IT ISN’T VERY LIKELY WE WILL EVER HAVE THE CHANCE to see the Roman mosaics in Syria or Iran. But we have been fortunate to see four of the best Roman mosaics — Madaba in Jordan, Ravenna in Italy, Bardo in Tunisia and today, Pafos.
Mosaic from House of Theseus
“New” Pafos was the name given to what is now the Pafos Archeological Site back in the 4th Century BC when the Ptolmeys, the same Greco-Macedonian descendants of Alexander that ruled Egypt, held the reins in Cyprus. The city was ceded to the Romans in 68 BC and continued to grow in importance for the next 300 years until it was destroyed by and earthquake.
Narcissus
Leda (sans Swan)
Fast forward to the present, 1962 to be precise, when a local farmer ploughing his field unearthed (literally) the exquisite mosaic floor of a wealthy Roman’s house. Dozens of other mosaics were discovered and restored. Every picture tells a story from mythology; the tale of Narcissus, the rape of Ganymede, Leda and her swan. The sites today are named from the main subject of the mosaics, including the House of Dionysus, the Villa of Theseus and the House of Aion. Other mosaics have been restored and reburied until permanent structures can be built to preserve them for another 2000 years.
Tombs of the Kings
The nearby and misnamed Tombs of the Kings are a World Heritage site of burial sites for nobles, not royalty, carved into the limestone, some complete with columns. They date from the Hellenistic 3rd Century BC to 3rd Century AD Roman sites.
