How do you say “YOLO” in ancient Greek? A 2,400-year-old mosaic might have an answer.
Discovered during excavations in Turkey’s southern Hatay province on the Turkish-Syrian border, the mural depicts a skeleton lying down with a jorum in his hand and a wine pitcher and a loaf of bread on the side. The word ‘Eyfrosynos’ (joyful) is written above him, while the mural also bears an inscription in ancient Greek, saying: “be cheerful, enjoy your life”. The ‘skeleton mosaic’, as it is commonly referred to by archaeologists working on the site, is believed to belong to a dining room of a wealthy home; it is part of a larger mosaic from the third century BC, which was first discovered in 1012, during works to build a cable car in the province of Antakya, or Antioch.
The ancient Greek-Roman city was established by Seleucus I Nicator – who is one of Alexander the Great’s generals- in the fourth century BC. It is known to be the first place where the followers of Jesus were referred to as Christians. The Roman elite of the period was famously – or infamously, according to different sources – hedonistic, enjoying a lush life. Hatay is known for its vast collection of Roman-era mosaics, though most researchers agree this new discovery is definitely one of a kind.