A single Greek word: ΞΞ₯ΦΑΞΞ£Ξ₯ΞΞΞ£.
It translates to 'joyful' or 'the joyful one'. It carries a call to 'enjoy, have fun, and be cheerful'.
Our design project began with this mosaic in 2021. After a four-year break, it's returning and will continue to grow.
Now, let's examine the mosaic.
The word ΞΞ₯ΦΑΞΞ£Ξ₯ΞΞΞ£ inscribed here is a masculine adjective/personification from the same root as Euphrosyne.
Euphrosyne, whose name means βmirth,β βmerriment,β or βgood cheer,β is one of the Three Charites, known as the Three Graces, in Greek mythology. She is especially associated with joy, cheerfulness, and delight. As one of the Charites, she belongs to a group of goddesses connected with grace, beauty, festivity, charm, and pleasure, and the Charites are often linked with Aphroditeβs divine retinue..
Ancient Antioch was founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC, eventually becoming one of the Eastern Mediterranean's major cultural and commercial centers during the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
The mosaic was unearthed during a rescue excavation in Antioch (modern-day Turkey) and received widespread media coverage. According to archaeologist Demet Kara of the Hatay Archaeology Museum, the piece belonged on the floor of a triclinium - the banquet or dining room - of a residence in Late Antique Antioch. Based on coin finds, the house's construction dates between 276 and 337 AD. (The 3rd-century BC dating found in many online sources is wrong.)