DESCRIPTION:

This is a second reception room, the floor of which is covered with a mosaic depicting one of the most popular themes of mosaic decoration in the Roman world: Orpheus enchanting the animals with his music. Orpheus, dressed in Eastern garments and wearing a Phrygian cap, plays the lyre with the plectrum he holds in his right hand. Around him gather birds and both wild and domesticated animals, which raise one paw or foot in submission. Noteworthy is the inscription above Orpheus, which mentions that the mosaic was created by Titus (or Gaius) Pinnius Restitutus. Although the inscription is written in Greek characters, the triple name is Latin, likely refers to the owner of the house rather than the maker of the mosaic. The large number of fragments of wall paintings found above the mosaic suggests that the walls of the room were richly decorated.