In the 2nd century BCE, mosaic pieces could be produced as small as 4 mm or less and designs were improved using a wide range of colours. Sophisticated colouring and shading were the main tools to create a painting effect. Sorus of Pergamon (150-100 BCE), a Greek artist from Pergamon, modern-day Bergama, in ancient Turkey, was one of the few ancient mosaic artists ever named. He was admired for his two famous mosaics:
Doves Drinking From A Bowl and Unswept Floor. These pieces were often used as centrepieces for pavements with more simple designs. Both works have a high degree of craftsmanship and the labour involved in producing these pieces. They are like more paintings rather than mosaic tiles. These mosaics have been copied many times in many formats.
The Alexander Mosaic is a Roman floor mosaic and shows Battle of Issus between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia. It measures 2.72 x 5.13m and is composed of 1,500,000 pieces.