Römisch-Germanisches Museum der Stadt Köln

Dionysos Mosaic

Usually archeological finds bore me after about ten minutes, but this museum has just the right amount of items to ooh and ahh at to keep things interesting.

The 200 A.D. Dionysos Mosaic is the main draw. A million pieces of limestone, ceramics and glass covering 70 square meters originally adorned the banqueting hall of a villa that stood on this site. It was quite a party locale – the mosaic’s picture is of an inebriated Bacchus surrounded by his entourage of Cupid, Pan, dancers and satyrs. In the 4th century, a Germanic tribe sacked the original villa. Luckily, its burnt-out remains preserved the mosaic, which was excavated in 1941 when an air raid shelter was being constructed.

Part of a City Gate

Also of note is an imposing 40 A.D funeral monument of Lucius Poblicius, a soldier who served in the Fifth Legion.

Funeral Monument

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