Unknown Maker, Roman

In the city of Antioch, a vital agricultural and commercial center at the crossroads of the Roman Empire, economic prosperity created an expansive middle-class population with a taste for luxury and beauty. Villas in this region were often opulently decorated with stunning wall frescoes and floor mosaics, like this medallion of the wine god Bacchus (the Greek Dionysos). While today this mosaic is displayed on the Museum’s wall, it was originally located in the entrance hall of a Roman villa, as part of a much larger floor pavement. As guests walked across the mosaic, these images of the wine god Bacchus and his followers would have created an atmosphere of wine-drinking revelry and merriment, inviting them to enjoy the pleasures of life.