Mosaic of Nymphs tormenting a Satyr

dimensions 60 x 60cm

Domvs Romana, Rabat

The small square panel or emblema was found in 1881 in what is thought to be the vestibule or forecourt of the Roman domus. This mosaic, consisting of very small pieces of polychrome stones, known as tesserae, is a fine example of opus vermiculatum.

The image portrays a muscular nude male figure, his hands bound behind his back by a woman, while another female figure clutches his beard, forcing his head backwards with her left hand and holding a pair of shears in her right. The clearly pointed ears and a small horn on the side of the male’s head identify him as a satyr. Although there are various interpretations, the emblema is thought to represent a common scene in Greek mythology of a satyr surprised in his sleep by two maenads, who punish him for his misdoings by shaving his beard.

The well-executed mosaic is attributed stylistically to the Late Hellenistic art of the early first century B.C.