Development of Greek mosaics in the Hellenistic period

This Master thesis deals with the development, mainly the technological development of the Greek mosaics in the Hellenistic period. Mosaics of the late Classical period are also included in this work as the early Hellenistic mosaic pavements continued to use and improve the late Classical technique. With respect to the technological aspect it is important to describe the production process, sources of which also exist in the ancient literature. The working environment and the organization of the mosaicists or other craftsmen involved can be to some extent reconstructed based on the archaeological finds. The next part of the thesis is concerned with the architectural context, the function and the meaning of the Greek mosaics. Certain hierarchy of the mosaic importance and the meaning can be identified on the basis of their motifs, the technique of the performance and their location inside the building. Furthermore, it is examined, how spaces of private houses changed with mosaics from the late Classical to the late Hellenistic times. In closing there is basic information about the Hellenistic mosaic repertory presented. Keywords mosaics, Greek, Hellenism, Art, Hellenistic, developmen