The tablinum or exedra of the Battle of Issus Mosaic, also called the Alexander Mosaic is part of House of the Faun and contained an elaborate mosaic depicting the Alexander the Great and the Battle of Issus (circa November 333 BCE). It is one of the the most famous and notable mosaics found in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.
The tablinum where the Alexander Mosaic was found, is located north of the smaller peristyle, fronted by two corinthian columns. At the rear of the this exedra there's a wide window opening on to the large peristyle, spanning almost the entire width of the chamber. Between the columns at the entrance were mosaic pictures of wild creatures of the Nile - hippopotamus, crocodile, ichneumon and ibis.
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Construction Details
The tablinum is of typical construction, with open facades on its north and south sides. The south side has two columns supporting the architrave.
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Alexander Mosaic
The Alexander Mosaic is interpreted as depicting the Battle of Issus (333 BCE), during which Alexander’s forces managed to rout the Persian army. Alexander himself is shown to the left, riding into battle on his horse Bucephalus. His eyes are trained on those of his counterpart, Darius III. The Persian King is shown fleeing on his chariot, his forces in disarray.
In the early third century BCE, small squares (tesserae) cut from stones of different colours began to be used to create more detailed mosaics for the super rich. The Alexander Mosaic would have been impossible to create without this technological innovation.
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The Madain Project is an online archive of Abrahamic History and Archaeology.
Abrahamic History & Archaeology is the study of history and archaeology with respect to the three Abrahamic Faiths without considering the religious and theological aspects. The goal of Abrahamic History is to understand how and why the religious doctrines and behaviours have evlovled and changed over time. Searching for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why and how these have influenced the three major Abrahamic religions.
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