Byzantine mosaics from the Great Palace of Constantinople, dating to the 6th century, include scenes of a peasant carrying a ewe and a basket of cheese, indicating the continued importance of cheese in the Byzantine Empire. These mosaics provide a glimpse into the daily life and artistic traditions of the Eastern Roman Empire, where cheese remained a staple of the diet.

The Byzantine mosaics with cheese motifs reflect the continuity of the pastoral tradition in Eastern Christian art and literature, where cheese often appears as a symbol of simple piety and earthly provision. This imagery influenced Byzantine hymnody and later Orthodox religious poetry, which frequently used food imagery to explore spiritual themes. The mosaics stand as a testament to the enduring cultural resonance of cheese.