La Psyché aux ailes d’ange d’une mosaïque d’Antioche

Abstract

The aim of this article is to propose a new interpretation of a fragmentary mosaic pavement from Antioch depicting Psyche (Antakya, Mus. Hatay 892). Using the “Tale of Cupid and Psyche” in Apuleius’ Metamorphoses (IV, 28-VI, 24), we argue that Psyche is represented at the key moment of the story. For the light of the lamp she is holding has just revealed to her the identity of her mysterious husband as being Cupid himself. Two main iconographical features differentiate this mosaic from other, standard representations of Psyche: she is neither naked nor wrapped in loose veils, but she appears entirely covered in light colour clothing, and she does not bear butterfly-wings but ones made of feathers. The mosaic has been dated of Trajan’s reign on the base of archaeological evidence. If this date is correct, then it cannot relate to Apuleius himself, as his novel was written in AD 160s. The mosaic would therefore be an early example of the iconographical fortune of the original tale, known in the Greek of Aristides of Miletus or in a Latin translation. One can otherwise hypothesize a later date for the mosaic, which would then make Apuleius stand as a possible terminus post quem.

Keywords

• antioch
• house of the aqueduct of trajan
• mosaic
• psyche
• apuleius