The “Evil Eye” Mosaic from Antioch
Roman period, Antioch (Antakya)
Hatay Archaeology Museum, Inv. no. 1024
1. Description of the Mosaic
The mosaic depicts a single, oversized eye at the center of the scene. This eye is subjected to multiple, simultaneous attacks:
- It is pierced by a trident and a sword,
- Pecked by a raven,
- Bitten by a dog,
- Stung by a scorpion,
- Attacked by a cat and a snake.
Below the eye appears a horned dwarf with an exaggerated phallus, crossing two sticks. Such figures are well known in Roman and Near Eastern apotropaic art and are associated with fertility, ridicule, and magical inversion, all intended to neutralize harmful forces.
The entire composition belongs to a widespread apotropaic tradition in the ancient Mediterranean, in which hostile images are deployed to counteract the destructive power of the evil eye.
2. Mainstream Interpretation of the Inscription
The inscription above the scene is conventionally read in Greek as:
ΚΑΙ ΣΥ (kai sy)
meaning: “and you (too)”.
In classical scholarship, this phrase is sometimes interpreted as:
- a threat (“you too will suffer”),
- a warning to the envious onlooker, or
- a reflexive curse, turning the evil eye back upon the one who casts it.
However, this interpretation remains contextually ambiguous, as the phrase “and you” does not explicitly name or describe the central object of the mosaic—the eye itself.
3. Alternative Albanian-Oriented Reading
An alternative reading may be proposed through Albanian, particularly within a Gheg-Albanian based linguistic framework, in which the inscription can be segmented as:
KA I SY
(modern standard Albanian: KA NJË SY)
meaning: “There is one eye” or “It has one eye.”
Breakdown:
- KA = “has / there is”
- I = “one”
- SY = “eye”
This reading corresponds directly and transparently to the visual focus of the mosaic: the depiction of a single eye subjected to ritual destruction.
4. Iconographic–Linguistic Alignment
From an iconographic standpoint, the mosaic does not merely reference an abstract threat; it identifies and attacks a specific object—the evil eye itself. In this context, the phrase “there is one eye” functions almost as a naming or exposure formula, a common feature in magical and apotropaic practices, where naming the threat is the first step toward neutralizing it.
By contrast, the Greek reading “and you” remains indirect and semantically detached from the imagery, requiring additional interpretive assumptions to explain its function.
5. Linguistic Note
Albanian uniquely preserves existential constructions such as ka (“there is / has”) and a rich semantic field around sy (“eye”), along with semi-passive and impersonal verbal forms that are especially well suited to apotropaic and formulaic expressions. This linguistic continuity may help illuminate alternative readings of ancient inscriptions whose traditional interpretations are semantically opaque.
6. Conclusion
While the conventional Greek reading ΚΑΙ SΥ remains the standard scholarly interpretation, the Albanian-oriented reading KA I SY offers a contextually coherent alternative that aligns closely with the mosaic’s imagery and ritual purpose. This proposal should be regarded as a heuristic and comparative interpretation, inviting further interdisciplinary discussion between linguistics, iconography, and ancient Mediterranean religious practices.
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