Art and Society in Fourth-century Britain: Villa Mosaics in ContextThis volume builds upon the copious and varied research on villa mosaics in Roman Britain and evaluates it within the context of elite social life in the 4th century AD. It argues that the mosaics were an integral part of the rich lifestyle of the elite in this period and played an important role in defining their status. Yet these symbols of power were apparently no longer valued to the same degree by the end of the 4th century. In a priod of increasing social and economic instability, the mosaics were one element in an elite lifestyle which was ultimately to prove socially diversive. In this wide-ranging study, Scott considers the significance and long-term impact of the artistic choices made by villa owners. |
Common terms and phrases
agricultural estates allegorical appears apse apsidal archaeological Bacchus Barton Farm bath Bellerophon Bignor Brading busts central centre Chapter Chedworth Cirencester complex Cookson Corinian corridor Cotswolds Cotterstock courtyard decorated Dewlish dining room DM-W Figure east Midlands eight-lozenge elites Empire evidence for Christianity example excavated Fifehead Neville fourth century fourth-century Britain fourth-century villa geometric Goodburn group of mosaicists guilloche Hanfmann Henig Hinton St Mary Horkstow identified important impressive interpretation Jesnick Keynsham larger villas Lindinis Ling Littlecote Lullingstone Lysons Mansfield Woodhouse Mary and Frampton mosaic floors motifs mythological Neal Newton St Loe Northants Orpheus designs Orpheus mosaic pagan panel particular patterns perhaps Pitney possessed probably reception rooms region religious represent Roman Britain Roman villa Romano-British Romano-British mosaics Romano-British villa Rudston saltire scenes Seasons seems significance similar Smith social south-west Stonesfield stylistic subjects suggests symbols tesserae Thruxton Toynbee villa mosaics villa owners wealthy Whilst Winterton Withington Woodchester