Female athletes in the Roman Empire, one carrying weights and another preparing to throw a discus. Detail of a 300s AD floor mosaic, often referred to as the ‘Bikini Girls’ mosaic, in the Chamber of the Ten Maidens at the Villa Romana del Casale, an Ancient Roman palace or villa at Piazza Armerina in Sicily, Italy, now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mosaic’s official title is The Coronation of the Winner.
Piazza Armerina, Sicily, Italy: female athletes hold dumbbell-like weights to aid long jumping and prepare to throw a discus in the world-famous ‘Bikini Girls’ floor mosaic at the Villa Romana del Casale, a majestic Roman villa or palace now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 4th century AD mosaic was discovered in 1959 paving a small room now named the Chamber of the Ten Maidens. The girls wear what look like ancient versions of the two-piece bikini swimsuits first seen in 1946, as they run, play a ball game like beach volleyball and engage in other sports. It is officially known as The Coronation of the Winner because one girl, wearing a yellow dress, holds a crown and offers a victor’s palm-frond. Women in the Roman Empire could engage in all-female sports, but while male athletes usually exercised naked, female public nudity was discouraged. Women shown in other Roman artworks wear linen breastbands like those worn by the girls in this mosaic. When paired with loincloths made of cloth or leather, Roman ‘bikinis’ would allow women to exercise in comfort. However, some scholars suggest that the girls’ bodies are more like those of dancers than of athletes. The villa may have been the hub of a vast agricultural estate. The buildings were inhabited for at least 150 years, but damaged in the 5th century and then abandoned after a 12th century landslide. Mud covered the site and the villa was forgotten. Despite limited excavations in the 1800s, its treasures were not unearthed until the 1950s. The excavations revealed one of the world’s richest, largest and most diverse collections of Roman mosaics, covering at least 3,535 square metres. The subjects include mythical creatures and hunting and circus scenes featuring exotic animals, offering insights into the landowner’s luxurious lifestyle.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza Armerina, Enna Province, Sicily, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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