A Mosaic from Philippopolis

Šahbā's golden age is closely associated with the Roman Empire and Emperor Philip the Arab, hence its Classical name: Philippopolis. Gracing the National Museum of Damascus is a giant (337 cm x 276 cm) Šahbā mosaic from the 3rd century C.E. This piece features brightly colored themes and allegories from Greco-Roman mythology. Mortals and divinities are designated by their names. Let's analyze this heavenly beauty in detail: 

Occupying the bottom center is a woman personifying Gaia, the Mother Earth Goddess, surrounded by four kids. Identified above her shoulders are Georgia (meaning agriculture) and Triptolemus (inventor of agriculture), familiar figures in Greek fables.

Seen in the bottom right is a bearded man sitting artist-like before a painting. He is none other than Prometheus, about to create the first man out of clay. Right above him is Hermes, the messenger god, who, among other tasks, commutes between the world of the divine and that of the mortals. He is surrounded by three women: the topless one is, of course, Aphrodite, goddess of beauty; another one would be Psyche, symbolizing the soul.

In the bottom left is Aion, god of time, carrying a ring in his right hand. Above and behind him are four winged ladies personifying the Four Seasons.

At the topmost on both sides are four heads emerging from the clouds and representing the Four Winds as follows:

- Boreas: the north wind brings forth the cold winter air.
- Zephyrus: the west wind and harbinger of spring and early summer breezes.
- Notos: south wind announcing storms of late summer and fall.
- Eurus: the southeast wind is not associated with any of the Greek seasons.

Photography: Nicholas Randall. 

J. Charbonneaux. Aiōn et Philippe l'Arabe. Mélanges de l'école française de Rome. Année 1960 (72)  pp. 253-272. 

Highlights of the National Museum of Damascus. Media Minds LLC, [Lebanon], 2006.