FLOOR MOSAIC OF THE MONTHS, FRAGMENT WITH NOVEMBER AS ISIS, 375 CE. THE BRITISH MUSEUM This fragment was part of a large floor mosaic depicting the months and seasons, from a wealthy domus in Carthage 2.0, the Roman version, which was the main city of Roman North Africa. The female figure represents November, which we know because she is holding a sistrum, a kind of rattle used in Isaic ceremonies. The main festival for Roman worshippers of Isis was the Isia, which occupied the last days of October and the first day of November. It was a long celebration that may have influenced the Christian feast of Easter: the first days were full of wailing and mourning for the death of Osiris, who had died at the hand of the evil god Set. The body of Osiris was cut into pieces and scattered across Egypt. Isis set out to gather them and reassemble her husband, and November 1 was the Heuresis or "finding", when Osiris returned to life and all was joyous. November 3 was the Hilaria or day of joy.
#MosaicMonday brings us to #Roman #Carthage in 375 CE, to a well-appointed #domus with a floor #mosaic showing the #seasons and #months. This fragment now in the #BritishMuseum shows #November as a priestess of #Isis, with a #sistrum in her hand. See the ALT text for why. #AncientBluesky 🏺
