The Achilleus Mosaic is considered one of the important examples of Roman mosaic art. This mosaic, found in a villa known as the House of Poseidon in the Zeugma Ancient City of Gaziantep, depicts a mythological scene. The mosaic exhibited in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum depicts the scene in which Akhilleus disguises himself as a woman on the island of Skyros. This scene is a well-known mythological narrative in the Roman world, and similar compositions have also been seen in Pompeii and Ephesus.【1】 The Achilleus Mosaic in Zeugma is dated to the 3rd century AD and reflects the iconographic and ideological understanding of the period.
The Achilleus Mosaic was discovered during archaeological excavations conducted in the Zeugma Ancient City between 1992 and 2000. In 2000, it was unearthed as part of rescue excavations carried out due to the danger of submersion under the waters of the Birecik Dam. The mosaic is dated to the early 3rd century AD and was constructed as an emblem (central scene) placed on the impluvium (rainwater collection area) floor of the House of Poseidon in Zeugma.
The mosaic was discovered during excavations carried out in the Zeugma Ancient City between 1992 and 2000. In 2000, it was unearthed as part of rescue excavations carried out due to the danger of submersion under the waters of the Birecik Dam. It is thought that this mosaic panel, located in the House of Poseidon in Zeugma, belonged to a wealthy Roman officer or a high-ranking administrator. The mosaic was created during the reign of the Roman Emperor Caracalla (AD 211-217). Caracalla was an emperor known for his admiration of Alexander the Great and Achilleus, and this mosaic is considered a work that reflects his ideological propaganda.【2】
Knowing that her son Achilleus would die at a young age if he participated in the Trojan War, his mother Thetis took him to the island of Skyros and hid him in the palace of King Lykomedes in order to protect him from this fate.【3】 However, Odysseus and Diomedes devised a plan to find Achilleus. Odysseus, who came to King Lykomedes’ palace under the pretext of conducting trade, presented not only jewels and fabrics but also a weapon. While the other women were occupied with the jewelry, Achilleus instinctively turned towards the weapons, thereby revealing his identity. According to another account, Odysseus triggered a war alarm in the palace and waited for them to react. As the women fled in terror, Achilleus donned his sword and inadvertently exposed his true identity.【4】
Achilleus Mosaic (Photo: Carole Raddato, worldhistory.org)
The Achilleus Mosaic bears the typical characteristics of Roman mosaic art of the period. The mosaic was made using multicolored stone and glass tesserae. Achilleus is depicted in female attire, yet various elements that allude to his warrior nature have also been incorporated. The mosaic also includes King Lykomedes’ palace and palace women. The mosaic in Zeugma is one of the works that shows how this myth spread to Eastern Rome and how it shaped Roman military ideology.
