DESCRIPTION:

The central panel of this mosaic depicts the beautiful young Narcissus admiring himself in the waters of a lake. According to one version of the myth, many girls and boys fell in love with Narcissus, but he did not reciprocate their feelings. When he turned sixteen he went hunting and the nymph Echo saw him, falling madly in love with him. Narcissus rejected her love and Echo, wounded, withdrew from life. Hidden in the mountains and forests she weakened until she dissolved into the air leaving behind only her beautiful voice. For the pain he caused, the gods punished Narcissus to fall in love with himself without being able to return any affection. Therefore, when he sat next to a spring, he saw his reflection in the water and fell in love with it. He remained in love with himself until his death, indifferent to the rest of the world and his own life. Finally, the gods took pity on him and transformed him into a flower named after him that grows next to water so that he can always see his image. From this myth come the words "narcissism" and "echo" that are still used today.