It might come as a bit of a surprise, but people in the ancient world were actually surrounded by some pretty beautiful craftmanship.
We’re not talking about the Middle Ages, when a majority of the West went back to doing number two in holes, but in the way back.
And this discovery of a gorgeous Roman marble floor only further proves that point.
It was discovered on the bottom of the sea near the sunken city of Baiae, known as the “Las Vegas” of Rome.
It attracted many high-profile individuals, like Julius Caesar, Nero, Cicero, and Hadrian. They visited in luxury villas and enjoyed hot springs that bubbled up from volcanic vents they believed had healing properties.
Over time, it lived up to the comparison to Vegas, with philosopher Seneca warning people to stay away, lest they fall prey to their vices and the temptation to sin.
The rich and powerful would head to the Gulf of Naples for holiday, but being so near the sea, it was eventually lost under the waves. Over the years, archaeologists have recovered a few ancient relics, but the multicolored marble floor that’s currently being restored is the crown jewel.
It consists of thousands of marble slabs that come in hundreds of different shapes, all gathered and placed in stunning geometric patterns.
It’s part of an “opus sectile,” which is a mosaic made from colored materials like marble, shell, mother-of pearl, and glass. They’re cut into specific shapes and inlaid to create different designs and patterns.
This floor was once part of a reception room for a villa, likely owned by a high-status person around the third century CE. It’s multiple sharpened squares and inscribed circles would have been expensive to design and install.
Historical and geological processes eventually came for Baiae, as they will come for us all, after multiple attacks by invaders and the collapse of the Roman Empire.
Eventually, the volcanic activity in the area dropped the city below sea level, where modern archaeologists work to excavate and restore the city today.
I don’t know about you, but I would love to visit.
And underwater Las Vegas sounds pretty intriguing.
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