L’animale in catalogo: l’evidenza dei mosaici inscritti nell’Africa romana

The catalogues of animals are a class of African mosaics that falls within the subjects of the amphitheater sphere: the purpose of the celebration of specific events is pursued through the representation of the different species of animals which took part in them, where the amphitheater theme is evoked mainly through the inscriptions with games topics and the onomastic references of the protagonists. Thanks to the four mosaics which are considered here, new elements will emerge in terms not only of the decorative structures, but also of the inscriptions accompanying them; the latters emphasize the deep bond between these works and the African society which has seen their creation from the middle of the IIIrd till the beginning of the IVth c. AD.