Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The first thing you'll see upon entering is not a Roman mosaic at all but a Hellenistic
monochrome pebble mosaic showing the monster
Scylla
. Based on a Greek myth, this
mosaic was discovered in 1977, a metre underground in the southwestern corner of the at-
rium.
The famous tale of Narcissus is depicted in a mosaic in Room 2, while the Four
Seasons mosaic (Room 3) depicts Spring crowned with flowers and holding a shepherd's
stick, Summer holding a sickle and wearing ears of corn, Autumn crowned with leaves
and wheat, and Winter as a bearded, grey-haired man.
Phaedra and Hippolytos
(Room 6) is one of the most important mosaics in the house.
It depicts the tragic tale of a stepmother's bizarre love for her stepson.
Another stunning mosaic in the house is the
Rape of Ganymede
(Room 8). Ganymede
was a beautiful young shepherd who became the cupbearer of the gods. The mosaicist had
apparently miscalculated the space allowed to him, which is why the eagle's wings are
cropped.
In the
Western Portico
(Room 16) is a mosaic based on a tale familiar to any lover of
Shakespeare: the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, first narrated by Ovid in his
Metamorphos-
is,
and adapted in
Romeo and Juliet
(and
A Midsummer Night's Dream
).
A short walk away are the smaller
Villa of Theseus
and the
House of Aion
. The latter,
a purpose-built structure made from stones found on the site, houses a 4th-century mosaic
display made up of five separate panels. The house was named after the pagan god Aion,
depicted in the mosaics. Although the image has been damaged somewhat, the name Aion
and the face of the god can still be clearly seen.
The Villa of Theseus is thought to have been a 2nd-century private residence and is
named after a representation of the hero Theseus fighting the Minotaur. The building oc-
cupies an area of 9600 sq metres and, so far, 1400 sq metres of mosaics have been un-
covered. The round mosaic of Theseus and the Minotaur is particularly well preserved and
can be seen in Room 36. Other mosaics to look out for are those of Poseidon in Room 76
and Achilles in Rooms 39 and 40.
Allow at least two hours to see the three houses properly.
Agora, Asklipieion & Odeion
The Agora (or forum) and Asklipieion date back to the 2nd century AD and constitute
the heart of the original Nea Pafos complex. Today, the Agora consists mainly of the Ode-
ion, a semicircular theatre that was restored in 1970 but does not look particularly ancient.
The rest of the Agora is discernible by the remains of marble columns that form a rect-
angle in the largely empty open space. What is left of the Asklipieion, the healing centre
and altar of Asklepios, god of medicine, runs east to west on the southern side of the Ode-
ion.
Saranta Kolones Fortress
