Seven Sages Mosaic of Baalbek

What it is

This photograph shows a floor mosaic from Baalbek, dating to the 3rd century AD. It depicts a central medallion of a figure holding a scroll, likely the muse Calliope, surrounded by seven circular medallions of bearded, older men representing famous wise men of Greek tradition.

Why it matters

Socrates was grouped among figures remembered as wise teachers, even though he himself claimed not to be wise but only to seek wisdom. This mosaic, made centuries after his death in a Roman-era city far from Athens, shows how Greek philosophical culture spread and was honored across the ancient Mediterranean world long after the philosophers themselves had died.

Look closer

• Why would someone decorate a floor with portraits of philosophers?
• What does it suggest that this mosaic was made hundreds of years after Socrates lived?
• How might being grouped with other 'sages' shape the way people remember a person?