Ancient Pella (2)

Here are the two upper-class houses, with mosaic floors, that have been excavated. The houses are called by the names of their most important mosaics.


First, the House of Dionysos. As you can see, it was a very large house. (The Dionysos mosaic itself has been moved into the museum. Here's a picture, courtesy of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture's web site for the museum.)

Map of the floor plan

Mosaic #1

Courtyard garden

From far side of courtyard garden, looking toward mosaic #1

Sharp, even edges on the cut stones. (The hole in the floor in the background is where the Dionysos mosaic was before they moved it into the museum.)

Mosaic #2

Looking across mosaic #2 to courtyard with pillars. (The standing pillars have been re-erected in modern times.)

Courtyard with pillars

Looking back across courtyard with pillars toward mosaic #2
(museum in background)

Remnants of walls

I think that's cracked plaster on the stone in the center.


This is the House of the Abduction of Helen (i.e., it has a mosaic about the event that was supposed to have started the Trojan War). Its floor plan isn't as large as that of the House of Dionysos, but this one used to have two stories.

Map of the floor plan, and reconstructed image

Looking from the NE corner of the house across to the courtyard garden. The dark red-brown structures are modern shelters built over the mosaics.

Stag-hunting mosaic (SE corner of house)

From the Abduction of Helen mosaic (NW corner of house). This guy was the driver of the getaway chariot.

Part of a mosaic. You can see the rough stone floor underneath. Also, notice how straight the masonry is.

Another mosaic

The courtyard garden


And here's a currently occupied house in Ancient Pella. I didn't get a good look at the occupant, but it had four legs and ran very fast.

 

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