The Mosaic of the 7 Wise Men
At the Beirut National Museum, a mosaic welcomes visitors from the entrance: the 7 Sages of ancient Greece.
In it Socrates occupies the place of honour, well in sight of all: according to tradition, he himself would have drawn up the list of the seven wise men.
Around him, seven medallions represent the Sages of Greece, each accompanied by its most famous maxim.
Among them, « Nothing too much » from Solon of Athens, or « Know yourself » from Chilon of Sparta.
Dated from the 3rd century AD, the work comes from Soueidié, in the suburbs of Baalbek, discovered by archaeologist Maurice Chehab.
It decorated the dining room of a rich Roman villa, where was also discovered the mosaic of the Birth of Alexander.
The mosaic even bears the signature of its creator, engraved in the stone: that of the Musaist Amphion.
The Beirut National Museum
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