User talk:Eupator

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[edit] Mosaic Inscription

Dear Eupator, thanks a lot for your swift response. Well the inscription now becomes pretty clear. The first part indeed reads ΜΗΔΕΝ ΛΑΒΟΝΤΕΣ ΗΡΓΑΣΑΜΕΘΑ ("receiving nothing we toiled/laboured/worked" or more simply "we worked for free"). Beneath it you can see two figures and two names written beside them. ΩΚΕΑΝΟΣ (transliterated: OKEANOS meaning "Ocean") and ΘΑΛΑΣΑ, (transliterated THALASA meaning "Sea" - although, as it is common is such late inscriptions, the word is mispelled-the correct form would be ΘΑΛΑΣΣΑ=THALASSA with a double s). The two human figures are actually personifications of the ocean and the sea and the mosaic -if I am not mistaken- should probably date from the late 3rd or 4th century AD. Such mythological representations are actually quite common in the late greco-roman mosaics. They usually depict rivers, mountains even abstract notions such as ΑΙΩΝ (time or eternity), ΑΦΘΟΝΙΑ (abundance)etc. The objects protruding from the heads of the figures should have been crab-grips and wings as you can see in an earlier example from Zeugma here http://www.ubiquityinternational.com/newsimages/oceanus_tethys_mosaic.jpg, where Tethys (the mythological sister of the Ocean) instead of THALASSA = Sea is represented. These attributes would suffice for the identification by the ancient viewer. Of course the Garni mosaic is a later adaptation (maby 2 centuries later) of the same theme. Details have been largely schematized to the point of loosing their original meaning thereby making identification difficult and the explanatory inscriptions necessary (a fact also compatible with the probable late date of the Garni example). The first part of the text has probably to do with the fact that the artists constructed the mosaic without receiving any fee. Similar inscriptions come from mosaics in early christian Basilicas and were intended as a sort of dedication by faithful ΜΟΥΣΕΙΑΡΙΟI artists making the mosaics. In this case I am a bit puzzled because such pagan representations of the Ocean and the Sea would hardly be fitting to a christian establishment... but who knows. Thanks again for your gesture to show me these photos. Armenian monuments (especially the later monastic and church architecture) are absolutely ravishing and (unfortunately) largely uknown--Giorgos Tzimas (talk) 00:32, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Just noticed that the mosaic comes from a bathing complex. The personifications of Ocean and Sea are more than fitting for such an establishment but in this case the first part of the text seems more of a complaint against a stingy boss... LOL--Giorgos Tzimas (talk) 00:42, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Founding Inscription

Did you find any of that useful? Unfortunately I haven't managed to trace anything published but I am going to ask a friend who is specializing in epigraphy. Would you by any chance know who has conducted the excavations at Garni. This might help because then I can probably trace some relevant bibliography. I only hope that it won't be only in Russian...--Giorgos Tzimas (talk) 09:21, 30 May 2008 (UTC)