensive, as attested by Horace:  "What, should you sweep Mosaic pavements with a dirty broom made of palm, and throw Tyrian carpets over the unwashed furniture of your couch!" (Horace 2.4.47).  Despite the mosaic's having originated in Classical Greece, mosaics made in Asia Minor during our time period were assembled from standard kits imported from Rome.

A famous type of mosaic associated with Asia Minor is the asaroton, a floor mosaic that depicts pieces of unswept fallen food, which was originally designed by Sosus of Pergamon and copied throughout the Roman world.  The most famous (and well-preserved) example of the asaroton was found on the Aventine in Rome.