The asàrotos òikos Mosaic as an Elite Status Symbol

Abstract

This article focuses on the asarotos oikos theme in roman mosaics, and aims at exploring the social significance these depictions have held during the late Imperial age, and their relation to the proceedings of the banquet. This study suggests that disguised symbolism and erudite references rest behind the representation of these seemingly daily objects, which could only be fully understood by members of the Roman cultural elite, who possessed the proper education for the task. The mosaic served as a starting point for the elitist practice of an erudite discourse and as a reminder to the brevity of life.

Key words: asàrotos òikos, unswept floor, roman elitist art, Heraclitus mosaic, carpe diem, roman banquet, Sosos of Pergamon