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