Old and new aspects of the iconographic interpretation of the Dirke mosaic of Aquincum

Abstract

The so-called Dirke Mosaic Building, named after the central mythological scene of the mosaic that decorates one of its rooms, is located in the residential area of the city magistrates in the northeastern part of the Civilian Town at Aquincum. The depiction of the punishment of Dirke, known throughout the Roman Empire, was a popular theme in both small-scale, large-scale, and monumental art. The central mythological scene of the mosaic is inseparable from its context. The study overviews the composition and function of the depictions of the figural emblema and the pictorial band framing it considering literary sources and similar decorative elements appearing in works of other arts (architecture, painting, and stone carving), while also providing new information on the function and dating of the room.