Sidi Ghrib

Sidi Ghrib is a Tunisian archaeological site about 40 kilometers southwest of Carthage and four kilometers from Borj El Amri, known for its beautiful Roman mosaics.^[1]^[2]

Archaeology

The site was searched in 1975. The study by Abdelmajid Ennabli^[3]^[4]^[5] showed that the site was a Roman villa of the late 4th or early 5th century. The thermal baths at the site formed part of the villa and were therefore private. With a total area of 780 m², they measure 28 by 29 meters, around a frigidarium of about 8.5 meters by 9.5 meters.

Description of the mosaics

Matron at her toilette, displayed at the National Museum of Bardo, is a mosaic representing the domina, the mistress of house, occupied with her toilet and surrounded by two maidservants of which one holds a mirror and the other carries a basket containing various jewels. At the end of the mosaic, the artist presented the necessary accessories for the bath: a pair of sandals, a basket of linen, a pitcher, etc.;^[6]
Master of the house leaving for the hunting exhibition at the presidential palace of Carthage.^[7]

These representations with the aim of social affirmation are frequent at the end of antiquity.

References

^ Michèle Blanchard-Lemée, "About the mosaics of Sidi Ghrib: Venus, the Gaurus and a poem by Symachus", Mixtures of the French School of Rome. Antiquity, vol. 100, No. 100-1, 1988, p. 367–384
^ Mohamed Yacoub, Splendours of the Mosaics of Tunisia, ed. National Heritage Agency, Tunis, 1995
^ Abdelmajid Ennabli, "The thiase baths of Sidi Ghrib (Tunisia)", Monuments and memories of the Eugene Piot Foundation, vol. 68, No. 68, 1986, p. 1–59
^ Abdelmajid Ennabli and Lucinda Neuru, "Excavations at Sidi Ghrib", Echoes of the Classical World / Classical Views, vol. XXXVIII, No. 13, 1994/2, p. 207–220
^ Abdelmajid Ennabli and Lucinda Neuru, "Tunisia: Recent excavations at Sidi-Grib", Field notes , No. 18, 1993, pp. 27–31, pl. 13–18
^ Mohamed Yacoub, Splendours of the Mosaics of Tunisia, ed. National Heritage Agency, Tunis, 1995, p. 222
^ Yacoub, 1995, p. 224

[1] Michèle Blanchard-Lemée, "About the mosaics of Sidi Ghrib: Venus, the Gaurus and a poem by Symachus", Mixtures of the French School of Rome. Antiquity, vol. 100, No. 100-1, 1988, p. 367–384

[2] Mohamed Yacoub, Splendours of the Mosaics of Tunisia, ed. National Heritage Agency, Tunis, 1995

[3] Abdelmajid Ennabli, "The thiase baths of Sidi Ghrib (Tunisia)", Monuments and memories of the Eugene Piot Foundation, vol. 68, No. 68, 1986, p. 1–59

[4] Abdelmajid Ennabli and Lucinda Neuru, "Excavations at Sidi Ghrib", Echoes of the Classical World / Classical Views, vol. XXXVIII, No. 13, 1994/2, p. 207–220

[5] Abdelmajid Ennabli and Lucinda Neuru, "Tunisia: Recent excavations at Sidi-Grib", Field notes , No. 18, 1993, pp. 27–31, pl. 13–18

[6] Mohamed Yacoub, Splendours of the Mosaics of Tunisia, ed. National Heritage Agency, Tunis, 1995, p. 222

[7] Yacoub, 1995, p. 224

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