Psyche facing sleeping Eros (House of the Drinking Contest in Samandağı)
Date :
Between 200 and 250
Type of image :
Mosaïque
Topic :
Storage Location :
Description
The high dating of this mosaic leads to the assumption that it was conceived and realized well before the writing of Apuleius' Metamorphoses. There was a myth of Psyche before it was put into literary form. The scene depicted differs from that imagined by Apuleius. It's a daytime scene outdoors, not in the chamber of Eros's palace; Psyche holds neither dagger nor oil lamp in her hands. She has taken hold of the bow of the sleeping Eros and reaches for his quiver hanging from a branch.
History :
2. Mosaic originally placed in portico 2a, between triclinium 1 and courtyard 3 (Anne-Sophie Martz). The severe style dates it to the 1st half of the 2nd century (D. Levi).
Textual Sources :
Technical Data
Notice #025363
Image editing :
Image web