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TheStag Hunt mosaic (c. 300 BC) is amosaic from a wealthy home of the late 4th century BC, the so-called "House of the Abduction ofHelen" (or "House of the Rape of Helen"), inPella, the capital of theMacedonian Kingdom. It bears thesignature of theAncient Greek artistGnosis, of whom very little is known. It is now located in theArchaeological Museum of Pella,Central Macedonia, Greece.
Theemblema is bordered by an intricatefloral pattern, which itself is bordered by stylized depictions ofwaves.[2] The mosaic is apebble mosaic with stones collected from beaches and riverbanks which were set intocement.[2] As was perhaps often the case,[3] the mosaic does much to reflect styles ofpainting.[4] The light figures against a darker background may allude tored figure painting.[4] The mosaic also usesshading, known to theGreeks asskiagraphia, in its depictions of the musculature and cloaks of the figures.[4] This along with its use of overlapping figures to createdepth renders the imagethree dimensional.
It is often wondered if Gnosis, whose signature ("Gnosis epoesen", i.e. Gnosis created) is the first known signature of amosaicist,[5] could have been the painter of an earlier picture which the mosaic reproduces, rather than the mosaic-setter. In the case ofpottery, 'epoesen' referred to a maker of the pot while 'egraphsen' was theverb used to designate the painter.[6] Therefore, if an analogy to pottery is warranted, it seems likely for Gnosis to have been a mosaicist. Sincegnosis (Greek: γνῶσις) is also the Greek word forknowledge, others have said the inscription does not refer to an author at all; but to an abstract noun.[7][8]
The figure on the right is possiblyAlexander the Great due to the date of this mosaic along with the depicted upsweep of the hair.[9] Pella is also the birthplace of Alexander. The figure to the left wields a double-headed axe, likely alluding toHephaistos; meaning the figure depicted could be thegeneralHephaestion.[9] The dog depicted is possiblyPeritas accompanying Alexander.[10] The stag and hound may allude to the myth whereinArtemis transforms the huntsmanActaeon into a stag when he tries to rape her. Once he is turned into a stag his own hounds turn on him and he is torn apart. The theme of abduction may relate the mosaic not only to theRape of Helen by Theseus, depicted in another mosaic in the same house, but also to Alexander's conquest of Persia. As Actaeon had hunted Artemis but was destroyed by his dogs, so the Persians had tried to subdue Hellas - an effort earlier Macedonian kings had participated in - resulting ultimately in the empire's destruction by Alexander.
InGreek mythology, the stag is associated withArtemis who was the virginal huntress. The myth goes whenActaeon saw Artemis naked, out of anger she turned him into a stag and he was torn to pieces by his ownhounds. In other accounts it is thought thatActaeon tried to rape Artemis. In this image we see the same concept of a stag being torn apart by a dog just as in the myth as well as by Alexander the Great on the right. It is speculated who is on the left. The theme here is the "hunter being hunted". It is a quite fitting mosaic for The House of The Abduction Of Helen, who was raped.
The stag also represents the Persians that Alexander would later conquer. He had stated his motives for battling the Persians as to get vengeance for them sacking Athens and destroying temples there such as theParthenon.[11] This would again represent the idea of the hunter being hunted.
