VII.2.14 Pompeii. House of Optatio. Linked to VII.2.15.
Excavated 1843 and 1867.
Part 2 Part 1
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Room at rear of tablinum, looking south-east.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden room, south wall with niche and window to room on south side of garden.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. December 2004. Room on south side of garden, with vaulted ceiling, looking west.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden room, south wall with niche and window to room on south side of garden.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden room, south wall with niche and window.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden room, south wall with niche in corner.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. South-west corner of garden room.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Painted plaster in south-west corner of garden room.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Large niche in south-west corner of garden room.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Plaster on large niche in south-west corner of garden room.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of garden room in south-west corner.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of garden room.
VII.2.14 Pompei but shown as VI.2.14 on photo. Pre-1937-39. North-west corner.
Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 960.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. May 1880. Looking towards west wall of garden room, with garden painting.
On the north wall was the lararium painting with serpent beneath.
On the side of the north wall was the painting of a man.
DAIR 83.123. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. Undated drawing made at time of excavation.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of garden room. Square niche.
According to Boyce, the walls of this small garden were painted with garden subjects, trees, birds and fountain.
Later a lararium painting was superimposed on part of it. In the west wall was set a rectangular niche.
Underneath it and to its right, a masonry altar was built into the corner and covered with yellowish stucco painted as imitation marble.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.61-2, 249).
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of garden room. Remains of garden painting.
This had a fence, a basin shaped fountain, birds and a female figure.
This female figure was to the right of the fountain and perhaps was a statue of Venus.
See Jashemski, W. F., 1979. The Gardens of Pompeii. New York: Caratzas. (p62: T100).
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden room. West wall remains of garden wall painting.
Some plants, a red border and possibly the round basin of the fountain can be seen.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Remains of masonry altar in north-west corner of garden room.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. North-west corner of garden room. Remains of painted plants can just be seen.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. North wall of garden room with remains of lararium painting with serpent.
According to Boyce, the lararium painting was painted in two zones.
In the lower zone a single large serpent, yellow and black with red crest and beard, coiled towards the top of the masonry altar.
In the background were plants and flowers.
In the upper zone was the scene described by Helbig: in the centre were the two Lares, one on each side of a blazing cylindrical altar.
Each one was wreathed, wearing tunic and pallium and holding rhyton and situla.
On the left of this group stood Jupiter, wearing a red cloak over his shoulder.
He rested his right hand upon a sceptre and held an eagle with the left.
On the right of the Lares stood Minerva, wearing a girded chiton and a helmet.
In the right hand she held a spear, and on the left arm a shield; on the ground on the left was an owl.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.61-2, 249, Pl. 23,1)
See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (60b)
Note: according to Boyce, Helbig wrongly placed this shrine in the kitchen, instead of the garden room.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. North wall of garden room with remains of lararium painting with serpent.
A painting of two gods and two Lares was above this.
See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p283: L80: T40,1.3).
According to Boyce, in the north wall on the east side of this lararium painting, was a window set in a recess which overlooked the kitchen.
On the west wall of this recess, around the corner, was painted a man. (see below).
VII.2.14 Pompeii. 1931. North wall with remains of lararium painting with serpent.
A painting of two gods and two Lares was above this.
See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (p283: L80: T40,1.3).
According to Boyce, in the north wall on the east side of the lararium painting, was a window set in a recess which overlooked the kitchen.
On the west wall of this recess, around the corner, was painted a man.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus
of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome:
MAAR 14. (p.61-2, 249, Pl. 23,1)
DAIR 31.2453. Photo
© Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. 1931. North wall with remains of lararium painting with serpent and two gods and two Lares above.
DAIR 31.1745. Photo
© Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. 1868. North wall. Drawing by Helbig of upper lararium painting with two gods and two Lares.
See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 60b, Taf. 1.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Garden room.
Remains of painting of a male figure looking towards the scene of the sacrifice on the lararium.
See Fröhlich, T.,
1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den
Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von
Zabern. (L80: T40,1).
See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p278).
According to Boyce, the man, nude except for a limus {priest's apron) about his hips, held in each hand an object which was not discernible at the time of excavation.
This figure was larger than those of the lararium painting, better painted, and perhaps belonged to an earlier decoration.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.61-2, 249, Pl. 23,1)
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. Masonry bench or hearth against south wall of kitchen.
According to Boyce, in the west wall of the kitchen is an arched niche called in the report “una nicchia per I lari”.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (250, p. 62)
VII.2.14 Pompeii. December 2004. Room in north-west corner, entrance from corridor.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. December 2004. North wall of room in north-west corner.
VII.2.14 Pompeii. March 2009. North wall of room in north-west corner.