Ancient depictions: mosaics

M01 - Mosaic in the House of the Harbour Mosaic (I,XIV,2). The lighthouse has six storeys, including the cylinder with the fire. Lines on the bottom storey suggest the use of large blocks of stone. In the centre of this storey is a large, arched opening. In the centre of the three next storeys is a rectangular door or window. The lowest door or window is flanked by two vertical lines, presumably slit windows. The height of the lower storeys decreases from bottom to top, but the highest storeys have almost the same height. Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. CLXI.

M02 - Mosaic in statio 3 on the Square of the Corporations (II,VII,4). Only a small part of the lighthouse has been preserved: the top storey, the cylinder with the fire. It has two white stones. Below is part of the penultimate storey, seen from above. Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. CLXXV.

M03 - Mosaic in statio 22 on the Square of the Corporations (II,VII,4). The lighthouse has five storeys, including the cylinder. In the centre of the bottom storey is a large, arched opening. The next storey has two doors at the sides. The next one has two windows at the sides. The penultimate storey has a vertical line with some horizontal lines, the upper ones bowl-shaped. The upper storey is quite unusual: it has a white instead of a black fire, in a black rectangle. The top of the lighthouse is flanked by black rectangles of uneven size. The first and third storey are higher than the second and fourth. Photo: Lugli-Filibeck 1935, fig. 10.

M04 - Mosaic in statio 23 on the Square of the Corporations (II,VII,4). The lighthouse has three storeys, including the white cylinder. In the centre of the two lowest storeys is a large, arched opening, the lower one much bigger than the other. The lower one is flanked by two white lines, presumably slit windows. The first storey is much higher than the second. Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. CLXXIX.

M05 - Mosaic in statio 26 on the Square of the Corporations (II,VII,4). This is a depiction of the upper part of the lighthouse, seen from above. On or below the cylinder with the fire is a white rectangle with a few white stones towards the sides. In the centre of the storey below it, is a large arched opening. Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. XXXVII.

M06 - Mosaic in statio 35 on the Square of the Corporations (II,VII,4). A very simple depiction, apparently with four storeys, and a high fire. Two white stones on the floors. Photo: Gerard Huissen.

M07 - Mosaic in statio 46 on the Square of the Corporations (II,VII,4). The lighthouse has four storeys, including the cylinder. White lines on the lower three storeys suggest the use of large blocks of stone. In the centre of all storeys is a large, arched opening. Both the storeys and the openings are getting smaller towards the top. Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. CLXXIX.

M08 - Mosaic in statio 49 on the Square of the Corporations (II,VII,4). The lighthouse has four storeys, including the cylinder. In the centre of the bottom storey is a large, arched opening. The threshold is at quite a distance from the bottom of the tower. In the centre of the next storey are two doors or windows. In the centre of the next one is a door. The bottom storey is the highest and widest one. Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. CLXXVI.

M09 - Mosaic in the Baths of the Lighthouse (IV,II,1). The lighthouse has six stories, including the cylinder. White lines on the lower five storeys suggest the use of large blocks of stone. In the centre of these storeys are large, arched openings. The interior of the lower three is black, that of the other two white. Below the first opening is a black rectangle. The storeys and openings are getting smaller towards the top, with the exception of the penultimate one. Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. CLXIV.

M10 - Mosaic in the Isola Sacra necropolis, in front of the entrance of tomb 43. The lighthouse has four storeys, including the cylinder. In the centre of the bottom storey is a large, arched opening. In the upper part of the first three storeys are many vertical white lines, presumably slit windows. The first storey is by far the largest. The Greek text says: "Here is the end of sorrow". Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia.

M11 - Mosaic in the Imperial Palace of Ostia, courtyard 73. This is a depiction of the upper part of the lighthouse. The fire is flanked by two objects looking like spoons. The fire in between looks like a balloon. Photo: Scavi di Ostia IV, Tav. XV.