Sentinum

The considerable wealth of the ancient city is evident from the archaeological record, amongst which is the large number of mosaics found in public and private buildings both inside and outside the walls.

The most famous mosaic is that of Aion, the young man standing on the left who personifies the eternity of time placed in the circle of the Zodiac, and Terra, Mother Earth, sitting in the right corner with the four seasons.

When Aion is associated with the Zodiac and the Seasons, "eternity" is understood as a cyclical, uninterrupted return of events and things: a concept that goes hand-in-hand with that of Saeculum Aureum (Golden Age) and dispenser of fertility and abundance.

Of other depictions of Aion in the Roman Empire four are known: The other valuable polychrome mosaic with the central emblem of the god Ocean was found at the same time in an adjacent room but in poor condition and of which only a watercolour is preserved.

The mosaic was studied and published by the then Superintendent G. Moretti who observed the stylistic inhomogeneity of the figures, some of which were notable such as the one with the forepart of a bull (unfortunately lost) and he attributed it both to several hands in the second half of the 2nd century AD, and to repairs at later times.

[9] Outside the walls in the archaeological area near the church of S. Lucia along the main Roman road to the south are other monumental baths probably built within an extension of the town due to population growth and shortage of urban space.

Sea-monster mosaic
Mosaic floor depicting Aion and Tellus in richly-patterned framing from Sentinum ( Glyptothek , Munich )
Sea-monster mosaic (detail)
Abduction of Europa mosaic
Cardo and decumanus
Isis (Alabaster)