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The Villas

clemio — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:47:14 CDT

Villa San Marco

The Villa San Marco derives its name from a chapel built on the site in the second half of the 18th century.

The original building, dating from the reign of Augustus, comprised a few rooms built round an atrium with four Ionic columns. It was considerably extended during the Claudian period to include a garden with a three-sided portico and a swimming pool, surmounted by a colonnade with tortile columns. These additions modified the original layout, leaving the entrance and original nucleus lying obliquely to the new axis, to create one of the largest villas in the area (about 11,000 sq.m.).

The main entrance to the villa from the street gives onto a small peristyle providing access to the tablinum and the atrium, round which are four cubicula.

The lower peristyle, containing a 30m long garden and pool, has an alcove at one end decorated with frescoes. At each end of the side porticos are beautifully decorated diaetae where members of the household could take their ease.

This in turn gives access to a small but luxurious private bath suite, the entrance to which is through a small atrium (left) painted with scenes of cupids, renovated in the Claudian era in early fourth style.

The complex consists of a caldarium with a large bath, a tepidarium and an outdoor frigidarium.

Villa of the Shepherd

This villa was first excavated in 1754 and subsequently re-buried. The villa gets its name from the statue of a shepherd discovered during the 18th century dig (pictured right).

The most recent excavations in 1967 partially uncovered the villa. After a short examination of the site, the building was again re-buried.

The ground plan of the villa is quite extensive, covering about 18,000 sq.m. Again, as in the case of the Villa San Marco, its layout is not straight forward, being built on two different axes.

The term 'villa' may be inappropriate as the exact purpose of the building is still in doubt. It has been suggested that the complex is actually a health spa due to the odd arrangement of rooms and open spaces and the distinct absence of a conventional floorplan.

The Villa remains buried, but hopefully in the fullness of time future excavations will be able to establish the exact nature of the building.

Villa Arianna

Under the direction of Karl Weber, this villa was 'excavated' between 1757 and 1762, by digging a series of holes and tunnels, before it was completely re-buried again.

It derives its name from a large fresco portraying 'Ariadne abandoned by Theseus' found in the triclinium.

Just across a lane from another villa, the 'second complex', the Villa Arianna has an unconventional layout, due to its continuous development and the sloping nature of the site.

Much of the building is still buried, which makes the original floorplan difficult to interpret. What has been determined, though, is that the villa had basically four main areas:

an atrium with adjoining rooms dating from the late-Republican period;
servants quarters and baths;
rooms opening off the summer dining room dating from the age of Nero;
a large courtyard which was added on during the Flavian period.

There was also a long tunnel leading from the entrance under the residential quarters to the shore.

The impressive range of frescoes that existed throughout the villa, two of which are pictured above and right, were matched by the mosaic flooring, which displayed a large variety of black and white motifs.

The main rooms of the villa must have had magnificient views of the coastline and the mountains behind.

The 'Second Complex'

This complex, situated across a narrow lane from the Villa Arianna, was first excavated in 1762 and then subsequently re-buried.

Recent excavations, started in 1967, re-exposed part of the peristyle together with a series of rooms, one of which, the oecus, was destroyed by a landslide.

The original building was built around the large peristyle. Like other villas in the area the complex had its own private baths.

In imperial times the villa was enlarged with the addition of several rooms built on a different axis.

Little of the original building's decoration remains, while in the newer section the walls are well preserved, with frescoes in the third style.

Map of Pompeii

clemio — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:26:27 CDT

Map of Pompeii

Key:

<> Public Buildings <> Temples <> Shops/businesses <> Private Houses <> Notable Private Houses <> Unexcavated Areas

Numbering of Buildings in Pompeii

Pompeii, like Herculaneum, has been split into separate areas for archaeological purposes. The numbering in Herculaneum is less complex because of its size, being divided simply into Insulae or blocks of buildings (numbered in Roman numerals), with individual buildings having their own entrance number. For example, the House of the Deer is labelled (Ins IV, 3).

Pompeii, however, has an additional level of numbering. It has been divided firstly into 9 regions (Regio), numbered in Roman numerals. Each of these regions contains several Insulae which are numbered 1, 2 3, etc. As with Herculaneum, each building within an insula has its own entrance number, again numbered 1, 2, 3 etc. For example, the House of Trebius Valens is labelled (Reg III, Ins 2, 1).

Private Houses (1)

clemio — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:22:31 CDT

House of Venus in the Shell (Reg II, Ins 3, 3)

This house was still being restored when Vesuvius erupted in AD79. It was excavated between 1933-35, but was subsequently damaged by bombing during World War II in 1943. It was re-excavated and restored in 1952.

Situated on the Via dell'Abbondanza, it is also known as the House of D. Lucretii Satrii Valentes.

To the right of the atrium, a room contains fine paintings on a black background.

The picture above is of the peristyle of the house. The rear wall of the peristyle can be glimpsed beyond the shrubbery left of centre in the photograph.

The right hand photograph is of the central painting of the group of three previously mentioned above and depicts Venus lying in a shell.

On the back wall of the peristyle are three large paintings set on a blue background: the left-hand painting is of the god Mars standing on the plynth while the central painting is of Venus lying in a conch shell with a nymph either side of her. The right-hand painting is of a nymph one riding on a dolphin.

House of Julia Felix (Reg II, Ins 4, 2)

First excavated between 1754-57, the house was subsequently re-buried after much damage had been done. It was re-excavated and restored in 1952-53. The house and gardens occupy one of the largest plots in Pompeii, taking up almost a third of an entire block.
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The other part of the property for rent was a tavern with bedroom, shops and small living area on the second floor.

To the rear of the property was an extensive porticoed garden. The western portico is particularly elegant with its slender Corinthian pillars (above). The garden contained a large fish pond (right) and a vaulted outdoor triclinium.

A notice offering part of the owner's property for rent (private baths and shops with living quarters) was found on the front of the property and can now be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

The private baths were extensive, offering a waiting room, a dressing room (apodyterium), followed by tepidarium, laconicum and caldarium with finally an open area for bathing.
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House of M. Lucretius Fronto (Reg V, Ins 4, a)

This house lies in an alley off the Via di Nola close to the limits of the excavated area. It is one of the most interesting and refined of the small domus from the imperial age, with spectacular paintings in the third style. Much of the house is in a good state of preservation.

In the tablinum can be seen the Triumph of Bacchus and the Marriage of Venus and Mars (pictured left).

In the room to the right are several notable paintings namely Narcissus at the Spring and Pero.

The triclinium contains several frescos: Orestes Slaying Neoptolemus, Theseus and Ariadne and the Toilet of Venus.

At the rear of the garden is a large African landscape.

House of the Silver Wedding (Reg V, Ins 2, i)

Also known as the House of L. Albucius Celsus this house was first excavated in 1893, the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary of the reigning Italian royal family.

Built in the 2nd century BC, it retains much of its original layout. The atrium is especially monumental: with its four Corinthian columns around a large impluvium it is considered the finest tetrastyle in Pompeii. The photograph on the right clearly shows the sheer height of the atrium and of the rooms off it.

Opposite the atrium is the tablinum while to the left is the triclinium which opens onto the peristyle.

To the right of the atrium was the service wing with kitchen, a bath suite (comprising caldarium, apodyterium, tepidarium and a pool in the garden behind serving as a frigidarium) and lastly the summer triclinium.

Off the peristyle are several rooms decorated in the second style while towards the south the house opens onto an even larger peristyle with an open air triclinium.

House of the Centennial (Reg IX, Ins 8, 6)

This house got its name from being excavated in 1879, eighteen hundred years after the Vesuvian eruption.

At the entrance is a mosaic of mythical sea creatures. The house had two atria which have remains of fourth style decoration. The fourth style decoration continues into the tablinum on the walls of which are depicted Juno, Apollo and Minerva.

The peristyle is quite large and has the remains of a pond in its centre. At the rear is an nymphaeum with a fountain.

Off the second atrium are a lararium and a series of other rooms. The picture (left) comes from a cubiculum in the house.

House of M. Obellius Firmus (Reg IX, Ins 14, 2/4)

This house lies east of the House of the Centennial, near the Barracks of the Gladiators.

Begun in the Samnite era, it has two entrances. The main entrance leads onto a large tetrastyle atrium. The atrium contains a marble table, a strong-box, fountain and satyr and, in one corner, a small temple shaped lararium similar to the one pictured right. At the rear of the atrium is a peristyle, porticoed on three sides.

The secondary entrance leads into a second atrium, off which are the service areas. The house is generally decorated in the second style. Stairways lead to the second floor which overlooked the garden.

House of the Wild Boar (Reg VII,Ins 4,48)

Also known as the House of the Ancient Hunt, the house retains much of its original layout although it had undergone some remodelling.

The house has the typicalatrium style plan based on the Samnite model, grandly laid out so that the guest would become aware of the host's social status immediately upon entering.
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Fourth style frescoes are to be found in the tablinum (above right) which opens onto the atrium and garden.

The molding imitates marble wall coverings, the predella depicts Nile landscapes and cherub hunters, and the walls have sky blue panels.

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It wasrenovated just prior to the eruption of AD79, with newfourth style decorations. The decoration in the second room to the right of the atrium (pictured left) is especially well preserved. Unfortunately the large scene painted on the back wall of the garden a wild hunt after which the house was named has not survived so well.
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Private Houses (2)

clemio — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:38:24 CDT

House of the Golden Cupids (Reg VI, Ins 16, 7)

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The entrance is flanked by cubicula and leads to the atrium which in turn leads to the triclinium and peristyle. The triclinium has several paintings in the third style with subjects ranging from Thetic at Vulcan's Forge and Jason and Pelias (below).
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This house once belonged to Poppaeus Abitus. Next to the House of the Vettii, it is a refined dwelling, richly decorated. It was originally named after the glass discs etched with cupids on gold leaves found in a cubiculum.
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All the remaining rooms are laid out around the peristyle (above). Many of the rooms were elegantly decorated with stucco, paintings and mosaics.

In the peristyle are altars to both Egyptian and Roman gods while the garden contains busts on small pillars and a pool with fountain.

House of the Large Fountain (Reg VI, Ins 8, 22)

This house lies next to the House of the Small Fountain on the Via di Mercurio. It takes its name from the monumental fountain set in a nymphaeum near the back wall of the small garden situated beyond the atrium.
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The fountain consists of a pediment set over a niche completely faced with mosaic in polychrome glass tesserae. Water flows from a rectangular opening in the niche to cascade down a small flight of steps into a basin below.
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The rest of the decoration is made up of tragic masks on either side of the niche and a bronze statue of a putto with a dolphin set on a base inside the basin (the original of which is in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples). The photograph on the left is of a replica fountain at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, California.

House of the Dioscuri (Reg VI, Ins 9, 6)

This house, in the Via di Mercurio, was excavated between 1826-37. It is also known as the House of Castor and Pollox and would appear to be the combination of three earlier buildings.

Its atrium is unusual, being only one of four in Pompeii with Corinthian columns. The twelve columns are arranged round the central impluvium.

Most of the murals are now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, like that of Perseus and Andromeda pictured right, taken from the oecus or dining room. Another fresco is of Medea in Corinth.

Some frescoes still remain in-situ, however, and can be seen in the rooms either side of the tablinum and in the large peristyle. These paintings are mostly in the fourth style.

|In the centre of the peristyle is a garden with basin. A second peristyle with a large basin is reached from the right side of the atrium.

House of the Vettii (Reg VI, Ins 15, 1)

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The vestibule leads into a column-less atrium with an impluvium in the centre. It has safes on either side sheathed with iron and bronze nails, set on masonry bases. The wall decoration depicts cupids sacrificing to the Penates, putti in various poses, wagons with symbols of Bacchus and Mercury and a scene of sacrifice to Fortuna. A second, smaller atrium to the right leads to the domestic area and kitchen.
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This house derives its name from two bronze seals found near a strongbox in the atrium. The seals bore the names Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva.

The house was built along two sides of the peristyle (see left). In the vestibule is a picture of Priapus, god of fertility, there to ward off bad luck.

The main atrium (left) leads directly onto the peristyle without the usual tablinum. To the right of the atrium is an oecus decorated with panels depicting scenes from mythology. A second oecus, on the opposite side of the atrium is similarly well decorated.

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Fourth style paintings adorn most of the rooms. The large triclinium (pictured right) opens off the northern corner of the peristyle and is decorated with red panels with Seasons in frames and perspective architecture, ornamental elements which turn into delicate figurines, small pictures of naval battles set under theatrical masks and Dionysiac cult objects.

Above is a black frieze decorated with imaginary architecture and cupids acting out the various professions, while below is in faux marble.

The scene on the right wall shows Ariadne in Naxos, awakened by Dionysius.
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The peristyle itself contained statues, columns, fountains and tables and these have been restored to their original positions together with a recreation of their garden setting based on traces left by the plants roots. Even the lead pipes that carried water to the numerous fountains are in their original position.

A gynaeceum lies in the north-east corner of the peristyle set on a large colonnaded court with cubicle and its own triclinium.
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A third oecus leads off the main atrium at the front of the house.

House of the Faun (Reg VI, Ins 12, 2)

The house had two atria, one for the main house, with a second to its right. This second atrium had its own entrance and was possibly used as guest quarters. The main atrium has no supporting columns and contained a spectacular impluvium with a statue of a dancing Faun, after which the house got its name. (The original of the statue can be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples).

The House of the Faun is on the Via della Fortuna and covers a complete block. It was discovered in 1830 and is one of the largest residences in Pompeii. The entrance, preceded by the word Salve, meaning welcome, is decorated in the first style and holds two shrines to the Lares (left).
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At the far side of the atrium was the tablinum flanked by two triclini. The tablinum opened onto the smaller of two peristyles adorned with 28 doric columns.

Separating this from the second and larger peristyle with 46 columns was an exedra flanked by two summer triclini.
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Other mosaics from the triclinium can also be found at the Naples museum. The Nile landscape (right) was from a summer triclinium and can also now be seen in Naples.
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Beyond the second peristyle were the gardener's quarters and the secondary entrance or posticum leading onto the Via di Mercurio.

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The exedra, decorated in the first style, had a magnificent mosaic floor portraying the battle between Alexander the Great and Darius, king of the Persians, at Issus. This mosaic, part of which is pictured above and left, can now be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
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House of the Tragic Poet (Reg VI, Ins 8, 3)

This house, excavated in 1824 lies at the corner of the Via delle Terme and the Via della Fullonica, facing the Forum Baths.

In its entrance vestibule is the well known mosaic (right) of a dog on a leash bearing the warning cave canem, 'beware of the dog'.

The house has the classic layout of a Samnite House, built round a central atrium (pictured below right). On either side of the entrance weretwo shops, these presumably run by the owner of the house.
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Beyond the tablinum lies a small peristyle adjacent to the back wall of the house. An oecus opens onto the peristyle on its north-east side. It contains two frescos, one of Ariadne and Theseus, the other of Venus.

Despite its size, the house was filled with decorative mosaics. Most of these have been removed, including the mosaic in the tablinum depicting the rehearsal of a theatrical tragedy after which the house has named. This, and other mosaics can now be seen at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
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The painting on the left above depicts Iphigeneia being carried to the sacrifice. This fresco comes from the portico off the peristyle at the rear of the house and again it can be seen in National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

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Temples

clemio — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:10:53 CDT

Doric Temple (Reg VIII, Ins 7, 30)

The temple , built in the 6th century BC, occupies the southern part of the Triangular Forum. It was probably dedicated to Hercules and Athena.

Reconstructed several times in the Samnite era, it bears a strong resemblance to the temples at Paestum: it had sturdy, side fluted columns with wide, flat capitals completely surrounding the cella.

The foundations are well preserved (pictured opposite) with a narrow flight of stairs leading to the main entrance on its eastern side.

In front of the temple is the tomb dedicated to Hercules while further on is a sacred well ringed with Doric columns sponsored by N. Trebius.

Temple of Apollo (Reg VII, Ins 7, 32)

The temple itself stands on a platform and was reached by an imposing flight of stairs. The sacellum was surrounded by a total of 28 Corinthian columns, two of which are complete and visible in the accompanying picture along with the entrance stairway. .. In front of the entrance is a marble altar on a travertine base bearing an inscription of the temple's benefactors. Between the altar and the temple stands an Ionic pillar (pictured left) which supported a sundial erected by the Augustan duoviri Sepunius Sandilianus and Herennius Epidianus.		The Temple of Apollo lies to the north of the Basilica on the western side of the Forum. It was built during the 5th century BC, dedicated to Apollo. It was reconstructed during the 2nd century BC and was undergoing repair when Vesuvius struck in AD79. The temple is surrounded by a portico of Corinthian columns with statues of gods and basins for sacrificial water. ..
.. During the reign of Nero the appearance of the temple was dramatically altered by the addition of heavy stucco decoration, but little of this has survived. The statue of Apollo (above right) is situated on the eastern side of the complex (the original of is in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples).

Temple of Fortuna Augusta (Reg VII, Ins 4, 1)

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The cella is fronted by 4 slim corinthian columns across the face with 3 columns on the side and stands on a raised podium. Inside the cella part of the central aedicule and four lateral niches can still be seen.

The whole sacrarium was faced with marble. One of the statues in the niches was the Emperor Augustus.

The Temple of Fortuna Augusta lies at the corner of Via del Foro and Via della Fortuna Augusta. It was built during the Augustan period by the official Marcus Tullius.

On the lower of two sets of steps was the altar. Access to the upper set of steps was blocked by a gate.
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Temple of Isis (Reg VIII, Ins 7, 28)

The temple dates from the 2nd century BC and was extensively rebuilt by N. Popidius Celsinus after the earthquake of 62AD.

It was dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, whose cult was spreading throughout the Roman Empire.
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The temple, which is built on a raised podium, has a porticoed entrance with niches on either side of the entry to the cella. The main altar was beside the steps (pictured left) with a second altar to the north.

A series of living quarters for the priests opens off the south wall of the portico, while the west wing is almost completely occupied by a large hall with five arched entrances.

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This hall was where those initiated in the cult probably met. The walls are frescoed with five panels of sacred subjects in Egyptian style and images of Io in Egypt and Argos. The remains of an acrolythic statue were found in front of this room.

On the north side of the complex is a small temple with a stairway leading down to an underground cistern containing the sacred waters of the Nile.

The facade (right) has a broken triangular pediment and a frieze with two processions of priests converging towards the centre. Mars with Venus and Perseus with Andromeda are shown in relief on the exterior side walls.

Temple of Jupiter (Reg VIII, Ins 7, 25)

.. The portico was fronted by 6 Corinthian columns. The cella was divided into 3 parts by a series of columns, typifying a Greek influenced Roman temple.		The Temple of Jupiter stands on the north side of the Forum. It dates from the 2nd century BC and was originally dedicated to Jupiter Meilichios. It was built on a raised podium accessed by a double flight of stairs. ..
	.. The back wall of the cella was veneered in marble. ..
	As with the Temple of Apollo, the floor of the Temple of Jupiter had a rhomboid polychrome stone pattern, arranged in imitation of perspective cubes known as opus scutulatum. The Temple held a statue of Jupiter, of which, unfortunately, only the head now remains (pictured left). As with much of Pompeii, the temple was in the process of being repaired, having been seriously damaged by the earthquake of 62AD, when Vesuvius erupted.

Temple of the Lares Publici (Reg VII, Ins 9, 3)

This building lies next to the Macellum on the east side of the Forum. Built after the earthquake of AD62, it measures 18 by 21 metres and consists of three sides round a central court.

The sanctuary, in brickwork, reticulatum and incertum, was not completely finished at the time of the eruption. It consists of a large unroofed atrium and a large apse which occupies the back wall. A row of purely ornamental columns was set on the socle which runs along the wall of the apse.

The side and end walls contained niches holding statues of the city's tutelary gods (the Lares Publici). The temple was thus a sanctuary dedicated to the protective deities, probably in the wake of the 62AD earthquake.

Temple of Venus (Reg VIII, Ins 1, 5)

The cella, facing the sea, was in the centre of a vast open space, extended during the Julio-Claudian period (first half of the first century AD) by earthworks.
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In 1863 a unique gold oil lamp was discovered near the temple, possibly an offering to Venus by Nero and his wife Poppaea when they visited the area in AD64.
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The building was considerably damaged during the earthquake of AD62 and was still under re-construction when Vesuvius struck in AD79. Sadly, little remains of the complex today.

The Temple of Venus lies immediately to the right on entering the city by way of the Porta Marina.

The goddess Venus was the patron goddess of Lucius Cornelius Sulla as well as of the city of Pompeii.
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Temple of Vespasian (Reg VII, Ins 9, 2)

The temple lies between the Temple of the Lares Publici and the Building of Eumachia on the eastern side of the Forum.

The limited space available determined the irregularity of the plan, set at an angle with respect to the axis of the forum. The facade is in brick, parallel to the forum portico, projecting beyond the neighbouring Building of Eumachia.
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The raised podium is surrounded on three sides by a wall decorated with a pattern of large blind windows framed by pilaster strips and with triangular and curved pediments set over them.

The temple stands at the centre of the back wall of the courtyard accessible from the back by two side-stairs. The cella, which still has the base on which the cult statue was set, was originally preceded by a tetrastyle porch.
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In front of the podium, is a marble altar decorated with reliefs, one of which is the ritual sacrifice of a bull (visible in the photograph on the left).
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The temple had not been completed at the time of the eruption. A door in the back wall gave access to three rooms used by the personnel in charge of the temple and as storerooms.

Private Houses

clemio — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:18:51 CDT

House of Menander (Reg I, Ins 10, 4)

This house once belonged to Quintus Poppeus, a relative of Poppea Sabina, the second wife of Nero. The house is so called after a famous painting of the Greek playwright Menander found in an exedra at the back of the peristyle.

It was originally built in the 3rd century BC and was added to and altered many times over its history.

The atrium is decorated in fourth style paintings depicting scenes from the Illiad. The andron connecting the atrium with the tablinum is lined with columns decorated with stucco.
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The west side of the peristyle consists of private baths which are centered on a columned atrium. After the dressing room is the caldarium with fourth style frescos. On the west side of the atrium is a sun terrace.

The southern side of the peristyle has a series of rectangular and semi-circular exedras. The first exedra contains a lararium while in the third is the famous painting of Menander.

On the eastern side of the peristyle is an oecus with yellow walls painted in the fourth style and next to it a large triclinium, the largest found in Pompeii. The servants' quarters are reached via a ramp near the eastern corner of the peristyle.

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Beyond the tablinum is the peristyle and, on the right, the so called Green Room, decorated with murals and a mosaic floor depicting scenes of the Nile.
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House of the Ceii (Reg I, Ins 6, 15)

The house is also known under two other titles - the House of L. Ceius Secundus and the House of Fabia and Tyrannus. Its facade, of imitation marble stucco, is still largely intact and still bears signs of grafitti.

Its roof overhangs the footway and entrance to the building is by way of a simple, but elegant doorway.

Inside is a small atrium with four stuccoed columns. Off this, a stairway leads to the upper floor.

The building retains many of its original wall paintings, done mainly in the fourth style. On the left is a hunt scene on the north wall of the garden.

House of the Diaduomeni (Reg IX, Ins 1, 20)

Also known as the House of M. Epidius Rufus, this building stands on a raised podium, its entrance being about 1.3m above street level (access being by way of a narrow flight of steps at either end of the podium). It was first excavated between 1858 and 1866.
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A Samnite house, it was built in the second half of the 2nd century BC.
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The atrium roof was supported by 16 Doric columns (above and left). On the eastern and western sides of the atrium are two areas separated from the atrium by matching sets of columns.
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On the northern side of the atrium is the tablinum and beyond that the triclinium which still retains traces of paintings.

House of Trebius Valens (Reg III, Ins 2, 1)

The paintings in the house are mainly in the third style while one of the bedrooms is decorated in the second style.

In the garden, against the checkerboard decorated wall (above), is the summer triclinium sheltered by a pergola. It is served from the kitchen via a special service-hatch.

This house lies on the north side of Via dell Abbondanza and was first excavated in 1915.

The facade of the building held evidence of several electoral graffiti together with adverts for events at the amphitheatre. Unfortunately the facade and much of the front area of the building was destroyed by a bomb in 1943.

The interior was excavated after restoration work in 1952. The atrium is fairly plain, but it is the unusual checkered polychrome decoration of the back wall of the garden, glimpsed through the tablinum, that catches the eye (left).

House of Paquius Proculus (Reg I, Ins 7, 1)

This house, otherwise known as the House of Cuspius Pansa was excavated between 1923 and 1926. It is a relatively small building, but it does have a large peristyle.

It had extensive mosaic flooring, from the vestibule with its mosaic of a guard dog chained to a door, through to the atrium which is literally covered with mosaic panels of animals. Around the impluvium the mosiac depicts an arched colonnade with symbolic figures between some of the columns.

In the centre of the triclinium is an Egyptian scene of the Nile valley.

The garden contained an unusually shaped fountain.
Several skeletons of children were discovered in a room off the peristyle.

The portrait of Paquius Procolus and his wife, pictured left, was found in the house and can now be seen at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

House of Octavius Quartio (Reg II, Ins 2, 2)

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The entrance leads to a large atrium with an artificial impluvium surrounded by a border for plants. The picture (right) is of a room in the house.
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Two cubicula open off the peristyle while opposite there is an oecus. At the eastern end of the 'T' shaped canal (pictured above) is a biclinium for outdoor dining. Some of it is still extant; a fountain flanked by two frescos.

The subjects of both frescos - Narcissus at the Spring (pictured right) and Pyramus committing Suicide - share a common theme: death brought on by passion. Oddly enough, the signature of the painter, a man named Lucius, has been preserved on a bench in the biclinium.

Twelve statues of various subjects, some of Egyptian style, were found along the transverse canal, flanked by two rows of columns and piers that supported a pergola.

Traces of roots indicate that the whole garden had regular rows of trees and plants.

This house is also known as the House of Loreius Tiburtinus. It was first excavated in 1916. It is an impressive building with an extensive garden to the rear.

The entrance, with its seating for the patrons clients, is flanked by two shops (originally two rooms of the property).
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The atrium opens directly onto a small peristyle (above left) which in turn leads onto a porticoed garden with a 'T' shaped canal bordered with statuary running for the entire length.
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Public Buildings (2)

clemio — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:15:06 CDT

The Large Palaestra (Reg II, 7)

The Palaestra is situated south of the Via dell'Abbondanza in the eastern quarter of the city next to the Amphitheatre. It was built during the Augustan period and occupies an enormous area of approximately 140 x 130 metres.
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In the centre was a large swimming pool measuring 37 x 4 metres and varying in depth from 1m at the west end to about 3m at the east. There was a large latrine on the south-east side.
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The palaestra had been badly damaged in the earthquake of 62 AD and like many other buildings in Pompeii was still being rebuilt at the time of the eruption.

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The Palaestra consisted of a central area for sporting activities surrounded by a high wall with entrances to east and west. On the inside, along three sides, was a portico of Ionic columns (pictured below).
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Large Theatre (Reg VIII, Ins 1, 8)

The Large Theatre, built into the slopes of a hillside in typical Greek form, dates fromthe end of the 3rd century B.C.

During the Augustan period it was extensively restored and enlarged, as stated in many inscriptions, under the auspices of the brothers M. Holconius Rufus and M. Holconius Celer.
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The cavea was divided into three tiers ( Ima, Media and Summa) and could accommodate in the order of 5,000 spectators.
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The Roman stage, built over the original, had a monumental facade (scaena) adorned with columns, cornices, pediments and statues. The housing for the curtain, which was dropped rather than raised for a performance, can still be seen.
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The audience was protected from the elements by a velarium supported on poles round the outside.

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The modifications by the freedman Marcus Artorius Primus converted what had been a Hellenistic theatre into the Roman form we see today, very much in line with the layout defined by Vitruvius in his Ten Books on Architecture (Book V, chapter VI, 'Plan of the Theatre').
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Macellum (Reg VII, Ins 7, 7/8)

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The internal square, measuring 37 x 27 metres, had, in its centre, a rotunda with 12 columns containing a fish pond as shown on the plan (right) and in the photograph (below).
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The Macellum had large shops both inside under the colonnade and outside on Via degli Augustali and the Forum. The facade of the Macellum looking onto the Forum (top above), contained shops which may have been used by money changers.
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The Macellum had three entrances, the main one on the left of the plan above, accessing directly off the Forum. This entrance was divided into two passageways by an aedicule set in the centre (pictured right), containing a statue of a member of the Imperial family.

The Macellum, or food market, stands in the north-east corner of the Forum.

It was a complex built in the imperial age as a covered market, and had large shops on its periphery on the Via degli Augustali and on the Forum as well as on the inside under a colonnade around its large internal square.
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The twelve sided building was probably used as a fish market (a large quantity of fish bones and scales were found in a nearby drain).
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Odeon (Reg VIII, Ins 7, 19)

The upper two tiers of seating (summa and media) consisted of 17 steps, while the lowest (ima) had four and were reserved for the city's decurions. ..		The Odeon, built between 80 and 75 BC, seated about 1500, and was commissioned by two public officials, C. Quinctius Valgus and Marcus Porcius. It consists of a theatre cavea inside a square perimeter wall that supported a pyramid shaped roof. ..
	Architecturally there are many similarities with the nearby Large Theatre.
	.. However, here the orchestra is semi-circular. The entrances are vaulted and supported the tribunalia, reserved for particularly important spectators (pictured above). The scaena as well as the scaenae frons are straight. The latter has five doors which lead to a room behind that served as a dressing room. The orchestra was paved in coloured marbles during the Augustan period. The lower part of the end walls of the cavae are decorated with kneeling Atlantean figures in tufa (pictured left). The Odeon's architecture is based on theatres of the Hellenistic period such as the one in Miletus, dateable to around 170 BC.

Triangular Forum (Reg VIII, Ins 7, 30)

The Triangular Forum takes its name from the unusual shape of the site. It was probably laid out during the Samnite period in the second century B.C.

It was entered by way of an elegant monumental portico of tufa Ionic columns on its shortest side (pictured below).
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The southern part of the forum contained a Doric Temple built in the 6th century BC. Further on are the remains of a sacred well covered by a small, circular temple with eight doric columns (pictured right) sponsored by N. Trebius.

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It had a portico with ninety-five Doric columns around three sides leaving only the south-west side open to allow views of the coast.

Inside the entrance was a fountain and a statue to M. Claudius Marcellus, nephew of Emperor Augustus.
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Public Buildings

clemio — Sun, 11 May 2008 06:22:07 CDT

Amphitheatre (Reg II, Ins 6)

The amphitheatre lies to the south of the Via dell'Abbondanza near the Sarno Gate. It was completed in 80BC, having been commissioned by two magistrates, C. Quintus Valgus and M. Porcius (these two magistrates also commissioned the Small Theatre, or Odeon).
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The arena was eliptical and surrounded by a parapet more than two metres high, originally painted with scenes of the hunt and contests. The ima cavea was for persons of rank and was divided into sectors; the central part of the first four rows consisted of four wide platforms for the bisellia, those on the east reserved for decurions and those on the west for the duoviri and the sponsors of the games. The media and summa cavae were divided into cunei by flights of stairs.
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Posters advertising the games and illustrating the programme appear frequently on the walls of Pompeii. The spectacles were passionately participated in by the crowds and various gladiators became highly popular, as witnessed by the inscriptions.
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An impressive structure, it measures approximately 135 x 104 metres and could hold about 20,000 people.

The oldest Roman amphitheatre, it differs from later structures in several key aspects: its entrance ramps were all on the outside (pictured left), there were no underground areas beneath the arena, and much of the arena was dug out to a level below that of the surrounding area.
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An upper gallery, which was separated from the other areas and had its own stairs and entrances was probably reserved for women and children.
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In the upper section holes can still be seen into which
poles were inserted to hold up the large velarium used to protect spectators from the elements.
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The amphitheatre was used exclusively for sports, gladiatorial contests and spectacles involving wild animals. It drew crowds from the surrounding towns including Herculaneum.

As with some sports today, support could be fanatical. So much so that, during a gladatorial contest in 59AD, fighting broke out between the local Pompeiians and visiting supporters from the nearby town of Nuceria (now Nocera); because of the violence, which left many dead and even more injured, the Senate prohibited Pompeii from holding similar events for a period of ten years. (This measure was revoked three years later after the earthquake of 62AD).

Central Baths (Reg IX, Ins 4, 5)

The Central Baths lie at the intersection of two of Pompeii's main streets, Via Stabiana and Via di Nola. Construction of these baths began after the earthquake of 62AD following the latest thinking, letting in more light to the interior and providing more exercise space outside. The baths, oddly, did not have a frigidarium, but did have a laconicum instead.

As with the Suburban Baths in Herculaneum, the baths were not divided into separate men's and women's sections and were probably used exclusively by men. At the time of the eruption the construction of the bath complex was still incomplete - the swimming pool was unfinished and the gymnasium was yet to be started.

Forum Baths (Reg VII, 5)

The Forum Baths lie at the junction of the Via del Foro and the Via delle Terme. They were built in the early years of the Roman colony from public funds by the duovir Lucius Caesius and the aediles Caius Occius and Lucius Niraemius. Although these baths are not the largest in Pompeii, they are amongst the most interesting, having many decorative motifs.

..Mens Baths: (Entrances A, B and C).

1. Apodyterium	2. Frigidarium
3. Tepidarium	4. Caldarium
5. Palaestra	6. Bronze Brazier
7. Labrum	8. Bath

..Facilities: (Entrance D).

9. Furnaces

..Women's Baths: (Entrance E).

10. Apodyterium	11. Frigidarium
12. Tepidarium	13. Caldarium
14. Courtyard

....... ..

The layout of the baths appears to be based on the older Stabian Baths.

The complex was divided into two separate parts with the furnace (praefurnium) in between providing hot water and steam to both.
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In addition, the bronze brazier used to heat the room has also survived.
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The caldarium with its apse (pictured above) is centrally heated with hot air circulating below the raised floor and through air spaces in the walls. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with a strigil design in stucco.
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The labrum (pictured above and on the right) was filled with cold water. Around the edge is a bronze-letter inscription bearing the name of the official who had it set up, indicating that he spent the grand sum of 5,250 sesterces for the purpose.

The men's baths had three entrances (A, B and C) as shown in the above diagram, whilst the women's had a single entrance (E) on the Via delle Terme.

The men's rooms are still in a remarkably good state of preservation, especially the barrel vault of the tepidarium (shown above) which still bears part of the first century AD stucco decoration.
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Public Buildings (1)

clemio — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:47:07 CDT

Stabian Baths (Reg VII, Ins 1, 8)

These baths take their name from the fact that they lie at the intersection of the Via Stabiana and the Via dell'Abbondanza. They are the oldest baths in Pompeii being first built around the 4th century BC and restored and enlarged several times thereafter (the last time being after the earthquake of 62AD.

..Palaestra Facilities: (Entrances A and B).

1. Wash Basins	2. Swimming Pool
3. Apodyterium	4. Service Area
5. Single Baths	6. Latrines

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..Men's Baths

..7. Entrance	..8. Waiting Room
..9. Apodyterium	10. Frigidarium
11. Tepidarium	12. Caldarium

..Women's Baths: (Entrances C).

14. Apodyterium	15. Tepidarium
16. Caldarium	17. Laconicum
18, Ambulatory

The baths complex centres on a large trapezoidal peristyle illustrated opposite. The eastern part was taken up by the men's and women's baths with the furnace room between. This room had three large boilers (one for warm, one for hot and one for very hot water).

The most important innovation during the Imperial age was the gymnasium facilities. Here swimming could be alternated with athletic exercise and various sports.
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The swimming pool itself measures 13 x 8 metres and was 1.5m deep. On the sides the lead pipes that carried the water to the pool can be seen.
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The large pool is flanked by two room where clients washed before entering the pool, and by a dressing room (above left and right). These rooms are decorated with polychrome stuccoes that can be dated to the years after the earthquake of 62 AD.

Basilica (Reg VIII, Ins 1, 2)

The Basilica stands near the west corner of the Forum and is the oldest and most important public building in Pompeii. Measuring 24 x 55 metres, it was built between 120 and 78 B.C. and is the best example in Pompeii of pre-Roman architecture.

The building reflects some of the structural conventions later codified by Vitruvius in his Ten Books on Architecture (Book V, chapter I - 'The Forum and Basilica'),
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The interior has a nave and two isles; the nave is bordered on four sides by twenty-eight large brick built columns.

The illustration above shows quite clearly the brick columns and also, on the right, the half columns on the aisle wall.

The Basilica played an important role in both civil and commercial life of Pompeii. Not only was justice administered here, but it was also a focus for commercial business.

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However, it differs in the proportions and the fact that the entrance is on the short side, overlooking the Forum, instead of on the recommended long side; as a result the tribunal (the raised area on which the presiding judges were seated) is also on the short back wall, on an axis with the entrance.
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Building of Eumachia (Reg VII, Ins 9, 1)

This large building, situated on the east side of the Forum between the Temple of Vespasian and the Comitium was built by the priestess Venus Eumachia for the corporation of weavers, dyers and launderers.

The building is as large as the Basilica, consisting of a impressive courtyard surrounded by a two-storey colonnade.
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Of the fine facade that once faced the Forum only the marble cornice, decorated with acanthus leaves and birds (below) remains, the rest being rebuilt of brick after the earthquake of 62AD.
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Two small rooms flank the entrance corridor, in one of which is to be found a large vase used to collect the urine utilized in the fullonicas for the degreasing of cloth.

The entrance corridor leads to the interior courtyard where buying and selling of cloth (presumably) took place.

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In the back wing is a niche with a statue of Eumachia (pictured right) dedicated by the launderers (the original of the statue can be seen in the Archeological Museum of Naples).

Scattered bases around the courtyard imply that it must have contained a considerable amount of statuary, but the statues had most likely been removed after the great earthquake.

A criptoporticus runs along 3 sides of a porch-like structure at the rear of the courtyard.

At the end of the portico are three apses which contained statues of Tiberius, Drusus and, between them, a statue of Livia, hailed as the Augustan Concordia.
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Forum (Reg VII, Ins 8)

The Forum (coloured yellow in the diagram opposite) was the centre of Pompeii when it was first founded and even after the city's enlargement, when it could hardly be called 'central', it remained the focus of political, economic and religious life. The Forum was quite large, measuring 157 x 38 metres and, together with the surrounding public buildings could contain all the inhabitants of the city. ..
The buildings (coloured red) adjoining the Forum were: .. ................................A,,,Municipal Offices ................................B,,,Basilica ................................C,,,Temple of Apollo ................................D,,,Horrea ................................E,,,Arch of Germanicus ................................F,,,Temple of Jupiter ................................G,,,Macellum ................................H,,,Temple of the Lares Publici .................................I,,,,Temple of Vespasian ................................J,,,,Building of Eumachia ................................K,,,Comitum ..		.. The colonnade with solid Doric columns made from Nocera tufa was built round the Forum in the Samnite period. The Romans paved the square with travertine and had begun renovating the colonnade along the east and west sides, erecting Doric columns, also of travertine, with a second order of Ionic columns above (see below). The Forum was arcaded on three sides, the exception being the north side which comprised a building, the Temple of Jupiter, and two honorary arches.

On the south side of the Forum were all the buildings involved in Pompeii's public life; the Basilica, the Municipal Offices and the Comitum (pictured above).
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On the eastern side were the Temple of the Lares Publici, the Temple of Vespasian and the Building of Eumachia.
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Aside from the bases, nothing remains of the many statues that graced the Forum - they were probably never replaced after the earthquake of 62 AD.

Two honorary arches of brick construction flank the Temple of Jupiter. Nothing is left of their original marble revetment. The western arch, situated at the height of the temple colonnade, was dedicated to Drusus; it originally had a pendant arch on the other side of the temple, which was torn down so as to leave a view of the arch behind attributed to either Tiberius or Germanicus.

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Villas outside the Walls

clemio — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:28:08 CDT

Villa of Diomedes

Leaving by the Herculaneum Gate (A) there was a series of shops on either side of the road (coloured blue on the map) interspersed with monumental tombs.

Behind the shopping area were two villas, the Villa of Cicero and the Villa of the Figured Capitals. Beyond these lies the Villa of Diomedes.

This villa was excavated between 1771 and 1773. After the excavations and subsequent plundering, little remains of its once splendid decoration, but some examples can be seen in the National Archaeological Museum on Naples.

The villa is built round an atrium with peristyle which are linked to the garden which is set at a lower level.

The garden, the largest in Pompeii, was surrounded by an impressive portico and had a monumental pool and open air triclinium.

Above the garden porticos, a broad sun terrace ran round the sunken garden. At the external corners of the terrace were two belvederes commanding spectacular views of the coast.

A quote from 'Last Days of Pompeii' (1834) by Edward Bulwer-Lytton paints a vivid picture of the villa:

'Imagine, first of all, the columns of the portico, decorated with festoons of flowers; the lower part of the columns painted red, and the walls decorated with various frescos. Behind the curtain, three-quarters open, was the tablinum. On the other side of the tablinum were some small rooms, one of which was the cabinet de merveilles. These rooms and the tablinum led into a long gallery, which opened at either end onto terraces. Between the terraces was a large room, adjoining the central part of the gallery, in which the banqueting table stood. All these rooms, although more or less on street level, overlooked the garden from the upper storey, while the terraces beyond the gallery continued as raised corridors above the columns which surrounded the garden to right and left.'

Villa of the Mysteries

Beyond the Villa of Diomedes lies the Villa of the Mysteries, famous for having one of the most important decorative fresco collections in the Roman world.

The ground plan is basically square, laid out on a plot of sloping ground. The villa originally dates from the 2nd century BC, but its current layout was set between 70 and 60BC. After the earthquake of 62AD the villa was extensively remodelled, changing what had been a patrician villa into a working farmhouse, albeit a rather grandiose one.
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The original entrance was on the opposite side of the villa to the current entrance and led directly into the area around the peristyle. The area leading to the peristyle was later changed into servants quarters by the addition of extra accommodation between the villa and the street.
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Kitchen and bathing facilities lie on the south side of the peristyle, while on the north-east side were rooms devoted to the pressing and storage of wine.

The subject involves the initiation of a bride to the Dionysiac mysteries, whose cult was widespread in the area despite imperial sanctions (Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus).

The frieze depicting the rite is 17 metres long and 3 metres high, and is vividly painted, as the accompanying pictures testify.

Apart from the fine frescos, a major find, a statue of Livia, can be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

The west side of the peristyle opens onto a Tuscan atrium decorated with scenes of the Nile. This atrium was the focus of the owners living area.
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All the decorations in the main part of the villa are in the second style with the exception of the tablinum, which has third style frescos on a blackground. The tablinum leads from the atrium to an exedra with panoramic views.
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On the south side of the tablinum a doorway leads, through a small room, to the room containing the Dionysiac Mysteries.
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Originally an oecus, the room was later turned into a triclinium. The fresco adorning the walls dates from the first century BC and is one of the most famous of all ancient art.
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AD79 - Year of Destruction

clemio — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:30:19 CDT

Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, Oplontis and Boscoreale were lost to the world in late August AD79, to lie hidden for almost 1800 years.

This website provides details on:

the story of their destruction and re-discovery

the history of the region

the daily life of the people

what can be seen today

links to other related sites

Location

The excavations at Pompeii are located just to the west of present day Pompei, while Herculaneum is situated in the modern town of Ercolano. These sites have excellent connections both by rail and road with Naples, Sorrento and other nearby towns. The Roman sites at Stabiae, Oplontis and Boscoreale can be located by use of the map below and are also within easy reach. As the map shows, Vesuvius looms large over all these towns.

As this site uses Google Maps extensively, please note the following:

Navigating Google Map
You can use your mouse or the directional arrows to pan left, right, up and down to see areas that are hidden off-screen. You can also use the slider to zoom in and zoom out.

Directions that get you there
Click on one of the location pins. Type in start location (or end location) – Google Maps plots the route for you, displaying it visually on the map itself, together with step-by-step directions for getting there (or back from there).

For a fuller description of all the facilities of Google Maps, or to create your own, use this link.

Latest News

Roman Throne (solium) found in Herculaneum Dig...... .......................................................December 5, 2007

he remains of a Roman throne have been found in the ruins of Herculaneum. The remains were found buried 25m (82ft) below ground, near Villa dei Papyri.
(BBC News in Pictures).

Excavations at the Villa of the Papyri to Resume ....................................................................October 24, 2007

rcheologists have resumed their search for a library of Greek and Latin masterpieces thought to lie under volcanic rock at the ancient Roman site of Herculaneum.
(Richard Owen, The Times).

Painted Roman Sculpture Found ....................................................................................................March 25, 2006 he head of a female warrior was retrieved this week from the debris of a collapsed escarpment at Herculaneum, the seaside resort for the rich and powerful of ancient Rome that was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79.
................(Richard Owen, The Times).

Rare Pompeii Silver Unveiled ...............................................................................................................July 19, 2005

magnificent 20-piece Roman silver dinner service was displayed publicly for the first time since its owners fled the eruption of AD79. Discovered in a wicker basket five years ago, it is now restored and will be displayed in the National Archeological Museum of Naples in 2006.
................(David Willey, BBC News).

Battle for the Books of Herculaneum .................................................................................................May 22, 2005

he popular author, Robert Harris, joins academics in the controversy over whether to resume excavations at the Villa of the Papyri or to leave the site for future generations to explore.
(Peter Popham, Sunday Independent).

Millionaire to Fund Digs at Herculaneum .................................................................................February 13, 2005

philanthropist, David W Packard, has offered to fund excavations at the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum or to support conservation work, 'if the proper circumstances develop'.
(Nick Fielding, Sunday Times).

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Public Buildings	Temples	Notable Private Houses
Amphitheatre	Doric Temple	House of Menander
Central Baths	Temple of Apollo	House of the Ceii
Forum Baths	Temple of Fortuna Augusta	House of the Diaduomeni
Stabian Baths	Temple of Isis	House of Trebius Valens
Basilica	Temple of Jupiter	House of Paquius Proculus
Building of Eumachia	Temple of the Lares Publici	House of Octavius Quartio
Forum	Temple of Venus	House of Venus in the Shell
Large Palaestra	Temple of Vespasian	House of Julia Felix
Large Theatre		House of M. Lucretius Fronto
Macellum		House of the Silver Wedding
Odeon		House of the Centennial
Triangular Forum		House of M. Obellius Firmus
		House of the Wild Boar
		House of the Golden Cupids
		House of the Large Fountain
		House of the Dioscuri
		House of the Vettii
		House of the Faun
		House of the Tragic Poet