V.1.18 Pompeii. Casa degli Epigrammi Greci or House of the Epigrams.

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For extra detailed information see Swedish Pompeii Project web site

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019. Exedra “y”, looking towards north wall in room on north-east side of peristyle.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009. North wall of exedra “y” on north-east side of peristyle.

V.1.18 Pompeii. Reconstruction drawing of north wall of exedra “y”.

See Strocka V. M., 1995. Das Bildprogramm des Epigrammzimmers in Pompeji. Abb. 3.

V.1.18 Pompeii. April 2012. North wall of exedra “y”. Photo courtesy of Marina Fuxa.

V.1.18 Pompeii. December 2007. North wall of exedra “y”. Paintings with mythological scenes.

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019. Exedra “y”, wall painting from west end of north wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009. North wall of exedra “y”. 

Wall painting of The Dedication of Hunting, Fishing and Bird Catching Nets to Pan.

See Leach, E.W., 2004.  The Social Life of Painting in Ancient Rome and on the Bay of Naples. Cambridge UK: Cambridge UP. (p.135).

The Swedish Pompeii Project records the epigram on this picture, and its translation, as:

Οἱ τρισσοί τοι ταῦτα τὰ δίκτυα θῆκαν ὅμαιμοι,

      ἀγρότα Πάν, ἄλλης ἂλλος ἀπ᾿ἀγρεσίς

ὧν ἀπὸ μὲν πτανῶν Πίγρης τάδε, ταῦτα δὲ Δᾶμις

      τετραπόδων, Κλείτωρ δ᾿ὁ τρίτος εἰναλίων.

ἀνθ᾿ὧν τῷ μὲν πέμπε δι᾿ἠέρος εὔστοχον ἄγρην,

      τῷ δὲ διὰ δρυμῶν, τῷ δὲ δι᾿ἠιόνων.

The three brothers placed these nets for you,

      hunter Pan, each for his respective prey.

Of [the nets], Pigres placed these for birds;* Damis these

      for animals, Klitor, the third, for fish.

In return, send a well-aimed catch to the one through the air,

      to the other through trees, and to the [third] through the sea.      [CIL IV 3407, 2]

[* lit. ’for prey among … prey that is winged/four-legged/from the sea’].

This is an epigram of Leonidas of Tarentum.

See the Palatine Anthology, Book VI 13. Our thanks to Joseph W. Day for pointing us to this.

See https://www.pompejiprojektet.se/fileadmin/user_upload/pompejiprojektet/inscriptions/Casa_degli_Epigrammi_Greci.pdf

V.1.18 Pompeii. Drawing by Geremia Discanno, from north wall of exedra “y”.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 112.

Photo © ICCD. https://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it

Utilizzabili alle condizioni della licenza Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Condividi allo stesso modo 2.5 Italia (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 IT)

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: Giannini. (p.44-5, no.197).

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019. Exedra “y”, central wall painting on north wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009.

North wall of exedra “y”. Wall painting of The Two Fishermen Proposing a Riddle to Homer.

Homer is seated on a throne with his feet resting on a stool.

Behind him is a pillar with a gilded bronze statue on top.

On the pillar are a shield and oar, symbols of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Further back is a ship.

In front of the poet stand two fishermen, speaking to him.

See Leach, E.W., 2004. The Social Life of Painting in Ancient Rome and on the Bay of Naples. Cambridge UK: Cambridge UP. (p.135).

Above the old man the painting had the word OMHPOC, indicating Homer.      [CIL IV 3407, 3]

In front of the poet stand two fishermen, indicated by the word AɅЄIC above them.      [CIL IV 3407, 4]

Lower down is this inscription, which the Swedish Pompeii Project records and translates as:

ὅσσ᾿ἓλομεν λιπόμεσθα, ὅσ᾿οὐχ ἕλομεν φερόμεσθα.

Whatever we caught, we left behind; whatever we did not catch, we bring.      [CIL IV 3407, 5]

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1876, p. 78.

See https://www.pompejiprojektet.se/fileadmin/user_upload/pompejiprojektet/inscriptions/Casa_degli_Epigrammi_Greci.pdf

V.1.18 Pompeii. May 2012. Detail of figures on north wall of exedra “y”.

Wall painting of The Two Fishermen Proposing a Riddle to Homer. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.1.18 Pompeii. Copy of wall painting of Homer with the fishermen from cubiculum “y”.

DAIR 83.35. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv. 

See http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/marbilder/5022210

V.1.18 Pompeii. Drawing by Geremia Discanno, from north wall of exedra “y”.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 113.

Photo © ICCD. http://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it

Utilizzabili alle condizioni della licenza Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Condividi allo stesso modo 2.5 Italia (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 IT)

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019.

Exedra “y”, remaining portion of painting from north wall at east end.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009.

North wall of exedra “y”. Remains of wall painting of The Sacrifice of a Goat to Dionysus.

V.1.18 Pompeii. May 2012.

Detail from north wall of exedra “y”. Remains of wall painting of The Sacrifice of a Goat to Dionysus. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.1.18 Pompeii. North wall of exedra “y”. 

Reconstruction drawing of wall painting of The Sacrifice of a Goat to Dionysus.

According to NdS, this picture, half destroyed, showed a column around which wrapped a vine, which a goat was biting into.

In the middle was a man with short tunic, towards whom a little boy put forward another goat, clutching it by the horns and the tail.

Below the column was an epigram.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1876, p. 78-9.

See Leach, E.W., 2004.  The Social Life of Painting in Ancient Rome and on the Bay of Naples. Cambridge UK: Cambridge UP. (p.135).

See Strocka V. M., 1995. Das Bildprogramm des Epigrammzimmers in Pompeji. Abb. 3.

V.1.18 Pompeii. North wall of exedra “y”. 

Wall painting of The Sacrifice of a Goat to Dionysus.

1876 transcription of verse found under the column on the wall painting.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1876, p. 78-9.

The Swedish Pompeii Project records this verse, and its translation, as:

Κἤν με φάγῃς ἐπὶ ῥίζαν, ὅμως ἕτι καρποφορήσω,

ὅσσον ἐπισπεῖσαι σοί, τράγε, θυομένῳ.

Even if you eat me to the root, nevertheless I will still bring forth fruit

Enough to offer as a libation to you, goat, when you are being sacrificed.       [CIL IV 3407, 6]

(Euenos of Askalon, Palatine Anthology. 9.75 = Gow and Page 1965 s.v. Euenos, no. 3)

V.1.18 Pompeii. Drawing by Geremia Discanno from the north wall of exedra “y”.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 114.

Photo © ICCD. http://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it

Utilizzabili alle condizioni della licenza Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Condividi allo stesso modo 2.5 Italia (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 IT)

V.1.18 Pompeii. May 2012. Looking towards north-east corner of exedra “y”. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019. Looking towards north-east corner and east wall of exedra “y”.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking towards east wall of exedra “y”. 

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019. Exedra “y”, looking towards paintings on east wall. 

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

V.1.18 Pompeii. April 2012. East wall of exedra “y”. Photo courtesy of Marina Fuxa.

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019.

Exedra “y”, detail of upper painted frame of central painting on east wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019. Exedra “y”, looking towards central panel on east wall. 

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009. East wall of exedra “y”. 

Wall painting of Dionysus (or Ariadne?) seated on a pedestal.

See Leach, E.W., 2004. The Social Life of Painting in Ancient Rome and on the Bay of Naples. Cambridge UK: Cambridge UP. (p.135).

According to NdS, it is Bacchus, seated, with his arm on his head and his panther at his feet.

The panther has turned its head towards Bacchus.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1876, p. 79.

Kuivalainen describes this as a composition of three (or four) figures.

In the left corner, a naked male carries a sack or a wineskin in his left hand. In the middle stands a wreathed Silenus with several wineskins on the ground. (There may be a third figure between these two.)

The red pedestal with white details is decorated with garlands; on top of the pedestal, on a bench covered with a cloth and a thick pillow, reclines an effeminate youth; his body is golden yellow with reddish shades and white reflections; his right arm is raised on top of his head, turned left, wreathed and with two small horns; he holds a cantharus in his hand, in his left arm he has a thyrsus pointed downwards and a tympanum; he wears a thin cloak, which covers his legs, and a nebris tied over his left shoulder.

Behind his knees peeks a panther, standing with his left foreleg raised. Trees are painted across the background.

Kuivalainen comments –

Bacchus is depicted as a gilded bronze statue. The effeminate features and small breasts are typical for a young Bacchus with horns, but the tympanum as his personal attribute is rare. The reference to the Anthesteria is theoretical, with wine skins as the only references, nor does the pictorial programme with its plethora of paintings in the room support this interpretation, as the paintings are rather linked to Bacchus and Venus.

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, p.185.

(Note: in his Bibliography he quotes – Dilthey 1876, 311-313, (AdI): Effeminate Bacchus, with a similar statue found in Herculaneum (MANN 9276), a drinking contest in the Anthesteria festival in Athens.)

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019.

Exedra “y”, painting of golden seated figure in centre of east wall of exedra “y”, described as both Dionysus, or perhaps Arianna.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. May 2012.

Painting of golden seated figure in centre of east wall of exedra “y”, described as both Dionysus, or perhaps Arianna.

Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.1.18 Pompeii. May 2012. Detail from painting in centre of east wall of exedra “y”. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.1.18 Pompeii. 1882 painting by A. Sikkard of east wall of exedra “y”.

See Mau, A. 1882. Geschichte der Decorativen Wandmalerei in Pompeji. Berlin: Reimer, Taf. V.

V.1.18 Pompeii. 1882 painting by A. Sikkard of parts of the east wall of exedra “y”.

See Mau, A. 1882. Geschichte der Decorativen Wandmalerei in Pompeji. Berlin: Reimer, Taf. VI.

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019.

East wall of exedra “y”, at north end. Wall painting of a winged lyre player or muse.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009.

East wall of exedra “y”, at north end. Wall painting of a winged lyre player or muse.

See Leach, E.W., 2004. The Social Life of Painting in Ancient Rome and on the Bay of Naples. Cambridge UK: Cambridge UP. (p.135).

V.1.18 Pompeii. October 2019. East wall of exedra “y”, at south end. 

Wall painting of a draped figure possibly a muse who may have held a globe.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009. East wall of exedra “y”, at south end. 

Wall painting of a draped figure possibly a muse who may have held a globe.

See Leach, E.W., 2004. The Social Life of Painting in Ancient Rome and on the Bay of Naples. Cambridge UK: Cambridge UP. (p.135).

V.1.18 Pompeii. March 2009. South-east corner and south wall of exedra “y”. 

V.1.18 Pompeii. c.2005-2008. 

Room “y”, exedra, looking south to doorway to peristyle. Photo by Hans Thorwid.

Photo courtesy of The Swedish Pompeii Project.

V.1.18 Pompeii. c.2005-2008. 

Room “y”, flooring in exedra. Photo by Hans Thorwid.

Photo courtesy of The Swedish Pompeii Project.

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