ROMAN PAVEMENTS AND INTRECCI. 1 63 



Gloucester, Basildon in Berks, Bignor in Sussex, Worplesden in 

 Surrey, Mansfield Woodhouse in Nottingham, and Aldborough in 

 Yorkshire. And these British examples should be compared, in 

 the mind's eye, with the graceful mosaics of pre-Christian 

 Greece and Italy. 



Turning now to the Dorchester pavement, let us ask ourselves, 

 Is it Roman at all, in the sense that it was wrought by Latin 

 artists from designs current in the Eternal City ? Is it Italian at 

 all ? Or does it not show, at any rate, a barbaric influence, an 

 attempt to satisfy exotic tastes ? 



If such questions cannot be answered, at least they can be 

 asked, and they should be borne in mind as we proceed to show 

 that this mosaic has a solar significance and was addressed to 

 men who were attracted by a solar cult. 



For who were the peoples brought hither by the Romans to 

 conquer and garrison this country ? From the north of Europe 

 were Batavi, Menapii, Frisii, Tungri, Morini, the Brittones who 

 were natives of Gaul, Nervii, Galli, Lingones, and Vangiones, 

 From the south came Daci and Rhseti, Thraces, Dalmatae, 

 Astures, Varduli, and Hispani, together with Hamii, who 

 furnished a company of Syrian archers. No doubt these troops 

 were, for the most part, officered by Italians, but we know of 

 some that " they passed into Britain under the command of their 

 own chiefs and added new laurels to their former fame." * 



The Gaulish Atrebates had been sent into this country by 

 Caesar, under Commius the Prince of Arras, and had built a great 

 city at Silchester ; and the early towns of Ilchester and Bath 

 were the work of the Belgae.f And it is well to remember that 

 Carausius, an obscure Batavian pilot, was able, in the year 288, 

 to make himself Emperor of Britain, where he ruled for six years. 



The favourite solar divinities in this country during the Roman 

 occupation were Apollo, Serapis, and Mithras. Of the Mithraic 

 cult little is known. It was introduced into Rome 70 years 

 before Christ, was established there under Trajan A.D. 98, and 



* Tacitus, His. iv., 2. f Elton's Origins, pp. 304, 343. 



