VII.4.1 Pompeii. Temple of Fortuna Augusta.

Excavated 1823, 1826 and 1859. Restored 1908.

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VII.4.1 Pompeii. July 2017.

Looking south to blocked doorway in north exterior side wall on Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking south over wall in Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking south to blocked doorway in exterior side wall on Via della Fortuna.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking towards north boundary wall, on south side of Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking west towards north boundary wall on Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking west along north boundary wall on Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of north boundary wall on Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Marble cornice from north wall on Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2009. North wall on Via della Fortuna. Looking east.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2009. Marble cornice on north wall above pavement on Via della Fortuna. Looking west.

According to Niccolini in 1854, the pavement was unique in that it came from the ancient works of crushed and well-polished gravel

See Niccolini F, 1854. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Primo. Napoli, Tempio della Fortuna, Tav. I, n. 13, p. 4.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Detail of pavement on north side of Temple in Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking east along north boundary wall on Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking east along north boundary wall on Via della Fortuna.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1/2, Pompeii. May 2018. Looking east along marble cornice on south side of Temple. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

According to Niccolini in 1854, it was believed at first, in the beginning of the excavation, that these various rooms (7, 8, 9, 10 on plan) belonged to the contiguous house called Bacchus, n. 12, but the fact that no communication was found between these rooms and the adjoining house promptly proved this supposition erroneous. On the other hand, it seems to us that now it is to be held firmly that these various localities were instead aggregated to the temple, for the use of the ministers of the temple itself and for their sacred functions, because there is nothing there that suggests that they could be used for domestic purposes.

See Niccolini F, 1854. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Primo. Napoli, Tempio della Fortuna, Tav. I, nn. 7, 8, 9, 10, p. 4.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking east along south boundary wall, shared with VII.4.2, on right.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking north-east to boundary wall on south side of Temple.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking north to boundary wall on south side.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. July 2017. Looking north to west end of boundary wall on south side.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Dedications

Alison Cooley lists the following dedications

The earliest known dedication from 3 AD

VII.4.1 Pompeii. Dedicatory inscription to Agathemerus, Suavis, Pothus and Anteros, first ministry of Fortuna Augusta.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3768.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this read

Agathemerus Vetti

Suavis  Caesiae  Prim(a)e

Pothus  Numitori

Anteros  Lacutulani

minist(ri)  prim(ae)  Fortun(ae) Aug(ustae)  iuss(u)

M(arci)  Stai  Rufi  Cn(aei)  Melissaei  d(uum)v(irorum)  i(ure)  d(icundo)

P(ublio)  Silio  L(ucio)  Volusio  Saturn(ino)  co(n)s(ulibus)     [CIL X 824] 

According to Cooley this translates as:

Agathermus, slave of Vettius; Suavis, slave of Caesia Prima; Pothus, slave of Numitor; Anteros, slave of Lacutulanus, the first attendants {ministri} of Augustan Fortune, by command of Marcus Staius Rufus and Gnaeus Melissaeus, duumvirs with judicial power, in the consulship of Publius Silius and Lucius Volusius Saturninus.

(CIL X 824 = ILS 6382)

This is the earliest statue base set up by attendants (ministri) of the cult, in AD 3, and was found in the temple.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, p. 135, E47.

See Fiorelli G., 1862. Pompeianarum antiquitatum historia, Vol. 2: 1819 - 1860, Naples, p. 96, dated 25th February 1824.

The cult’s regulations from 45 AD

VII.4.1 Pompeii. Dedicatory inscription to Taurus Statilius and Tiberius Plautius Aelianus, Lucius Statius Faustus, ministry of Fortuna Augusta.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3769.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this read

Tauro  Statilio

Ti(berio)  Platilio(!)  Aelian(o)  co(n)s(ulibus)

L(ucius)  Statius  Faustus  pro

signo  quod  e  lege  Fortunae

Augustae  minist(r)orum  ponere

debebat  referente  Q(uinto)  Pompeio  Amethysto

quaestore  basis(!)  duas  marmorias  decrever[u]nt

pro  signo  poniret (!)       [CIL X 825]  

According to Cooley,

During the consulship of Taurus Statilius and Tiberius Plautius Aelianus, Lucius Statius Faustus, instead of the statue which in accordance with the law of the attendants {ministri} of Augustan Fortune he was required to set up, on the proposal of Quintus Pompeius Amethystus, quaestor, they decreed that he should set up two marble bases instead of a statue.

(CIL X 825 = ILS 6385) This inscribed base, also found in the temple, does not conform to the pattern of the others, but refers to a ‘law’, the regulations laid down for the cult when it was first established. It is rather poorly inscribed, with several errors in its carving: in the consular date, for instance, the text gives ‘Platilio’ instead of ‘Plautio’. On the upper surface of the base is a hollow in the shape of a foot, indicating that it originally bore a metal statue.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, p. 135, E48.

See Fiorelli G., 1862. Pompeianarum antiquitatum historia, Vol. 2: 1819 - 1860, Naples, p. 96, dated 25th February 1824.

A dedication from 39 AD

In the consulship of [[name erased]] and Lucius Apronius, Marcus Alleius Ferox and Aulus Rustius Crustuminus, attendants {ministri} of Augustan Fortune, by command of Marcus Messius Balbus and Quintus Lollius Ponticus, duumvirs with judicial power, and of Publius Vedius Siricus and Lucius Habonius Iugus, duumvirs for the supervision of roads, sacred and public buildings. (AE (2008) 330)

This plaque of cipollino marble was found in the building-site dump at the Temple of Venus. The name of Emperor Caligula has been erased in the opening dating formula.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, p. 136, E49.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number s. n.

A dedication from 50 AD

VII.4.1 Pompeii.

Dedicatory inscription to Lucius Numisius Primus, Lucius Numisius Optatus, Lucius Melissaeus Plocamus, ministry of Fortuna Augusta.

This was found in the Basilica, see VIII.1.1.

According to Cooley, this translates as –

Lucius Numisius Primus, Lucius Numisius Optatus, Lucius Melissaeus Plocamus, attendants of Augustan Fortune; in accordance with a decree of the town councillors, by command of Lucius Iulius Ponticus and Publius Gavius Pastor, duumvirs with judicial power, and of Quintus Poppaeus and Gaius Vibius, aediles, in the consulship of Quintus Futius and Publius Calvisius. (CIL X 827 = ILS 6384)

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, p. 136, E50.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this reads

L(ucius) Numisius Primus

L(ucius) Numisius Optatus

L(ucius) Melissaeus

Plocamus

ministr(i) Fortun(ae) Aug(ustae)

ex d(ecreto) d(ecurionum) iussu

L(uci) Iuli Pontici P(ubli) Gavi Pastoris

d(uum)v(irorum) i(ure) d(icundo)

Q(uinti) Poppaei C(ai) Vibi aedil(ium)

Q(uinto) Futio P(ublio) Calvisio co(n)s(ulibus)      [CIL X 827]

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3771.

A dedication from 56 AD

VII.4.1 Pompeii. Dedicatory inscription to Martialis, Manius Salarius Crocus and Primigenius, ministry of Fortuna Augusta.

This was found in the Basilica, see VIII.1.1.

According to Cooley, this translates as: Martialis, slave of Gaius Olius Primus; Manius Salarius Crocus; Primigenius, slave of Gaius Olius Primus, attendants of Augustan Fortune; by command of Quintus Postumius Modestus and Gaius Vibius Secundus, duumvirs with judicial power, and of Gaius Memmius Iunianus and Quintus Bruttius Balbus, aediles, in the consulship of [Lucius D]uvius and Publius Clodius. (CIL X 826 = ILS 6383)

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, p. 136, E51.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this read

Martialis C(ai) Oli Primi

M(anius) Salarius Crocus

Primigenius C(ai) Oli Primi

min(istri) Fortunae Aug(ustae)

iussu

Q(uinti) Postumi Modesti C(ai) Vibi Secundi

d(uum)v(irorum) i(ure) d(icundo)

C(ai) Memmi Iuniani Q(uinti) Brutti Balbi aedil(ium)

[L(ucio) D]uvio P(ublio) Clodio co(n)s(ulibus)      [CIL X 826]

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3770.

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