ABSTRACT
Medea's story have been illustrated in a variety of visual forms in classical art, including Greek vase paintings, engraved Roman gemstones, Italian terracottas, Pompeian wall paintings, Roman sarcophagi and mosaics. The portrait of Medea displays close similarities to a fourth-style painting from Herculaneum representing Medea facing the viewer and holding a sword while looking to her right. The portrait of Medea standing and holding a sword appears again in a mosaic panel from the fourth-century century villa at Torre de Palma in Lusitania: the woman stands with a sword in her left hand, itself interlaced with the other hand in front of her. The painted scene of Medea in the Casa di Giasone at Pompeii decorates one wall of a cubiculum, a private room set aside not only for sleeping but also for relaxing during the day, receiving friends and conducting business.
