Orpheus Taming Wild Animals
Roman, A.D. 204
Mosaic
64 3/4 x 60 in. (164.46 x 152.4 cm)
Gift of David T. Owsley via the Alconda-Owsley Foundation, and two anonymous donors, in honor of Nancy B. Hamon, 1999.305

The scene of Orpheus taming wild animals with music was very well known in the imperial Roman world. The idea of civilizing barbaric traits through the arts was a persistent cultural value throughout Roman times. A mystery cult promising initiates immortality was also associated with the poet Orpheus. This mosaic originated around the ancient Antioch area (now Antakya in Turkey) and is an especially distinguished example of the painterly tradition in mosaics.