DESCRIPTION:

The central panel depicts the Rape of Ganymede. Zeus transformed into an eagle seized Ganymede and transported him high into the sky. According to the myth, Ganymede was a young shepherd from Troy, who stood out for his beauty. When the cupbearer of the gods, Hebe, fell and spilled the nectar, Zeus, who was fond of Ganymede, transformed into an eagle, lifted the young man and carried him to Mount Olympus to make him the new cupbearer of the gods. Zeus as an eagle, proud, flies with open wings and holds Ganymede's hips with his claws. The young man is depicted naked wearing only a cloak, boots and the characteristic Phrygian cap as a sign of his Anatolian origin. To his right is depicted a pelta (a small and light Thracian shield), which Ganymede dropped in his confusion. The dynamism of the depiction, as well as the extensive use of glass mosaics, make this mosaic one of the most beautiful and valuable in the house.