I.2.6 Pompeii. Casa degli attori
or Casa dei Mimi.
Excavated 1872. Bombed in 1943.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
Detail of a group of people on the left of the painting, Etra (Aethra), Elena (Helen) with arm outstretched and Diomede (wearing a lion skin over his head).
Ulysses (Odysseus) is seen holding the Palladium, a statue of Athena, who would have protected the city of Troy, as long as she remained in the temple.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
From the left Etra (Aethra), Elena (Helen) with arm outstretched, Diomede and Ulysses (Odysseus).
Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010. Ulysses (Odysseus) holding the Palladium.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
On the right of the painting another of the Greeks forcibly removes the priestess who is opposing the theft.
Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Name on column base. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Names written under each figure. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Names written under each figure. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Names written under each figure. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Names written under each figure. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Names written under each figure. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Top of column, on left side of painting. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Column base with name, on left side of painting. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Right side of the painting. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from the wall painting of the Theft of the Palladium (Ratto del Palladio) found on the south wall of the triclinium.
Right side of the painting. Now in Naples Archaeology Museum, inventory number 109751.
I.2.6 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking south-west across peristyle, towards site of small room, cubiculum and room with stairs.
(The area behind the figures is the house at I.2.3)
1.2.6 Pompeii. 1935 photo taken by Tatiana Warscher. Looking west from peristyle through doorway to atrium.
See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. (no.18), Rome: DAIR, whose copyright it remains.
I.2.6 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking west, across remains of peristyle and atrium, towards the entrance, Via Stabiana and the Theatres.
The brown patch of grass on the left side of the picture, would have been near the area where the two bronze Sistri (see below) would have been found.
I.2.6 Pompeii. Bronze sistrum found in I.2.6. Now in Naples Archaeological Museum.
According to Fiorelli two bronze Sistri were found in the south-east corner of the atrium, hanging by iron nails.
In Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2, (the copy at DAIR), Warscher included Viola’s description of the insula, from
Gli scavi di
Pompei dal 1873 al 1878, p.10 (Pompei e la regione sotterrata dal Vesuvio
nell’anno 1879, Seconda parte.
This is included at the end in all parts of I.2 on the website.
“Nel dicembre del
1873 incomminciò lo scavo di questa isola – quale dovette essere abitata da
moltissime persone. Infatti non si vede grande lusso di abitazioni, nè grandi
locali, ove i ricchi pompeiani passavano la vita nell’ozio e nel piacere; si
può invece osservare grand’economia di spazio, case piccole miste a botteghe e
ad officine, onde non è difficile argomentare che quivi abitarono persone del
ceto medio, le quali benchè agiate non godevano certamente della più splendide
posizione.
E’ questa
un’isola dove avennero frequentissime trasformazioni, per cui riesce difficillissimo
intravvedere qual’era la sua forma primiera; non mancano però degli avanzi di
costruzioni primitive, insieme ad altri di epoca posteriore, come si osserva in
molti luoghi di Pompei.
La sua area è di
mq.2948, ed è limitata da occidente dal cardo, a settentrione dalla via
secunda, ad oriente dal vico parallelo al cardo e a mezzogiorno dalla via
tertia che la separa dalle isole 1 e 5; il margine che la fiancheggia da tre
lati escluso l’orientale e sulla via tertia di fronte al vano No.28 si vede un
piccolo ponte, formato da massi posti a contrasto, il quale serve per unire i
due margine (vedi la fotografia no.42c)”.
(Note: photo (no.42c) can be seen at I.5.1, I.2.28 and in the “streets” section under Vicolo del Conciapelle).
See Warscher T., 1935. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus: Regio I.2. Rome: DAIR.
(translation: "In December of 1873 the excavation of
this insula began – which would have been inhabited by many people. In fact you
don't see great luxury homes, nor large rooms, where rich Pompeian passed life
in idleness and pleasure; if you instead look at the great economy of space,
small homes and shops mixed with workshops, it's not difficult to argue that
here lived people in the middle class, which however well-to-do they certainly
did not enjoy the most splendid position.
This was an insula where there
were frequent transformations, for which it is difficult to glimpse what was
the original form; it does not lack however, the remains of primitive
constructions, alongside others of a later date, as can be seen in many places
in Pompeii.
Its area was 2948 sq. m., and was bounded on the west by
the “cardo”, on the north by via secunda, and east by a parallel vicolo to the
“cardo” and in the south by the via tertia, that separated it from Insula’s 1
and 5: the border that flanked it by
three sides excluding the east and on via tertia opposite No. 28, you will see
a small bridge, formed by a boulder placed to serve to unite the two edges,
(see photo No. 42 c)."