Orpheus Mosaic (Mosaico de Orfeo)

Orpheus, son of Apollo and Calliope, is a character from Greek mythology. This mosaic built using stone and glass tesserae in different colors was used to decorate the central paving in a large room in a domus in Caesar Augusta (now Zaragoza). It depicts Orpheus playing the lyre to the beasts, which, as the story goes, became calm when they heard the music. The bottom section features depictions of a lion, tiger, bear, and leopard. Especially noteworthy are the character's dress and zither with an antelope horn highlighted with dark blue glass tesserae. He is wearing a tunic, cloak, Phrygian cap, and sandals. The scene is full of natural elements: trees, different bird species, and a serpent.

This representation is based on pictorial prototypes. The scene has been adjusted for the rectangular space available in the room as can be seen from the beasts' arrangement on two levels at Orpheus's feet.