Workers Stumble Upon Ancient Greek Mosaic of Dancing Satyrs

While building a water line, construction workers in Greece discovered an ancient mosaic depicting a pair of satyrs: mythical hybrid man-animal spirits of nature. Laid into a white pebbled floor, the designs once decorated a home dating to the mid-fourth century B.C.E.

The mosaic floor was found in the town of Eretria on the island of Euboea, which was settled by ancient Greeks, per a statement from Greece’s Ministry of Culture. Researchers concluded that the floor dates to the late classical period, an era of wealth and artistic progress, based on its similarity to floors inside the “House of the Mosaics,” a nearby building that also dates to the fourth century B.C.E.

The culture ministry says the newly discovered mosaic is in “an excellent state of conservation,” per Live Science’s Jennifer Nalewicki.

Measuring just over three feet wide, the artwork features two nude male figures made with white and colored stones set against a blue circular background. Both of them have horse-like tails, pointed ears and yellow hair. The character on the left, sprouting a pair of forehead horns, plays a double flute, while the bearded figure on the right appears to dance to the music.

In ancient Greece, satyrs were considered wild creatures. They were often associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of “fertility, wine, vegetation, pleasure, ecstasy and ritual madness,” as Newsweek’s Aristos Georgiou writes.

The figures in this mosaic resemble other depictions of satyrs from classical Greece: naked men with tails and horns. But come the Hellenistic age, which began around 323 B.C.E., the Greeks started depicting satyrs as half-man, half-goat, with caprine legs, hooves and horns—the anatomy found in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson children’s novels. After that, images of satyrs continued to evolve, and they remained a common artistic subject for centuries.

The square pebble floor is bordered by a raised mortar floor, which allowed researchers to draw conclusions about how the building was used. Per the statement, people probably placed beds or recliners on this raised floor and held gatherings and banquets in the space. The satyrs, who are in a “cheerful mood,” are also “connected figuratively to the use of the space, which was intended for the celebrations that took place in the house,” writes the Greek Reporter’s Tasos Kokkinidis.

After Eretria’s abandonment in the fifth and sixth centuries C.E., the site was used as a cemetery. Researchers found five tombs that had been dug into the room, while five others had been buried nearby.

Officials have decided to reroute construction to avoid further damage to the mosaic. In the meantime, a protective covering has been placed on top of the ancient artwork.

Sonja Anderson | READ MORE

Sonja Anderson is a writer and reporter based in New York City.