Excavated: 1914 (GdS 1914, 109 (April 16-18); NSc 1914, 285; Calza).
Mosaic: SO IV, 73 nr. 105, tav. 179 (top).
Inscription: CIL XIV S, 4549 nr. 23.
Date: 190-200 AD (SO IV); 200-210 AD (Clarke).
Meas. of tesserae: 0.015 (SO IV).
Mosaic
General descriptionThe floor of the back room is lost. The floor of the front room is virtually complete, with the exception of the west end and some minor damage at the north and south edges. A black band of four tesserae creates a large panel. In the panel are two lines of text and an elaborate depiction. In the passage to the back room are some black and white tesserae forming a checkerboard pattern. The room is separated from statio 22 by a line of white marble on the axis of the central column. According to a photo taken in 1931 (DAI, 1289_B05) and NADIS inv. nr. 642 the west side (the east side of statio 24) was bordered by a white marble band.
TextMore or less in the centre of the room we read (h. of letters 0.10 and 0.18):
MF
IVIARLSYLLECIE
This is the only text on the square that is in the middle of a depiction. MF is between two ships, the second line below ships and above dolphins. There is no tabula ansata or frame around the second line.
Finelli reads NF and VLARISYLLECTI. The M in the first line may well be a restored N, which seems visible on a photo published in the Notizie degli Scavi. NF was recognized by Calza, who for some reason would like to read NE(gotiantes) or NE(gotiatores). Wickert prefers N(aviculariis) F(eliciter), which is surely to be preferred, also because of the position, between two ships. Single-letter parallels from Ostia for "feliciter" are COLONORVM COLONIAE OSTIENS(is) F (CIL XIV, 1983, on a lead waterpipe), and G(enio) P(opuli) R(omani) F (CIL XIV Suppl., 4284, on travertine).
The photo published in the Notizie degli Scavi leaves no doubt that the text of the second line found during the excavation was VLARISYLLECTI.
I suggest also an alternative, ambiguous reading for NF, discussed in the section "The auxiliary grain fleet of Commodus".
Suggested reading:
N(AVICULARIIS) F(ELICITER) / N(AVICVLARI) F(RVMENTARI)
[NAVIC]VLARI SYLLECTI[NI]
Depictions
The depiction consists of a simplified lighthouse, two ships, and two dolphins attacking a crab (an octopus according to some). A parallel for the dolphins attacking a crab or octopus can be found in the Terme della Trinacria (SO IV, 140-141 nr. 276, tav. 144).[1] Details were altered through modern restorations (see for example the disappearing and re-appearing small sail on the stern of the right ship).
Becatti
Lighthouse. Il faro in alto, a tre piani, con alta porta ad arco e due feritoie nel primo piano, altra porta ad arco nel secondo, mentre il terzo piano è costituito dalla torretta cilindrica, resa in bianco, con il fuoco acceso simboleggiato da tre segmenti neri.
Ships. Due navi affrontate. Quella di sinistra rostrata, con aplustre di prua fatto a voluta, la popa alta con cassero da cui sporge l'ansercolo; ha i due timoni poppieri. La nave è a tre alberi, quello maestro ha l'acato con la testiera attaccata al pennone in bilico retto dai sospensorî, e la vela gonfia, tesa a poppa dalle scotte. Un piccolo albero di mezzana si innalza a poppa, con pennone a vela quadra, fissata lateralmente dalle scotte; un terzo albero obliquo di bompresso, pure con vela quadra appesa al pennone in bilico retto dai sospensorî. La nave di destra è senza rostro, dall'alta poppa ricurva con ansercolo, timoni poppieri, con le barre di comando incrociate alla timoniera. L'albero maestro ha l'acato fissato al pennone in bilico retto dai sospensorî; un restauro antico ha allungato esageratamente il pennone a destra e la vela, deformandoli. Sotto l'acato, teso dalle scotte verso poppa, spuntano le sartie che fissano l'albero maestro, ai cui piedi è il boccaporto. A prua è l'albero obliquo di bompresso con pennoncino a vela quadra. Linee parallele bianche sottolineano i fianchi della nave. Tutte le vele delle due navi sono rese nel reticolato bianco dei ferzi, delle bende e degli imbrogli.
Dolphins. Due delfini affrontati con coda ritta e falcata, che stanno addentando i tentacoli di un octapodo schematico, araldicamente.
Masonry
The rear wall of the back room was found without a facing, but is now covered by opus reticulatum. The south wall of the back room is of opus vittatum simplex, the north wall of modern opus latericium. In the south-west corner is a brick pier instead of a brick column.
Interpretation
Sullecthum was a harbour city on the east coast of Tunisia, today called Salakta. A civis Sullecthinus is attested in Ostia (CIL XIV, 477).
The city seems to have focused primarily on the export of olive oil.[2] Near Salakta extensive salting installations were found in 1963, documenting preservation of fish (salsamenta) and presumably fabrication of fish sauce (garum). More such installations were found on this stretch of coast between Hergla and Ras Kaboudia. We should think of tuna and many other kinds of fish.[3] Many amphorae from Syllecthum (that may carry the stamp ASYL) were found in Ostia and Portus. It is not easy to establish the contents of amphorae and things are complicated because they could be reused for a different commodity. We can say little more than that the vessels from Sullecthum were used both for olive oil and fish sauce or wine.[4]
The crab (or octopus) in the statio suggests that the navicularii imported salted fish and fish sauce, not olive oil. For the reference to grain (NF) see the section "The auxiliary grain fleet of Commodus".
(1) It is rather amusing that on this mosaic the letters YL seem visible.
(2) Meiggs 1973, 287; Morel-Deledalle 1980, 60.
(3) Younes - Tagurti 2012.
(4) Franco 2012, 83-84, 251-256 (especially types Africana 1 and 2), 327-329, 331-335. On amphora content: 302-307. See also Curtis 1991, 70-71.