VI.15.23 Pompeii. Unnamed house. Excavated 1896.

In Notizie degli Scavi, prior to January 1897, this house may be described as being in Insula 12 of Reg. VI.

Afterwards it was changed to Insula 15 of Reg. VI.

According to the plans of the insula in Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1897, (pages 14, 269 and 460) the doorways on the west side of the insula were numbered with Roman numerals, this doorway was shown as No. III.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance doorway, looking east directly into peristyle.

According to Wallace-Hadrill, this house consisted of a peristyle with four-sided colonnade and eleven rooms around it.

There were faded decorations found in the peristyle, and a Style IV lararium painting in the kitchen.

He thought the well-built peristyle may have been formerly part of another house, perhaps VI.15.9 or 12.

See Wallace-Hadrill, A. (1994): Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum, Princeton Univ. Pr, (p.215)

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east across peristyle.

According to Jashemski, the peristyle garden excavated in 1896-7 was enclosed on all four sides by a portico.

It was supported by eleven columns covered with rough plaster.

The columns were joined by a low masonry wall which had an entrance to the garden on the east side.

There was a puteal enclosed in the south wall between the last two columns at the east end.

Around the edges of the garden was a gutter.

There was a marble foot for a fountain basin or a table in the portico.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.158).

VI.15.23 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking west across peristyle towards entrance doorway.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1435.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. North portico, with remains of columns and marble foot for a fountain basin or table.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking south along west side of portico of peristyle, from near entrance doorway.

According to NdS, under the south portico near the pilaster dividing the two doorways (centre), a cupboard was found containing many small objects.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1896, (p.473).

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking south-east across peristyle.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking towards east portico.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east along north portico towards pilaster.

According to Sogliano, two paintings were discovered on the pilaster between the oecus and tablinum/triclinium on the east portico.

Both paintings had a black background and preserved around them was an unequal margin of red plaster that was on the wall from which they were removed.

On the lower right corner of the photograph, (fig.2 below), an iron nail-head can be seen, with another in the middle of the lowest margin.

These paintings were cut from the wall and taken to Naples Archaeological Museum.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1897, p. 154-5.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. 1897.

Painting on pilaster of two women, one seated, on east portico between oecus and tablinum/triclinium.

According to Sogliano, the meaning of this painting is not clear.

However, the painting was excellent, especially the figure of the standing young woman, which was delightfully painted.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1897, p. 154, fig. 2.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. 1897.

Second painting on pilaster of two figures, one seated, found on wall of east portico between oecus and tablinum/triclinium.

According to Sogliano, the meaning was clear, it was of a poet reading his poetry to a female companion.

The execution of the painting was very fine, it was unfortunate that the conservation was not perfect.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1897, p. 155, fig. 3.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Two doorways to cubicula on north side of portico.

According to NdS, both these rooms were covered with a barrel-vaulted ceiling.

On 31st July 1897 a rectangular bronze seal, that gave a name to a house, was found in the room with the doorway right of centre of the photo, (room ‘n’). It read –

that would be M. Stla(bori) Auct(i)

See Sogliano in Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, July 1897, (p.323).

According to Della Corte and Eschebach, the house at VI.15.20 was named the house of M. Stlaborius Auctus.

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.61)

See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p.223)

However, in 1913 Della Corte had written -

“M. Stlaborius Auctus, proprietario probabilmente della casa no.23, Reg. VI. Ins. XV, come sembra provare il sigillo recante il nome di questo Pompeiano e raccolto nella casa indicata” (NdS, 1897, p.323)

“M. Stlaborius Auctus, owner probably of house number 23, Reg. VI, Ins. XV, as it seems proved by the seal/signet showing the name of this Pompeian and found in the house indicated” (See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1897, p.323)

See Della Corte, M., 1913, Memorie della Royale Accademia di Archaeologia, Lettere e Belle Arti, Vol. II, (p.197)

Beyond these two cubicula doorways is the open doorway to the north ala.

On the right of the ala was a corridor, which was closed at its east end (this may have contained a staircase).

On the north of the ala, was a doorway into another small room, which had a mezzanine above.

The room had walls of cocciopesto, and holes for supporting the shelving could be seen.

In this small room, on 23rd June 1897, a human skeleton was found.

Against the west wall of the ala was a masonry hearth, on which an ash deposit was found.

It was possible that the small room was a storeroom.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, June 1897, (p.272)

Another skeleton was found on November 4th, 1900, in the third room on north side of peristyle, this would be the ala.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1900.

See Luongo, G et al. (2003): Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 126, (p.186)

On the east portico, on the right of the photo, a doorway to the oecus can be seen.

According to NdS of April 1898, two skeletons were found on 28th April 1898.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, April 1989, (p.174)

According to NdS, in a room to the left of the large triclinium at the rear of the peristyle, probably the oecus, four human skeletons were found, two in each pair.

On 8th June 1899, the first two were found near to each other.

On 22nd June 1899, the other two were found.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, June 1899, (p.235)

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Small room at rear of the oecus with stone feature against south wall, looking east.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Small room at rear of the oecus with stone feature against east wall, looking south.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east into tablinum/triclinium from east portico.

According to NdS, this room was linked to the oecus on its north (left) side, by a doorway in the north-west corner.

Both rooms were quite rustic, but spacious.

According to Sogliano in NdS, the floor of this triclinium was made of opus signinum with a rectangle of coloured marble in its centre.

He said the presence of this geometric ornamentation in the middle of the floor made clear that this room was a triclinium.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, March 1898, (p.126)

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. East wall of portico.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005.

Looking south-west across peristyle towards kitchen area, from north-east corner near ala and oecus.

The doorway to the kitchen can be seen on the left of centre.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Half-column in west peristyle wall near doorway to kitchen.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Hearth against west wall of kitchen, looking south.

The latrine would have been in the south-west corner of the kitchen, top-left of photo.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Kitchen in south-west corner of peristyle.

Lararium in north-west corner of kitchen, near doorway to south portico.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1897, 39, with photograph, p.105.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39.

Lararium in north-west corner of kitchen, near doorway to south portico, with serpents extending over both the west and north walls.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 553.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. 1931. Kitchen in south-west corner of peristyle.

Lararium in north-west corner of kitchen, near doorway to south portico, with serpents extending over both the west and north walls.

DAIR 31.2469. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (L73 and Taf. 35,3)

On the wall on each side of the aedicula was painted a garland and a flying bird.

Two large yellow serpents were painted on the wall beneath the aedicula and extended over onto the north wall on the one side.

On the other side, extending to the adjacent side of the hearth. 

The serpent on the right had the larger body, a crest and a beard, the one on the left was smaller with no crest or beard.

They were on either side of a cylindrical altar painted in imitation of yellow marble beneath the aedicula.

The altar was furnished with two eggs and fruit.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.56, no.219, and Pl.15, 1 and 2).

VI.15.23 Pompeii. 1930s? Kitchen in south-west corner of peristyle.

Lararium in north-west corner of kitchen, near doorway to south portico.

Boyce said, against the wall below the aedicula and that of the entrance doorway was a masonry seat (h.0.30).

It was decorated upon a background of red with painted luxuriant foliage which covered the front surface of the bench.

It extended above the bench to form a background for the serpents.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.56, no.219, and Pl.15, 1 and 2)

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005. Lararium.

According to Boyce, the three rooms in the south-west portion, to the right of the entrance, have bare walls without any decoration.

The kitchen in the corner is the exception, with the lararium on the west wall, in the north-west corner.

In the kitchen, the hearth is built against the west wall and between it and the north wall is the lararium.

A heavy ledge, held by consoles projecting from the wall, supported a temple façade constructed before a semicircular niche with flat ceiling.

The façade consisted of two Doric columns with bases and capitals, an architrave and a pediment.

The ledge and the aedicula were constructed of a mixture of brick and tufa.

The whole was painted red except for a star on a white ground in the centre of the tympanum.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.56, no.219, and Pl.15, 1 and 2)

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (L73 and Pict. 35,3)

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.183)

VI.15.23 Pompeii. Lararium on the west wall, in the north-west corner of the kitchen.

DAIR 31.2468. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

According to Boyce, the whole was painted red except for a star on a white ground in the centre of the tympanum.

The curved back wall of the niche was painted blue, and upon it was the lararium painting.

On each side was a Lar, between them stood the Genius.

On the wall on each side of the aedicula was painted a garland and a flying bird.

Two large yellow serpents were painted on the wall beneath the aedicula and extended over onto the north wall on the one side.

On the other side, extending to the adjacent side of the hearth. 

The serpent on the right had the larger body, a crest and a beard, the one on the left was smaller with no crest or beard.

They were on either side of a cylindrical altar painted in imitation of yellow marble beneath the aedicula.

The altar was furnished with two eggs and fruit.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.56, no.219, and Pl.15, 1 and 2)

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.183)

VI.15.23 Pompeii. September 2005.

Painted west wall beneath the lararium. Part of the painted altar and some of the two serpents can still be seen.

VI.15.23 Pompeii. 1897. Lararium on west wall of kitchen.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1897, p. 39, with photograph, p. 105.