Mosaic art in Ancient Thrace spans a period of more than six centuries. It developed during Roman times and subsequently during Late Antiquity, when Thrace was part of the hinterland of the new imperial capital Constantinople.

Given the geographical location of Ancient Thrace, between East and West, close to Greece and Asia Minor, as well as the historical evolution of these regions, it is possible to identify several trends in the development of mosaic art there. From an iconographic and stylistic point of view, these are a result of the dissemination of the art from the Western (mainly Italy and North Africa) and the Eastern (mainly Asia Minor and Syria) provinces, as well as from Greece. In Late Antiquity, Constantinople and Thessalonica, in particular, became the centers of diffusion. The borrowings, the similarities and the specific traits observed testify to Thrace’s economic and political importance during this period.

Starting from this paradigm of Thrace, the colloquium will discuss the cultural interrelations between different regions as these are reflected in the art of mosaic, both from a chronological point of view – from the Hellenistic period and up to the end of Late Antiquity – and from a thematic, iconographic, and technical point of view, emphasizing common features and differences. In this way, issues related to the circulation of models, the processes and modalities of local appropriation of these models, and the centers of diffusion between East and West will be discussed.