V.4.13 Pompeii. Domus of M Fabius Secundus and Optata
or Casa delle origine di Roma.
Linked to V.4.12. Excavated 1873, 1899 and 1903.
Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 1 Plan
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking north from triclinium K.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of atrium or light yard.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway on west wall of atrium or light yard, leading into tablinum.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Tablinum, looking south-west.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Passage on west side of tablinum, between triclinium R, and garden.
V.4.13 Pompeii. May 2017. Triclinium R, west wall and north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Triclinium R, west wall and north-west corner.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Triclinium R, west wall.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Triclinium R, north-west corner.
V.4.13 Pompeii. May 2017. Triclinium R, north-west corner and north wall, behind hoarding. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Triclinium R, north wall.
V.4.13 Pompeii. May 2010. Wall painting of the Founding or Origin of Rome. Found on the north wall of triclinium R.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number s.n.
For more detail of the descriptions of the parts of the painting given below:
See Bragantini, I and Sampaolo, V., Eds., 2009. La Pittura Pompeiana. Verona: Electa. P. 348, Scheda 160.
See Pais, Ettore, Translated by M. E. Cosenza, 1905. Ancient Legends of Roman History. New York: Dodd Mead. p. 43-59.
V.4.13 Pompeii. Detail of wall painting. Top.
The sun is in the sky represented as a chariot drawn by white horses, before Mars descends.
Mars, in flight, descends on Rhea Silvia who is lying on the grass.
She is surprised by the god whilst drawing water for the goddess Vesta.
V.4.13 Pompeii. Detail of wall painting, centre left. Three figures in togas (priests?) are pointing at Rhea Silvia.
They are in front of the Temple of Vesta with an altar with a fire on top.
V.4.13 Pompeii. Detail of wall painting, centre left. Rhea and Anthos, her cousin and the daughter of Amulius.
Anthos has saved Rhea from death, but they are now on the way to imprisonment.
Rhea is forced to abandon the twins, Romulus and Remus, born of the god to the tides of the River Tiber.
V.4.13 Pompeii. Detail of wall painting, bottom centre. Mercury is pointing out the she-wolf who is nursing the twins.
With him is a figure who is said to be either Venus, the mother of Aeneas OR
Acca Larentia, the wife of the shepherd Faustulus, who becomes the adoptive mother of the twins OR
Rhea Silvia herself.
V.4.13 Pompeii. Detail of wall painting, bottom right corner.
Giuturna or Juturna, the goddess of fountains, wells and springs, with her arms raised.
V.4.13 Pompeii. Detail of wall painting. Bottom left corner. The river god Tiberinus personified.
Tiberinus found the twins and gave them to a she-wolf to suckle.
He later rescued and married Rhea Silvia, the mother of the twins and a Vestal Virgin who had been sentenced to death.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Triclinium R, east wall and north-east corner.
V.4.13 Pompeii. March 2009. Triclinium R, north-east corner.