Antiquarian interest in the Roman period mosaics of Britain began in the 16th century. This book is the first to explore responses and attitudes to mosaics, not just at the point of discovery but during their subsequent history. It is a field which has received scant attention and provides a compelling insight into the agency of these remains.

This volume brings together a range of papers on buildings that have been categorised as ‘villas’, mainly in Roman Britain, from the Isle of Wight to Shropshire. It comprises the first such survey for almost half a century.

The stories illustrated in the mosaic pavements that have survived from Roman Britain graphically link us to the world of the Romans in a way that literature, with its nuances of interpretation, cannot. After explaining how and why mosaic pavements were made, Dr. Patricia Witts looks at many of the 200 figured Roman mosaics that can be enjoyed in museums and sites throughout the country. Most portray mythological characters, and the author explains the underlying myths; others are taken from daily life or depict animals, birds, and marine creatures. This lavishly illustrated study is accompanied by a full glossary of technical terms and a gazetteer of relevant sites and museums.

Excerpt from Romano-British Mosaic Pavements: A History of Their Discovery, and a Record and Interpretation of Their Designs Brading, Plan of Room No. 3 on plan Room No. 12 on plan Hunting Scene (british Museum) Fish falling from Basket and Basket of Fruit (brit. Amphitrite and Tritons (british Museum) Meleager (british Museum) Atalanta (british Museum) Dionysus (british Museum) Head of Glaucus (british Museum) Fishermen in Boat (british Museum) Roman Imperial Coins and Medals (british Museum). About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.