VII.1.8 Pompeii. Terme Stabiane or Stabian Baths.

Entrance, Gymnasium and portico area.

Linked to VII.1.14, VII.1.15, VII.1.17, VII.1.48, VII.1.49, VII.1.50 and VII.1.51.

Excavated 1853 to 1858, and 1865. (Strada d’Olconio 23)

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4       Part 5       Part 6      VII.1.8 Plan

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking towards north side of Via dell’Abbondanza, with entrance doorway to Baths, in centre.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. June 2012. Entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. January 2009. Entrance on Via dell’Abbondanza. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

V.1.8 Pompeii. Looking towards entrance doorway on north side of Via dell’ Abbondanza.  

Photo by permission of the Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford. File name instarchbx209im003a. Source ID. 44558. 

See photo on University of Oxford HEIR database

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2023. Looking towards entrance doorway and east wall of vestibule A. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance and vestibule A.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance and vestibule A.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021.Looking north from vestibule A.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. March 2014. Gymnasium C, looking north.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2014. Looking north-east along east portico B from north end of Vestibule A.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. March 2014. Looking north-east along east portico B.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. 1945. East side of portico B looking north from entrance. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. August 27, 1904. Looking towards north-east side of gymnasium. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. September 2005. East side of portico B looking north from entrance.

VII.1.8, Pompeii. 4th December 1971. Looking north along east side of gymnasium of Baths.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer, from Dr George Fay’s slides collection.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. Drawing and watercolour by Giuseppe Abbate of “particulars of roof in the peristyle”.

This showed the precious testimony of the type of decoration above the pitched sloping roof that sheltered the east portico of the palaestra B.

This was "almost completely lost" in 1854, and today has totally disappeared. Seen, at the top was a painted hunt scene.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 458.

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)

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2001. East side of portico B looking north from entrance. Photo courtesy of Peter Woods.

VII.I.8 Pompeii. February 1988. Looking north along east side of Portico B.

Photo by Joachime Méric courtesy of Jean-Jacques Méric.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. August 1976. Looking towards north-east corner of Portico B.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer, from Dr George Fay’s slides collection.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. 4th October 1937.

Looking towards the entrance doorway and south-east corner of portico B. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking towards the south-east corner of portico B and entrance doorway.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1154.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking east from north end of vestibule A along the south portico.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. September 2005. South-east corner of portico B, looking north-east.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking north-west across gymnasium from south portico.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Upper pilaster on south portico, looking west from near Vestibule A.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Upper pilaster on south portico, looking north-west.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR Near vestibule

VII.1.8 Pompeii. April 2019. Pilaster at south end of Portico B. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking west from north end of Vestibule A along the south portico.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking north-west across the gymnasium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2022. Looking north-west across the gymnasium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking north-east across the gymnasium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2014. East portico B, from north end of Vestibule A.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2014. East portico B, pilaster at south end of east wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking north along east side of Portico B.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2022.

Looking north in corridor on east side of Portico B. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. September 2021.

Looking north in corridor on east side of Portico B. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Corridor on east side of portico B, looking north.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. April 2013. Corridor on east side of portico B, looking north. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. June 2012. Corridor on east side of portico B, looking north. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. Watercolour by Giuseppe Abbate, showing a stretch of the east wall of the east portico.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 459.

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)

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2014. East portico B, looking towards wall decoration and pillars on portico.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2014. East portico B, looking north-west towards columns.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. September 2005. Detail of wall in corridor on east side of portico B.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. September 2005. Detail of wall and plaster in corridor on east side of portico B.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2022.

East side of portico B looking south. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. December 2006. East side of portico B looking south.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. March 2014. Looking south across east portico B, towards entrance doorway and south portico.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. November 2018.

Marble sundial with Oscan inscription, found 23rd September 1854. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

An inscription in Oscan reveals that the quaestor Maras Atinius commissioned the construction of the sundial:
“Maras Artinius (son of) Maras, quaestor, with the money from the fines, by resolution of the assembly, had (this) made”.

Solar clocks were one of the many contributions of the Greeks to the Roman world, and this refined Pompeian specimen bears witness to the Hellenistic taste to which the Terme Stabiane (a modern name referring to their position along the Via Stabiana) conformed. The Terme Stabiane replaced an earlier, much less sophisticated facility in the 2nd century BC.

Discovered at Pompeii on 23 September 1854 in the Stabian Baths, it was used to regulate the turns for entering the complex.

The dial is a portion of a right circular cone, bounded on the upper side by a hyperbola.

The clock has three circular day curves that are parallel to each other.

The day curves are the lines cast by the shadow of the gnomon over the course of a whole day. The arcs of the solstices and equinoxes are each divided into 12 equal parts to plot the eleven hour lines, obtained by joining the corresponding partitions of the three day curves.

The hours marked are “unequal hours”.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 2541.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. November 2018. Oscan inscription from sundial, found 23rd September 1854. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

“Maras Artinius (son of) Maras, quaestor, with the money from the fines, by resolution of the assembly, had (this) made”.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. November 2018.

Oscan inscription [Vetter 12] stating that Maras Artinius commissioned the construction of the sundial.

Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. November 2018.

Oscan inscription stating that Maras Artinius commissioned the construction of the sundial. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. November 2018.

Description card of marble sundial in Naples Archaeological Museum. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. June 2017. Marble sundial with Oscan inscription, found 23rd September 1854. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. June 2017.

Information card from display in Naples Archaeological Museum, inv. 2541. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Drawing of marble sun-dial with Oscan inscription, found 23rd September 1854.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 180.

See Real Museo Borbonico, vol XVI, following p. 168 – Relazione degli Scavi di Pompeii, marble sundial found (p.14) also refers to (p.2).

VII.1.8 Pompeii. Dedication for the renovation of the Stabian Baths, post 70BC.  

Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inv. no. 3826 (CIL X, 829).

According to the information card –

“The duoviri with judicial powers Gaius Uulius, son of Gaius, and Publius Aninius, son of Gaius, contracted out, by decree of the decurions, the construction of the sweat baths and the exercise room (destrictarium), and the rebuilding of the porticoes and the gymnasium. With the money which, by law, they were required to spend for games or a monument, they had (them) built, and inspected (them) themselves”.

The enlargement of the Stabian Baths was financed by the colony, as its statute prescribed. One of the two magistrates, Gaius Uulius, was from a local family, whereas the family of Publius Aninius was originally from southern Latium and belonged to the first generation of Sullan colonists.

(I duoviro giusdicenti Gaio Uulio, figlio di Gaio, e Publio Aninio figlio di Gaio appaltarono per decreto dei decurioni la costruzione del sudatorio e dell’ambiente per gli esercizi (destrictarium), e la ricostruzione dei portici e della palestra; con quel danaro che, per legge, essi dovevano spendere per i giochi o per un monumento, fecero costruire ed essi stessi collaudarono.)

L’ampliamento delle Terme Stabiane è finanziato per statuto della colonia. Dei due magistrati Gaio Uulio è di famiglia locale, mentre quella di Publio Aninio proviene dal Lazio meridionale e appartiene alla prima generazione dei coloni sillani.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. March 2014. Looking south across gymnasium C, towards south portico.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. September 2005.

Looking across gymnasium C towards south side of portico B and west side of baths, from north-east corner.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. October 2023.

Detail of wall and painted plaster in corridor on east side of portico B, at north end. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VII.1.8 Pompeii. March 2014. East wall of portico B, in north-east corner.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking towards north-east corner of portico B.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.1.8 Pompeii. June 2012. North-east corner of portico B. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

Part 2      Part 3      Part 4       Part 5       Part 6      VII.1.8 Plan