Emily Chan
During a construction project involving a new water line, workers in Greece stumbled across an ancient mosaic depicting a pair of dancing satyrs, which are man-animal hybrid spirits of nature found in Greek mythology.
The designs were embedded in a white pebbled floor that once decorated a home dating back to the middle of the fourth century B.C.E.
According to the Greek Ministry of Culture, the mosaic floor was found in the town of Eretria, located on the island of Euboea, which was settled by ancient Greeks.
Researchers concluded that the floor is from the late classical period, based on its similarity to floors in a nearby structure called the “House of the Mosaics” that also dates to the fourth century B.C.E.
The mosaic is extremely well-preserved and measures just over three feet wide. It was made using white and colored pebbles arranged in a pattern against a blue circular background.
The artwork features two male figures who aren’t wearing any clothes. They both have yellow hair, pointed ears, and horse-like tails.
The character on the left had a pair of forehead horns and was playing a double flute. Meanwhile, the other figure on the right had a beard and appeared to be dancing.
In ancient Greek mythology, satyrs were considered wild creatures that were often associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility, wine, vegetation, pleasure, and ritual madness.
The figures from the mosaic resemble other portrayals of satyrs from ancient Greece—unclothed men with horns and tails. But during the Hellenistic age, which began around 323 B.C.E., the Greeks started depicting satyrs as half-man and half-goat with hooves and horns.
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