Evil Eye Mosaic, Detail
Detail of the Evil Eye Mosaic from the entrance hall of the House of the Evil Eye, Antioch, early second century AD. A representation of Evil Eye is being attacked by a spear, a trident, a snake, a scorpion, a centipede, and a barking dog.
Magic and curses were significant worry in late Roman society. The mosaic reflects the vulnerability felt by the inhabitants around doorways and passageways, where the misfortunes of the envious eye could be brought in by outsiders. From the same house are the Lucky Hunchback and the Black Fisherman.
Antakya Museum, inv. 1024.

