Dionysus mosaic (Dion)
The Dionysus mosaic is the largest surviving mosaic that has so far been found during excavations in Dion . It dates from the 2nd or 3rd century AD and shows the epiphany of the triumphant Dionysus .
location
The ancient site with important excavations is located just outside the modern site of Dion in the Greek region of Central Macedonia in the coastal plain at the foot of Mount Olympus , approx. 15 km from Katerini and approx. 17 km from the ancient Leibethra . The mosaic is exhibited in a separate building, the archaeological library, west of the archaeological museum .
description
In the center of the large mosaic, Dionysus is depicted in a chariot. Next to him stands a mature Silenus who can be seen more as a helper of God than as a charioteer. The chariot is pulled by two panthers, two centaurs ( Greek Κένταυρος Kentauros , plural Κένταυροι Kentauroi) hold their reins. One of the two Centaurs is a mature, bearded man who carries a vessel ( crater ) that probably contains wine. The other Kentauer carries a closed vessel on his shoulder which presumably contains the sacred symbols of the Dionysus cult. The light background highlights the figure of Dionysus.
The mosaic artist used mosaic stones ( tesserae ) of different sizes and several dozen shades of color in order to depict details vividly. He gave his work the character of a painting. Certainly he was inspired for his work by an important Hellenistic painting.
The masks below and above the central mosaic are also of high quality. Three on the east and three on the west.
The middle of the three masks on the lower (eastern) side shows Dionysus with long locks. The mask on his left shows a mature satyr with a snub nose.
The mask to his right shows a barbarian. The eyes stand out, his gaze is lowered. Probably it is about Lycurgos, king of Thrace, and an enemy of Dionysus. He persecuted the young god, who threw himself into the sea and was saved by Thetis .
The masks above (to the west) of the Dionysus mosaic depict a young satyr on the left and an older Silenus on the right. The mask in between shows the face of a woman with blue eyes and curly hair. This may be the nymph Thetis, the savior of Dionysus.
The work of art was created at the beginning of the 3rd century AD. The central mosaic, the Epiphany of Dionysus, measures 220 cm by 150 cm; the entire mosaic has a floor area of around 100 m².
excavation
In the summer of 1987 archaeologists found the most important mosaic of the extensive excavation site so far (the excavations are still ongoing) under a layer of earth. It is almost completely preserved, protected by the covering layer of earth.
Of course, this valuable find had to be protected. Since it should be open to the public, it was decided to cover the site, which was called the "Villa of Dionysus". For more than 20 years the mosaic was protected from people and the sun under a roof structure. In order to be able to view the work from all sides, a footbridge was built on which visitors could go around it. The roof helped against the sun's rays, but it was powerless against water and general decay. The condition got worse from year to year. Individual mosaic stones (tessera) detached themselves from the subsoil, plants grew in the cracks. It was only a matter of time before this mosaic, which had remained largely intact for over two millennia, would be destroyed.
restoration
It was decided to create a separate building especially for this work of art. It is located directly behind the museum, to the west of it, and was baptized with the name Archaeothiki. After completion of the building, the mosaic had to be removed from the "Villa of Dionysus". In the fall of 2015, conservators, archaeologists and workers started this project. In order to be able to split the mosaic into several parts, the position and shape of the individual mosaic stones were first drawn on the intended dividing lines. Then they were removed. A special adhesive and textile strips were applied to fix the remaining stones in place. The mosaic was divided into several transportable panels. Then these panels had to be separated from the sub-floor. Starting at the edge, holes were drilled tightly together with long drills in the soil under the fixed object. With flat steel blades that were hammered into the holes at certain intervals, specialists separated the mosaic from the substrate. Then it was carefully lifted so that a suitable steel plate could be driven underneath. The helpers provided the surface with a wooden panel. The plates (steel plate and wooden plate) were fixed against each other with several belt tensioners so that no movement was possible during transport. The sections, which weighed up to 500 kg, were placed on a trailer via a ramp and transported to the Archaeothiki.
In the meantime, a precise image of the entire mosaic has been spread out on the floor of the Archaeothiki. It was made on a 1: 1 scale to show the restorers the space for each item. In order to stabilize the mosaic stones, the carrier layer under the mosaic was removed in the next step and replaced with mortar. The conservators used steam to loosen the special adhesive and remove the protective materials that had been stuck on.
literature
Hellenic Republic, Ministry of culture and sports, Onassis Foundation USA: Gods and Mortals at Olympus. Edited by Dimitrios Pandermalis, ISBN 978-0-9906142-2-7
proof
- Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport: The Villa of Dionysus
- The video shows the recovery, transport and restoration of the mosaic
- Professor Pandermalis talks about Dion and the Dionysus mosaic
Web links
Remarks
- ↑ Dimitrios Pandermalis: Dion. The Archaeological Site and the Museum. Athens 1997.
- ^ Mosaic of the Epiphany of Dionysus. Retrieved February 16, 2019 .
- ^ Hellenic Republic, Ministry of culture and sports, Onassis Foundation USA: Gods and Mortals at Olympus. Edited by Dimitrios Pandermalis, page 24, ISBN 978-0-9906142-2-7
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 1, 1987, page 181.
Coordinates: 40 ° 10 ′ 13 ″ N , 22 ° 29 ′ 11 ″ E