Karthago on Gardens of the Roman Empire

House of Dionysos

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

3rd-5th century CE

Garden Description

In this very damaged house, a portico on four sides (IV-VII) enclosed a court (VIII) (8 x 11.10 m), which was planted during the building's second phase dated at the fourth/early fifth century. The northeast and southwest porticos had four columns and the northwest and southeast had five columns.

A low wall was added in between the columns that enclosed the garden. A semi-circular basin attached to a rectangular one oriented northeast/southwest (IX) was placed at the northeast end of the garden. (Plan view, Fig. 1). The house dates from the III-V c.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of Dionysos.

Credit: (Ben Abed-Ben Khader, A., 1999, plan 5)

Bibliography

Ben Abed-Ben Khader, A., Corpus des mosaïques de Tunisie. Vol. 4, Karthago (Carthage), Fasc. 1 Les mosaiques du Parc Archéologique des Thermes d'Antonin, INA, Tunis,1999, 46-51, plan 5. (worldcat)
Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, p. 143-144. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Aviary (Maison de la Volière)

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

end of 2nd-4th century CE

Garden Description

Located on a hill overlooking Carthage, the house of the aviary is divided into two parts: the unit centered on the peristyle in the west, and the ensemble with the reception room in the east (Plan view, Fig. 1).

In the center of the peristyle in the western part of the house was an octagonal area enclosed by a low wall 50 cm high. P. Gauckler, the original excavator, recognized the area as a viridarium (1). The Aviary mosaic covers the floor space between the portico and the octagonal garden (1). In the center of each corner of the mosaic was a deep cavity in which a tree was planted. There was a cistern beneath the peristyle. A lararium (7) with an aedicula bodes the northern portico of the peristyle garden.

In the eastern part of the house, a low wall with six semi-circular niches that alternated with five square-shaped niches faced the oecus bordered by a portico. On the wall was laid out a large pool with small niches bordered on each side by two planters (26,27). On a higher level of the pool and the planters were three small cascades decorated with parietal mosaics and paintings depicting hunting and fishing scenes. Water coming from the huge cistern complex on the top of the hill ran through the cascades and fell into the pool. This arrangement can be compared to theater decor where nature is displayed. Hence, the oecus bordered by a portico was facing a frons scaenae composed by a pulpitum behind which were lined up the pool and two planters that could be compared to a proscaenium. The house dates from the end of the IInd-IVth century.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the Aviary

Credit: (Malek, A.-A., 2014, p. 17 and 2018, fig. 12.10).

Images

Fig. 2: Reconstruction drawing of corner of the peristyle garden of the House of the Aviary.

Credit: (Malek,A.-A., 2018, fig. 12.9B)

Bibliography

Ben Osman, W., "Etude des pavements de la Villa de la Volière", p. 147, in Mosaïque, Recueil d'hommage à Henri Stern, Paris, 1983. (worldcat)
Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, p. 125-128. (worldcat)
Ennabli, A., "La Maison de la Volière à Carthage: L'Architecture", p. 132, in Mosaïque, Recueil d'hommage à Henri Stern, Paris, 1983. (worldcat)
Malek, A.-A., "De l'espace pictural à l'espace du jardin : mosaïques et jardins dans les domus de l'Afrique romaine", in Archéologie des jardins :analyse des espaces et méthodes d'approches, eds. P. Van Ossel, A.-M. Guimier-Sorbets, Archéologie et histore romaine 26, Editions Monique Mergoil, 2014, p. 17.
Malek, A.-A., "Mosaic and nature : "Cultural allusions to Nature in the Roman Domus", in Gardens of the Roman Empire, Volume II, eds., W. F. Jashemski, K. Gleason, A-A Malek, K. Hartswick, Cambridge University Press., NY, 2018, pp. 329-301, fig. 12.9B, 12.10. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Bassilica (Maison de la Bassilica)

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

4th century CE

Garden Description

The house was located in the insula delimited by the Decumani North V-VI and the Kardines East VIII-IX and neighboring to the North West the Villa of the Aviary. Unfortunately, the house was badly preserved when Gauckler the excavator discovered it (Plan view, Fig. 1). The peristyle was bounded by four porticoes, which were supported by twelve columns. The courtyard had a central alley that was limited on its two sides by colonnaded low walls that formed a circular exedra on one side and a rectangular exedra on the opposite side facing each other. P. Gauckler mentions that the exedrae were paved with mosaic figures of seashore landscapes, as well as the West portico that welcomed the visitor just after the vestibule. Only small fragments of the mosaics have survived. The central alley of the courtyard was on axis with the oecus.

The North and the East portico lead to an open area that Gauckler identifies as a garden of at least 250m². The house dates from the IVth. c.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the Bassilica.

Credit: (Gauckler, P., 1904, pp. 16-17)

Bibliography

Ben Osman, W., Catalogue des mosaïques de Carthage, Musée du Bardo, Musée des Thermes d'Antonin; quartier de Dermech, quartier de l'Odéon., Lieu de publication inconnu: Éditeur inconnu, 1980, pp. 577-587. (worldcat)
Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp.123-124. (worldcat)
Gauckler, P., Compte rendu de la marche du service en 1903, Tunis, 1904, pp. 16-17. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Cryptoporticus (Maison du Cryptoportique)

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

1st-5th century CE

Garden Description

The house of the Cryptoporticus occupies the hill of the Odeon on the insula that is located between the decumani N IV and V and the kardines E IX and X.

The house is organized around a peristyle garden (15,60 x 16,9 m) with a grand oecus of 200m² paved with opus sectile opening into it (Plan view, Fig. 1). The house dates from the I-Vth c.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the Cryptoportique.

Credit: (Catherine Balmelle et al., 2012, fig. 271)

Images

Fig. 2: Photo of the House of the Cryptoportique.

Credit: Photo by J.-B. Bellon.

Bibliography

Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, p.132-134. (worldcat)
Catherine Balmelle et al., Carthage, Colline de l'Odéon. Maisons de la Rotonde et du Cryptoportique (Recherches 1987-2000). Volume 1. L'architecture et son décor. Volume 2. Les données de fouilles. Rome, École française, 2012 (Collection de l'École Française de Rome, 457), p. 228, fig.271. (worldcat)