East versus West in the Iconography of Roman Mosaics: Selected Examples of Shared Themes

Abstract

This article deals with a few different artistic themes represented by mosaicists in both the eastern and western

halves of the Roman empire. The themes I discuss are the Triumph of Dionysos and the subject of the hunt, both

of which were popular primarily for decorating the main reception room of private homes. Dionysos’s triumph

evokes worldly happiness and prosperity, and the hunt, of either realistic or mythological type, reflects a popular

aristocratic pastime as well as the manly quality of courage in the face of danger, or virtus. In general, the

direction of artistic influence flowed from west to east, but in at least one instance, the trend in imagery moved

in the opposite direction. It is shown how eastern and western craftsmen developed regional preferences in the

ways they depicted the shared themes, partly shaped by local historical and economic circumstances.

Keywords

• Dionysos,triumph,hunt,virtus,Meleager

Roma Mozaiklerinin İkonografisinde Doğu Batı’ya Karşı: Ortak Konulardan Seçilmiş Örnekler

Abstract

Bu makale, Roma İmparatorluğu’nun doğu ve batı yarısında mozaik sanatçıları tarafından yansıtılan birkaç

sanatsal konu ile ilgilenmektedir. Benim burada ele aldığım öncelikli olarak özel konutların ana giriş odalarının

dekorasyonu için yaygın olan Dionysos’un zaferi ve av konularıdır. Dionysos’un zaferi, dünyevi mutluluğu

ve refahı anımsatmaktadır. Gerçekçi ya da mitolojik yöntemlerden birine sahip avlama ise yaygın aristokratik

eğlencenin yanında, virtus ya da tehlikenin yüzündeki cesaretin erkeğe özgü niteliklerini de yansıtmaktadır.

Genel olarak, sanatsal etkinin yönü batıdan doğuya doğru ilerlemektedir. Fakat, en az bir durumda imgelerdeki

akım zıt yönde etkilenmiştir. Doğu ve batı zanaatkârlarının, yerel tarihi ve ekonomik durumlar tarafından

kısmen şekillenen ortaklaşa konuları resmettiği biçimde, bölgesel tercihlerin nasıl geliştiği gösterilmektedir.

Keywords

• Dionysos,zafer,av,virtus,Meleager

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