I chose the palm branch as my supporting image. The girl in the bikini is from the ‘Bikini girls’ scene in the same Ville Romana del Casale as the ‘Vestibule of Pan and Eros’. Palm branches were awarded to victorious athletes in ancient Greece and Rome. This woman in the mosaic scene is holding a palm branch and wearing a crown, for her victory in her sport. The palm branch in Rome was a symbol of victory and triumph. Palm branches were also the symbol of public approval and welcome by the eastern people to the conquering heroes, and they were placed on the ground or carried in triumphal processions. Later the palm tree was used on the ancient Hebrew coins.
