| Soli, in North Cyprus, is not far from | | | | "But Constantine bound us all to our guilds. |
| Guzelyurt. Soli is an ancient town where you | | | | My sons must become mosaic artists just as I |
| can see the ruins of the marketplace from | | | | followed my father. Auxebius has a genuine |
| Greek days, a Roman-era theater, and a | | | | feel for the art, and I think he can become |
| Byzantine basilica. Step back in time to | | | | great. But Markos, Markos hasn't an artistic |
| learn about Soli in the days not long after | | | | bone in his body. I am sending him to school. |
| Constantine the Great. Meet Georgio. He will | | | | If he can read and write, he can enter the |
| explain to you how he makes his mosaics | | | | Imperial service and forge his own place in |
| during the last half of the 4th century. And | | | | the world. |
| you will also see the impact of Constantine's | | | | |
| changes on his life and times. | | | | "Why do my sons have such emphatically |
| | | | Christian names? I had their mother become |
| "I am Georgio, who made many of the mosaics | | | | Christian. Aphrodite has been good to me, but |
| at your feet. You are in Soli in the north of | | | | perhaps the Bishop is right and she is too |
| Cyprus, the town where the Christian St. Mark | | | | old to help mankind any longer. |
| was baptized by the Apostle Paul. You see, I | | | | |
| know my Christian history, though I myself | | | | "Enough sad talk! Let me show you how I make |
| continue to worship our own Cypriot goddess, | | | | pictures with stones. See these squares? They |
| Aphrodite. Aphrodite was born here and she | | | | are cut no bigger than my smallest |
| has seen us through many troubles. It would | | | | fingernail, all as close as can be to the |
| be horribly rude to forget her now. | | | | same size. I use marble and porphyry and many |
| | | | other stones of various colors. I also use |
| "Yes, Constantine made it legal to be | | | | tiles made from ceramic, but I do not like |
| Christian, back in 313. I am sure you know | | | | them as well as stone. The latest craze is to |
| the tale. He saw a vision before the Battle | | | | use pieces of glass. My son, Auxebius, uses |
| of the Milvian Bridge in the year before. | | | | them a great deal. I like the glass tiles |
| Milvian Bridge was the most important battle | | | | just for emphasis. But the various powders |
| of his career, and he was greatly | | | | the glassmakers use give brilliant color, |
| outnumbered. His men wore the Christian Cross | | | | don't they? |
| into battle and triumphed. So Constantine | | | | |
| owed Christ a favor and stopped the | | | | "I work in one small section at a time, |
| persecution of his followers. | | | | following the drawing. The squares--we call |
| | | | them tesserae whether they are made of stone, |
| "But let me show you this church. It is | | | | ceramic, or glass--are set directly into this |
| patterned after the Roman basilica. Once they | | | | lime cement. Once the picture is complete, I |
| were legal, Christians came out of hiding and | | | | will use more cement to fill all the spaces |
| bought property for a place of worship. They | | | | between the tiles. Once finished, my picture |
| did not want to copy our temples, so they | | | | will last for many, many years under the |
| just use the normal plan for any place of | | | | tread of thousands of feet. |
| public business, the basilica. The large | | | | |
| courtyard with its columns is where the | | | | "Is the picture a goose or a swan? No, I am |
| not-yet-baptized stand during the ceremonies. | | | | not offended. Of course I can draw a more |
| | | | graceful swan or a more domestic-looking |
| "The baptized Christians stand between the | | | | goose. But I did not intend to do that. You |
| columns in the long part, the nave. The | | | | see, it is rumored that Theodosius wants to |
| rounded section at the end is the apse. You | | | | close the last remaining pagan temples. We |
| must imagine the building filled with | | | | Cypriots will have no where to honor |
| worshippers in their best and brightest | | | | Aphrodite, who was born here. Some of us |
| clothing. First come incense bearers, who | | | | older folk have clubbed together to donate |
| perfume the church with clouds of sweet | | | | this mosaic. |
| smoke. Then the Bishop enters in gorgeous | | | | |
| robes, embroidered with gold. He is followed | | | | "I told the Bishop it was a goose, a symbol |
| by candle-bearers and chanters. | | | | of fidelity in marriage. He approved my |
| | | | sketch. But he is not a well-educated man, |
| "I do not begrudge them their pomp. The | | | | nor is he a native of Cyprus. Otherwise he |
| old-time Romans had us worship the Emperor | | | | might have seen the goose is very like a |
| himself, but of course nobody really believed | | | | swan. The swan, you see, is a symbol of |
| he was a god. So now the Emperor is not | | | | Aphrodite. The dolphins call to mind her |
| divine, but rules on behalf of God, and that | | | | birth from the sea. And the fruits remind us |
| is more believable. | | | | how she has kept our island fertile and our |
| | | | people fed all these years. |
| "In the New Rome, Constantine and his | | | | |
| successors elevate men to high status because | | | | "When the time comes that we can no longer |
| of their talents. Education and ability have | | | | worship our goddess, we old pagans will stand |
| become the best keys to advancement, that and | | | | near this mosaic and bow with the utmost |
| being Christian. Constantine also stabilized | | | | reverence. Even Emperors and Bishops cannot |
| the currency. | | | | read hearts. |
| | | | |