A Re-examination of a Mosaic from Bulgaria Representing Medusa, the Winds, and Other Figures

This article is a sequel to an earlier article of mine in JMR 15, 2020, dealing with mosaic imagery of figural content in Room 10 of the Villa Armira, an aristocratic residence of the Roman imperial era located in southeastern Bulgaria. The present study examines the large pavement of Antonine date decorating a different space in that building, Room 6, which was identified as a triclinium by the excavator, J. Mladenova. Various features of this mosaic’s iconography, first described and interpreted by Mladenova and later reaffirmed by G. Kabakchieva, are looked at afresh, in order to clarify their significance and to place this work of art in a broad art historical context. Comparisons are made with mosaic pavements and sculptural reliefs drawn from the eastern and western parts of the empire. Topics investigated include imagery of Medusa, the winds, the seasons, and a few animals, as well as profile heads of young men and women of uncertain meaning. Possible identifications of the latter individuals include household gods, the Penates, or geographic personifications of the region where the mosaic was made. This discussion also relates the design and figural content of the mosaic to the social function of Room 6, and helps confirm the pavement’s date.