The Open Minds programme explores Roman mosaics.

Meet the participants

Susan Tebby

Susan Tebby is a sculptural landscape artist and constructionist, as well as a Research Professor of Fine Art at De Montfort University. She has studied the history of geometry and surveying and for over twenty years has been investigating the ways in which geometric designs for Roman mosaic pavements may have been conceived, why particular designs were chosen and by what technical constructive methods they could have been transferred to the floors. She is currently writing a book about her discoveries.

Tom Tebby

Tom Tebby is a designer and computer graphics artist. Having gained his MA in ‘Interior Design with Information Technology’ from the University of Central England, he is now employed there as a member of the teaching staff.

Mosaics

Tile cutting

Mosaic making in Roman times was very different from most of the DIY mosaics we make today. Tom demonstrates one technique of creating tesserae (the small pieces from which mosaics are made) with a hammer and hardie - strips of mosaic material are chopped up into small cubes between a specially designed hammer and a sharp piece of metal set into a block of wood.

Designs

Susan explains how Roman mosaics in Britain differed over the years of occupation. In the first century AD they tended to be black and white and geometrical in design. In the second century AD they were still largely geometric, but began using brightly coloured tiles. Mosaics from the third century are fewer and of poorer quality, but it was in the fourth century that mosaic making in Britain entered its golden age with large numbers of high quality, figurative designs appearing.

Each country of the Roman Empire had images that were used again and again. In Roman Britain these tended to be images of everyday life such as the weather, crops and trade. A particular favourite was the four seasons – one appearing in each corner of the mosaic. Religious figures such as Neptune and Medusa are also depicted, as well as early images of Christ, such as the image in Hinton St Mary, Dorset.

Although the geometric patterns used by the Romans look very complex, they were created using a combination of very simple steps. Their origins lie largely in Greek mathematics but also have roots in ancient Egyptian and Sumerian mosaics, as well as influences from North Africa, which was taken over by the Romans at an early date.

Susan also demonstrates some practical tools that the Romans would have used to create their designs. Firstly they would have divided up large pavements into accurately proportioned sections with the use of a simple length of string looped round metal or wooden pegs. To draw circles a trammel would have been used – a length of wood with a nail in one end and holes drilled at points along its length. Susan demonstrates the creation of the Roman pavement in Leicester with small scale versions of these tools on a piece of paper.

Mosaics were very much a status symbol in Roman Britain with Governors and Generals commissioning the largest and best quality examples. However, as far as we can tell, mosaicists themselves were not particularly highly regarded in Roman Britain, although there were mosaic schools in some main cities. The only known Roman British mosaicist is a signature in the corner of a Sussex pavement. The artist’s name was probably Terentius.

However, although their names may have been forgotten centuries ago, their work still lives on. See below for details of where to see some good examples of Roman mosaics in Britain.

Take it further

Romano British Mosaics, Peter Johnson (Shire Publications)

The Roman Empire, C Wells (Fontana History of the Ancient World)

The Roman World 44BC-AD180, M Goodman (Routledge History of the Ancient World)

Roman Civilization: Selected Readings Volume II The Empire, N Lewis, M Reinhold (Columbia University Press)

Addresses

Fishbourne Roman Palace has some excellent examples of Roman mosaics.

Susan also mentions an early Roman image of Christ excavated at Hinton St Mary in Dorset, which is now in the British Museum along with several other examples.

If you would like to see some superb Roman mosaics in a museum which is itself a listed building then you should visit Bignor villa in Sussex, England.

It is situated about six miles north of Arundel and its postal address is: Bignor Roman Villa, Bignor, Pulborough, West Sussex RH20 1PH. Tel: 01798 869 259 (before 5pm).

Other Roman Mosaics in Britain:
Jewry Wall Museum, Leicester

Corinium Museum, Park Street, Cirencester
Tel: 01285 655 611

Museum of London

Dorset County Museum, High West Street, Dorchester
Tel: 01305 262735

Chedworth Roman Villa, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Tel: 01242 890256

The Museum of Reading, Berkshire

Aldborough Roman Town and Museum, North Yorkshire
Tel: 01423 322 768

Hull and East Riding Museum, Humberside

Find out more about studying history with the Open University.