The Peddler of Erotes
Out of all the fascinating mosaics of Antioch, I was most captivated by the scene depicted in the “Peddler of Erotes.” I looked at various scholarly theories regarding both the representational significance of the figures within and the allegorical meaning of the story being told. The theory which I focused upon in my story map was that of the mosaic as an allegory for slavery, with the depicted cupids (erotes) acting as representations of deliciae (male sex slaves) within the mosaic. By studying both literary and artistic renditions of the “Cupid Seller” genre, as well as those of the the “Cupid Punished” genre, as well as attempting to understand the realities of existing within a “slave society” through historical research, I aimed to come as close as I could to understanding the ways in which ancient Antiochenes would have interpreted this piece, which is imbued with multiple layers of meaning.
Mary Sulavik