the paphos archaeological park contains sites dating from the roman period up through the 13th century. most impressive (to me) were the mosaic floors from the roman villas. this is the floor of the “house of aion,” 4th century b.c. (aion is the god of time, who features in one of the center panels, and for whom the building is named.)
this scene shows the infant dionysos in hermes’ lap, about to be handed over to his teacher, tropheos.
this is a telling of the myth of apollo and marysas, in which marysas, who challenged apollo to a music contest and lost, is about to be flayed alive.
moral: don’t mess with the gods.
outside, and currently exposed to the elements, is this mosaic in the “house of theseus,” showing theseus killing the minotaur.
columns from the house of theseus.
other ruins. i think the green burlap fabric in the lower right, under the sand, is a cover for other mosaics which are not currently on display.
an ornamental mosaic floor.
since this site has been occupied by numerous invaders since the romans, there are more recent ruins, such as the castle of saranta kolones (forty columns), which was built by the lusignans around a.d. 1200. the lusignans were a royal house that originated in france and conquered much of europe and the levant for a time. (according to wikipedia, the mythological founder of the family is used as the logo for starbucks.) the castle was destroyed by an earthquake 20 years after it was completed.
cyprus 2: mosaics
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