Image: Aerial photograph and plan of the House of Dionysos, Archaeological Museum, Pella (7065301481)

Description: The house of Dionysos has an area of 3,160 square metres and occupies the entire width and the bigger part of the length of a building block. It consists of two parts, articulated around two central peristyle courtyards. The larger of these, 300 square metres in area, is situated in the south part of the house and has rooms for entertaining visitors arranged around three sides of it. A small courtyard in the north part with a restored ionic peristyle, is surrounded by the living room for th occupants of the house. The stone base of a staircase preserved in the north-east room attests to the existence of an upper storey on the north side of the small courtyard. Entrance is from a porch on the east side of the house, from which a wide door leads to the north part of it, and there is another entrance at the south. In the south part of the house there are two banquet rooms (andrones), which communicate with the courtyard by way of large antechambers. In the north-west part is the andron with the mosaic of the lion hunt. The scene occupies the center of the floor and is enclosed by a broad border of floral decoration. The big antechamber is paved with white and black pebbles forming lozenges. The threshold in front of the entrance to the andron is preserved with a mosaic depiction of a Centaur and Centauress. To the south of the andron with the lion hunt mosaic, is the andron with the mosaic of Dionysos, which fills the entire room. The god is depicting rinding on a panther and holding a thyrsos. The floor of the antechamber of this andron is covered with white and black pebbles arranged in concentric triangles. The threshold at the entrace to the andron is adorned with a mosaic of a griffin tearing a deer. The construction of the house of Dioysos is dated in 235-300 BC. All the mosaics of the house are exhibited in the museum.
Title: Aerial photograph and plan of the House of Dionysos, Archaeological Museum, Pella (7065301481)
Credit: Aerial photograph and plan of the House of Dionysos, Archaeological Museum, Pella
Author: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
License: CC BY-SA 2.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
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