Thisbe and Pyramus with Typo

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Taken in Paphos, Rep. Cyprus (See more photos or videos here)

34°46' 02" N, 32°24' 45" E

The mosaic is particularly interesting because it depicts a rare (and enormous) "typo." This is supposed to be a mosaic of the story of Thisbe and Pyramos -- the story written down by Ovid from which Shakespeare adapted Romeo and Juliet and the story that appears as a sub-plot in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." In the legend, Thisbe and Pyramos are youths in Babylon whose parents dislike each other but who fall in love by talking through a crack in the wall between their homes. This mosaic is supposed to depict their fateful meeting that results in their double-suicide. The problem with this mosaic is that rather than showing the Pyramos who committed suicide when he thought Thisbe had been eaten by a great cat (a leopard in this mosaic), the artist put in the river god Pyramos with his seaweed hair and horn of plenty. The mosaic artist probably did not know the story and was just working from a book of standard themes -- and chose the wrong Pyramos to draw!

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mosaic art source says:

love this photo & great info, thanks for sharing!!! blogged it at mosaicartsource.wordpress.com/

bits ;o)

mosaicartsource.wordpress.com/2007/01/27/pyra mus-and-this...
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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	Part of: Around the Mediterranean and European Travel

	Mosaics (Set)
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	Part of: Art Photos

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	Greek Mythology (Pool)
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	Antiques Mosaiques - Ancient Mosaics (Pool)
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Additional Information

Taken in Paphos , Rep. Cyprus (map)
Taken with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE F100.
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Taken on March 5, 2005

Viewed 627 times

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Thisbe and Pyramus with Typo

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mosaic art source says:

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