Asarotos Oikos

This article focuses on the asàrotos òikos theme in roman mosaics, and aims at exploring the social significance these depictions have held during the late Imperial Period, and their relation to the proceedings of the banquet. This study suggests that "disguised symbolism" and erudite references rest behind the representation of these seemingly daily objects, which could only have be fully understood by members of the Roman cultural elite, who possessed the proper education for the task. The mosaic served as a starting point for the elitist practice of an erudite discourse, and as a reminder of the brevity of life.

The asàrotos òikos or "unswept floor" is a decorative theme found in Roman mosaics. The theme depicts scraps of food along other items, as if scattered across the room's floor. According to Pliny the theme was first created by Sosus in Pergamon. The mosaic Pliny is referring to was never discovered; however, later Roman variations on this theme were discovered in both Italy and Tunisia. This article seeks to examine the changes made to the asàrotos òikos motif when it transitions from centre to periphery and from the first to the sixth century CE. This article explores the functions and meanings the theme has held in Roman thought during the first and second century CE, the change in perception and use of the theme during the third century in the provincial Roman towns of North Africa, the influence of the theme on Early Christian art-both in style and iconography, and the new meanings possibly assigned to the theme upon its later use in a Byzantine basilica.

The Heraklitos mosaic, which dates to the second century AD and is displayed today at the Vatican Museums, depicts the theme of the asàrotos òikos ("unswept floor") alongside allusions to Dionysian and Isiac mystery cults. The mosaic is well known due to its highly illusionistic depiction of scraps of food, which are scattered evenly across the room's floor, as if left behind; a theme which according to Pliny was first created by the mosaicist Sosus in Hellenistic Pergamon. The mosaic Pliny is referring to was never discovered, and the theme is known today only through five surviving Roman variations, the Heraklitos mosaic being the largest and most elaborate one. This article examines the ways in which the Heraklitos mosaic expresses the connection between power, social status and initiation into mystery cults in Imperial Rome, and explores the connection between traditional Roman beliefs, foreign cult practices and elitist artistic representation.

The Roman asàrotos òikos ("Unswept Floor/Room") mosaics, which were discovered in Italy and in Tunisia, and date from the end of the first to the sixth century AD, showcase a seemingly popular theme: scraps of food that had fallen (or were thrown) under the table during the banquet, colourfully displayed, appealing and appetising to the eyes. These mosaics are, in fact, Roman variations on a famous prototype created by Sosus in Hellenistic Pergamon, which was never discovered. The Roman mosaics reveal a unique tension between the display of impersonal, mundane reality in an illusory manner and the use of irony and disguised symbolism. The depiction of everyday life and elements that carry various symbolic meanings in trompe-l'oeil prompts an interpretive reading of the artwork. The use of visual deception not only forms the ground for contemplative thought, but also enriches the reading by adding more layers of veiled meanings that need to be recognised and decoded by the viewers. This particular combination of aesthetics and iconography forms complex allegorical content. This article focuses on the asàrotos òikos mosaics which were discovered in Italy, and their particular combination of a popular theme, symbolism and illusionism.

Resumen: Este artículo se centra en el tema de los asarotos oikos en los mosaicos romanos, y tiene como objetivo explorar la importancia social que estas representaciones han tenido a finales del Imperio y su relación con los procedimientos del banquete. Este estudio sugiere que el simbolismo disfrazado y las referencias eruditas descansan detrás de la representación de estos objetos aparentemente diarios, que solo podrían ser completamente comprendidos por los miembros de la élite cultural romana, que poseían la educación adecuada para la tarea. El mosaico sirvió como punto de partida para la práctica elitista de un discurso erudito y como un recordatorio de la brevedad de la vida.


Abstract: This article focuses on the asarotos oikos theme in roman mosaics, and aims at exploring the social significance these depictions have held during the late Imperial age, and their relation to the proceedings of the banquet. This study suggests that disguised symbolism and erudite references rest behind the representation of these seemingly daily objects, which could only be fully understood by members of the Roman cultural elite, who possessed the proper education for the task. The mosaic served as a starting point for the elitist practice of an erudite discourse and as a reminder of the brevity of life.

Alimentation et société dans l'Antiquité (II) "Poissons, coquillages, crustacés et épices".

6 séances le jeudi après-midi par quinzaine (14h-18h, bât. Olympe De Gouges salle GH113) Détail d'une mosaïque de Pompéi Le séminaire PLH 1 (équipe PLH-CRATA) a lieu chaque année au premier semestre. Il est ouvert à tous et forme les étudiants à l'actualité de la recherche. Des chercheurs de l'équipe mais aussi d'autres unités et d'autres universités sont sollicités. Après avoir abordé l'an dernier les pratiques alimentaires antiques de façon générale (le pain, les rations, la vaisselle culinaire, les régimes médicaux…), le CRATA consacre son séminaire 2018 à un aspect particulier de la question, souvent abordé de façon anecdotique : les produits de la pêche, poissons, coquillages et crustacés. En convoquant aussi bien les sources iconographiques, littéraires qu'archéologiques, les participants de ce séminaire chercheront à cerner le statut de ces produits alimentaires en fonction du temps et de l'espace : mets communs, produits de luxe, espèces recherchées et valorisées ou au contraire méprisées ? Nous élargirons également le propos à la question des épices qui, souvent, agrémentaient les poissons.