House of Dionysos

The House of Dionysos stands inside Paphos Archaeological Park in Kato Paphos, on the south-west coast of Cyprus. It is a large Roman villa first built in the late 2nd century CE and altered over the following two centuries, at a time when Nea Paphos was the capital of the Roman province of Cyprus. The villa takes its name from the many mosaics that show Dionysos, the god of wine, and the scenes of the grape harvest and the vine that surround him. It was discovered by a farmer in 1962 and excavated by the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, and it has been among the most visited parts of the park ever since. About 2,000 square metres of mosaic floors are reported across roughly forty rooms. The rooms are arranged around a large colonnaded atrium, and the floors show hunting scenes, the myth of Narcissus, the triumph of Dionysos on a chariot drawn by panthers, Pyramus and Thisbe, and Theseus and the Minotaur. The tesserae are made of local limestone, marble and coloured glass, and the geometric borders often match the Roman styles found in other provinces. Several panels include early scenes in which the mosaicists copy the designs of painters. The architectural character is that of a peristyle villa with reception rooms, service areas and an inner courtyard, of which the lower walls and column bases survive. Sections of the villa are now sheltered by a modern roof, and elevated walkways let visitors view the floors from above. Conservation work by the Department of Antiquities has included cleaning, consolidation and the replacement of old protective coverings. The mosaics are displayed in situ rather than in a gallery, so the visit follows the rooms of the house rather than a chronological narrative. Information boards in English describe the principal panels.