The art of mosaic construction seems to have spread through the Hellenistic world and was brought to Italy by Greek craftsmen. Consequently the Romans carried the art further afield as their empire expanded and eventually to England. In England the first mosaic floors were laid in the 1st Century AD and it was only in the later mosaic floors, laid between 150-360 AD, that Greek/Roman mythology was noticed in the Romano-British villas. Because of this timeline there is an absence of any Celtic myths, although I feel that within these mosaic floors there are decorative motifs that appear to...

Following on from the 'Mosaics of Fishbourne Roman Palace', Derrick Napier takes the reader on a journey through the beautiful Roman villas of Bignor, Lullingstone, Chedworth, Brading and Newport, in the South of England. Marvel at how well preserved the remains and mosaics are, and learn more about the motifs, designs and patterns that decorate these ancient villas.