Life in a Roman City. This intricate mosaic, found in a villa near the city of Pompeii, was buried in the explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. It is signed by the artist, Dioskourides of Samos, who came from one of the Greek islands in the Aegean. Most of the figures are wearing masks, suggesting they are performing in a theatrical comedy, one of many Greek cultural traditions that became popular in the late Roman Republic. (Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples, Italy/The Bridgeman Art Library)