Labyrinth

[GhostOfClayton]

The sleepy little village of Aquis of the Romans boasts a fine labyrinth of significant age, but uncertain origin, and it is justly famous, at least in the local area. (I've attached a photo).

 

I was giving a talk at a local museum the other night, unrelated to the labyrinth, but concerning a historic structure located right next to it. Inevitably, there was interest in the Labyrinth during questions after the main talk. One lady asked if it had any religious significance. I stated I didn't know, and then found myself saying that I was unaware of Labyrinths having any religious significance to Romans, but then I thought "do I really know that"?

 

So, the question is: What, if any, significance did the Labyrinth hold in Roman society? (Religious or otherwise)

[Klingan]

Never heard of any religious connection and Roman (and Greek) labyrinths often looks (as far as I know) like the one on the picture below - I have seen several myself.

 

This one says Hic habitat Minotauros (here lives the Minotaur) and comes from Pompeii.

[GhostOfClayton]

Interesting. Was this a bit of graffiti, do you know?

[Klingan]

Interesting. Was this a bit of graffiti, do you know?

 

Oh sorry, I should have added that. Yes, this is a graffiti found on a pillar in the peristyle of Casa di Marcus Lucretius Fronto (boy, do I hate myself for not getting a private photo of that!), but I have seen the exact same style on a roman graffiti from Mycenae and I'm quite sure that I'm having a photo of that at home. I'll upload that later.

[Klingan]

Here's the labyrinth from Mycenae:

 

 

I apologize from the dreadful quality, but the museum is really poor lit.

[Auris Arrectibus]

The labyrinth is a fascinating symbol.

 

I assume that the prototype build by Daedalus in Minoan Crete and the story of Theseus was well known.

In fact, I learned that in classical en medieval ages inlittered people understand more of the historical and

relegious symbols than nowadays.

 

The first labyrinth that intrigued me I found on the floor of the San Vitale (6th AD) in Ravenna. What was the

meaning of this symbol and found out from a guide that was explaining the mosaics that it meant like an Odyssee

for the christian goal in the center. Like a spiritual quest.

The floor was reconstructed in the 16th century, though.

 

Later I found out that the labyrinth was a pagan symbol for the route to the underworld, maybe mistaken for hell

instead of a paradise like the Elysian Fields, or the struggle for life itself. Nowadays quasi-spiritual groups use

the symbol for anything they want, I think.

 

In Lucca I found a labyrinth on a doorpost of the entrance of the Duomo of San Martino (9th AD). It is a so called

'finger-labyrinth'. There I was told it was to make a route with your fingers to follow the sacred path and avoid sins.

 

As for many pagan symbols and rituals, the early Christians adopted them and transformed the meaning just a little

bit. I would state that because they adopted it, they were of significant spiritual importance, and the symbolism like-wise.

So the meaning we could derive from the christian heratige: The road to Jerusalem in a broader terms of pagan or

roman religion: Salvation.

[caldrail]

Never heard of any religious connection and Roman (and Greek) labyrinths often looks (as far as I know) like the one on the picture below - I have seen several myself.

 

This one says Hic habitat Minotauros (here lives the Minotaur) and comes from Pompeii.

 

I've seen that before in an article. Apparently the pictured labyrinth is not a physical one, representing any constructed site, but more of a metaphysical concept dealing with personal enlightenment and transformation (apparently). The article infrerred that constructed labyrinths were bult to encapsulate this idea in physical form, to somehow attempt to make it real. I'll try to find the article but it was written in the 70's and I'm not sure where it is.

[caldrail]

Aha! Found it. I believe this page comes from a book written by Francis Hitchens in 1978. The symbology of 'the maze' appears quite inherent to human psychology and may well be a manifestation of instinctive behaviour that dates back to our primeval past. See what you think...

 

BasicMaze.pdf

[Klingan]

Thanks for posting it Caldrail,I've had the chance to read it now and I was very happy to find a reference to coin from Knossos there!

 

Her are some pictures:

 

Insel Kreta Knossos

Stater 320/300 v. Chr. 10.56 g. Kopf der Demeter mit