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Image
3D Model
© Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya - Barcelona
Omeka ID 2444
Barcelona. Palau Reial Menor
Roman world

circus mosaic

MAC BCN-019004

Object type
mosaic
Production date
300 / 350
Fabric
-
Museum
Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya - Barcelona
Culture
Roman world
Discovery location
Barcelona. Palau Reial Menor
Materials
marble
Township
Barcelona (Europa, Espanya, Catalunya, Barcelona, Barcelonès)
Technique
opus tessellatum
Where is it?
Exposició permanent
Dimensions
798 x 353 cm
Description
Discovered in 1860 in the ancient Minor Condal Palace of Barcelona shortly before or during its demolition, it would have formed part of the pavement of baths in a luxurious home in ancient Barcino. It represents a chariot race, which theoretically would have taken place in the Circus Maximus in Rome. At the top, the spina or wall in the center of the arena can be seen with a series of decorative elements (apart from the marker of the laps) and the meta. At the bottom, there is the race. Four participating teams, whites, blues, greens and reds, which were organized in factions with radical followers extended their rivalry even further than the competitions in the circus. Each charioteer and group of horses has an inscriptions with the respective names (and owner brands in the croups), so we can assume that the scene represented a real race, probably famous enough to deserve to be remembered. The winner is the horse Eridanus, of the green faction, acclaimed by a character.

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