New Menander Mosaics from Antioch

A large mosaic pavement excavated in 2007 at ancient Daphne, a suburb of Antioch-on-the-Orontes, includes four figured panels representing scenes from comedies by Menander. Inscribed with the name of the play and the number of the act, the panels depict Perikeiromene, act 1; Philadelphoi, act 1; Synaristosai, act 1; and Theophoroumene, act 3. This article integrates archaeological, iconographical, and literary approaches in order to evaluate the contribution of the mosaics to our knowledge of Menander’s plays, ancient comic illustration, and the rich cultural life of imperial Antioch.