VII.2.16 Pompeii. House of Gavius Rufus or Casa di Teseo

or House of the Seven Skeletons.

Excavated 1867.

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VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2017. Entrance doorway on south side of Vicolo del Panettiere.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Identification name plate on front façade.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.2.16 Pompeii. Pre-1942. Entrance doorway, looking east along south side of Vicolo del Panettiere.

See Warscher, T. 1942. Catalogo illustrato degli affreschi del Museo Nazionale di Napoli. Sala LXXX. Vol.2. Rome, Swedish Institute

VII.2.16 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance, with cubic tufa capitals.

Della Corte thought that the identification of the owner of this house as being M. Gavi Rufi should be rejected.

The identification was based on two inscriptions found on the red plaster at the sides of the doorway

M. GAVI. DOMVS    on the left, and

RVFII VA(le)   [CIL IV 2319f]  on the right between VII.2.16 and VII.2.17.

Therefore, he said, this house owner should remain anonymous.

Fiorelli thought these inscriptions gave the ownership of the house, without doubt, to duumvir M. Gavio Rufo.

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.154)

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.81)

Also found on the wall of the house, according to Cooley,

Marcus Vecilius Verecundus, outfitter.  [CIL IV 3130]

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge. (p.176, H55)

According to Della Corte, the graffito was found on a column in the house:

M. Vecilius Verecundus, Vestiar(ius)      [CIL IV 3130]

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.280)

Also found on the wall between VII.2.16 and shop at VII.2.17,

Vesbinus cinedus, Vitalio pedicavit     [CIL IV 2319b]

See Varone, A., 2002. Erotica Pompeiana: Love Inscriptions on the Walls of Pompeii, Rome: L’erma di Bretschneider. (p.137).

VII.2.16 Pompeii. November 2024.

Inner west side of entrance doorway and exterior street wall on west (right) side of entrance doorway between VII.2.16 and VII.2.17.

Photo courtesy of Annette Haug.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. November 2024. Detail of graffiti on inner right side of entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Annette Haug.

According to the Giornale degli Scavi 1868, this house has on the exterior wall a red podium on which are scratched various inscriptions, of which it is necessary to remember the following two here:

M. GAVI DOMVS was to the left of the entrance

RUFII VA(le) was on the right door leaf/pillar (anta)

which give us the name of the person who lived in the house.

See Giornale degli Scavi, Nuova Serie. Settembre 1868, p. 25.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. 1871. Graffiti RUFII VA as recorded in amended CIL IV 2319f and Tav. L,3.

See Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum Vol. IV, 1871. Berlin: Reimer, CIL IV 2319f, Ad. p. 217, Tav. L,3.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2017.

Entrance doorway and front facade on west side of doorway.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. November 2024.

Exterior street wall on west (right) side of entrance doorway between VII.2.16 and VII.2.17.

Photo courtesy of Annette Haug.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2017. Detail of painted wall on west side of entrance doorway.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Cubic tufa capital on east side of entrance doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2017. Looking south from entrance doorway.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. One of the seven skeletons found in the house on 12th March 1868. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

Seven skeletons were found, but six of them had not left enough imprint in the cinders to make a good plaster cast.

The above was the only successful one, although his left leg was not cast, on his face was a look of horror.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.190)

According to Dwyer, the cast was only partially successful as the cavity had been infiltrated by lapilli and this left the skull and left leg exposed.

This cast, known as the Fifth Victim, was placed in the Archaeological School, and it was here that Ernest Breton saw it, and described

“This unfortunate was discovered lying on his stomach in a room to the left of the atrium of the House of Gavius Rufus.

Six other skeletons were near him” from Breton, 1869.

See Dwyer, E., 2010. Pompeii’s Living Statues. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. (p. 80)

See Breton, Ernest. 1870. Pompeia, Guide de visite a Pompei, 3rd ed. Paris, Guerin.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. Undated photograph by Amodio, numbered 3002, from an album dated c.1873.

One of the seven skeletons found in the house on 12th March 1868. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. December 2005. Atrium, looking south from the entrance corridor/fauces.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2017.

Entrance corridor/fauces, looking north towards entrance onto Vicolo del Panettiere.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2017. Entrance corridor/fauces floor and doorway threshold from atrium.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009.

Looking south across atrium from entrance fauces. The doorway to room 1, is on the east side (the left).

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2017. Doorway to room 1 on the east side of entrance corridor/fauces.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, porter’s room, and behind it the stable. Looking east.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2017. Looking north from east side of atrium.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 2, looking south across atrium towards peristyle.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, looking south across atrium.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Looking south from atrium towards peristyle.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. 1977. Looking north across peristyle, towards room 2, the atrium. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 2, looking south across marble impluvium in atrium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, marble impluvium and cistern mouth in atrium.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, remains of mosaic floor, in atrium.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 2, remains of mosaic flooring, in atrium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, atrium. South-east corner, with small doorway to room 3, oecus.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Oecus 3, looking north from doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Oecus 3, looking towards west wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 3, west wall of oecus.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Oecus 3, detail from north wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 3, north wall of oecus.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. 1867. Room 3, north wall of oecus, sketch by L. Schulz of painting of Zeus and Danae and the golden rain.

DAIR 83.124. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. October 2019. Oecus 3, looking towards east wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 3, east wall of oecus.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 4.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 4, east end, with entry to recess on north side.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 4, recess, looking north.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking south along east portico of peristyle garden.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. Pre-1942. Looking towards west wall of peristyle garden, from north-east corner.

See Warscher, T. 1942. Catalogo illustrato degli affreschi del Museo Nazionale di Napoli. Sala LXXX. Vol.2. Rome, Swedish Institute

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