Mastic (adhesive), grout, pieces of whatever substances or materials the mosaic is composed of (tile, metal, macarone...)
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The cave canem mosaic was made of marble tiles (tesserae).
It depended on how big the mosaic was and how small the pieces that were used were. Large and sophisticated mosaics built take years to make.
The Greeks and the Classical Romans used mosaics manly for floors. The Byzantine period made quite an extensive use of mosaics on the walls of churches. Mosaic tiles were more expensive than materials for fresco painting, and mosaic making was more laborious than painting frescoes. Therefore mosaics displayed the wealth of the Byzantine Empire. There was also an integration of architecture and mosaic decoration.
You can see what Justinian I looked like in a portrait of him on a mosaic at the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna (Italy)
First the Romans used chicken oil the rub on the mosaic for good luck. Then put pieces together. I'm not sure about the chicken oil, that's a new one on me. The small tiles, known as tesserae were cut from stone using a set of tools called a hammer and hardie. The hardie is a small chisel set upside down in a block of wood and the hammer has a blade on it. The marble is held on the hardie then struck with the hammer. Mostly the tesserae were cut to about 8mm - 12mm pieces. The pattern was scratched or painted onto the floor and then using a mix called Pozzolan as the cement they would trowel small amounts onto the pattern and place the tesserae in the cement. The floors were then ground down and then polished/waxed.