Underground Works of Art at Bulla Regia

Machiavelli said that Roman emperors who succeeded to the throne by birth were all bad while all were good who succeeded by adoption. Hadrian was adopted and one of the few good emperors who strengthened the Empire from within by improving infrastructure as opposed to conquering or annexing perceived enemies.

It was in Bulla Regia, an archaeological site in northwestern Tunisia, built during Hadrian's reign between 117 to 138 AD, that I learned about Hadrianic-era semi-subterranean housing. Moreover, it was what was inside these ground-level, two-story structures that I stood shocked at the best preserved mosaics in Tunisia.

This photo is from the house of Amphitrite and represents Venus sitting on the back of a Centaur. A Centaur is a mythic creature that's half-human and half-animal. The Greek creature is holding a shell, has crab claws and lobster-like antennas on his forehead. Historians say he might be Neptune, the Roman God of the Seas.

Other mosaics include Cupid riding a dolphin with a bridle, a portrait of a young unidentified man, sea shells, urchins, eels and even a North African bear. The mosaics at Bulla Regia were unlike anything I had seen at Dugga or Carthage or Sbeitla.

Like the colors of a rainbow the mosaics come to life when a little water hits the surface. Being subterranean or underground, the miniature tiles keep their luster and sheen because of the damper environment. This helps preserve their polished veneer.