VII.5.15 Pompeii. Shop known as Bottega del venditor di latte.

Excavated 1823. Now part of modern restaurant.

VII.5.15 Pompeii on left, and VII.5.16 on right. December 2018.

Looking north to square recess/niche in pilaster between blocked doorways. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VII.5.15 Pompeii. October 2017. Looking north to site of entrance doorway, with square niche in pilaster on east side.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.5.15/VII.5.16 Pompeii. December 2018. Detail of niche.

Looking north to square recess/niche in pilaster between blocked doorways.

Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VII.5.15 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking north towards site of doorway to shop.

According to Garcia y Garcia, all of the south-west corner and southern part of the insula were transformed in the time of Maiuri.

Then the area was hit during the first bombing incursion during the early evening (17.00hrs) of 13th September 1943.

All of the old structures that remained have been modified again to provide a restaurant, toilets and sales area.

The modifications included closing and bricking up of the old doorways to VII.5.14, 15, 16 and 17.

Entrances at VII.5.18, 19 and 20 now provide the doorways to the modern restaurant.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.101-3).

According to Fiorelli, this was a shop with two rooms, in the first room was the lararium, in the second room was a vast latrine.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.96)

According to Boyce, in the main room was a lararium painting on a white background.

Either side of an altar stood the Genius and the tibicen, both of the same size, behind the Genius was a large cock.

On each side of this group stood a Lar of larger stature than the Genius, wearing green and yellow tunics with red pallium.

In the zone below were two serpents moving towards an altar furnished with offerings.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p. 67, no.285).

VII.5.15 Pompeii, on right. Between 1819 and 1832, sketch by W. Gell showing position of fresco of gladiators.

"Thermopolion opposite back front of Temple of Jupiter".

On L or W side of this pier

MARCELLVM ET CELSINVM AED

NOVICI CAVLO FAC

See Gell, W. Pompeii unpublished [Dessins de l'édition de 1832 donnant le résultat des fouilles post 1819 (?)] vol II, pl. 72.

Bibliothèque de l'Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art, collections Jacques Doucet, Identifiant numérique Num MS180 (2).

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On the pilaster between VII.5.14 and VII.5.15, a painting of two gladiators was found in April 1817.

Remaining on the pilaster, it gradually faded. Fiorelli said it was almost vanished when he saw it.  

See Jacobelli, L., 2003. Gladiators at Pompeii. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p. 79)

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1513)

Below the painting of the gladiators were inscriptions painted in red, found 12th April 1818 (or 1817) –

Tetraites  Prudes  Prudes  l(udes)  XIIX  Tetraites  l(udes)  X[…]

abiat  Venere  <P=B>ompei{i}ana( !)  iratum  qui  hoc  laesaerit     [CIL IV 538]

Marcellum  aed(ilem)  EAMH()  roga(t)     [CIL IV 539]

See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi.  (p.116)

According to Frohlich, between the entrances of VII.4.14 and 15 was a painting of gladiators, now destroyed.

Above the pair of gladiators in the background, written in small letters was TETRAITES AND PRUDES.

In the foreground, over the winner in large letters -  PRUDES – L XIIX. Over the loser was TETRAITES L X. 

A third inscription, in small white letters painted on a red line, - Abiate Venere Bompeiana Iratum qui hoc laesaerit.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (F50) 

According to Varone, painted on the border of a picture representing gladiators in combat, on the wall between entrances 14 and 15 was

“May he who vandalises this picture incur the wrath of Pompeian Venus”.

The above would be the english translation of “Abiate Venere Bompeiana iratum qui hoc laesaerit”.  [CIL IV 538]

See Varone, A., 2002. Erotica Pompeiana: Love Inscriptions on the Walls of Pompeii, Rome: L’erma di Bretschneider. (p.25)

VII.5.15 Pompeii. PAH 3, p.11: 12th April 1817: (but also duplicated and slightly changed in the last line MARCELLIVM.AED.ENMI ROGA, dated 12th April 1818, (p.14):

According to the Giornale, on this day a painting was discovered which showed a group of gladiators.

This was found on a pilaster at the back of the Temple of Jupiter in a nearby vicolo.

Written above the painting in red, was -

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

Tetraites Prudes Prudes l(udes) XIIX Tetraites l(udes) X[3]    [CIL IV 538 (part)]

Below the painting was –

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

(h)abiat Venere <P=B>ompei{i}ana iratam qui hoc laesaerit    [CIL IV 538 (part)]

Even lower below the painting also written in red, was –

According to the Epigraphic database Roma this reads

Marcellum âêd(ilem) EAMI roga(t)   [CIL IV 539]

M. Casellius Marcellus, was a candidate for aedile for the years 76-78, p. Chr., one known to us from 170 (certain) and 10 (dubious) painted pompeian inscriptions.

VII.5.15 Pompeii. c.1819 description from W. Gell “from houses opposite the great North door of Forum”.

Above the inscription MARCELLVM….ROGA is a ruined picture. Gladiator with broken sword killing a person as it seems with a shield another comes to save him.

L in a canton(?) at top 2 other figures in a picture vidi(?) on the frame of the picture above is […. Graffiti]

See Gell W & Gandy, J.P: Pompeii published 1819 [Dessins publiés dans l'ouvrage de Sir William Gell et John P. Gandy, Pompeiana: the topography, edifices and ornaments of Pompei, 1817-1819], pl. 69 verso.

See book in Bibliothèque de l'Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art [France], collections Jacques Doucet Gell Dessins 1817-1819

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VII.5.14/15 Pompeii. October 2017. Pilaster between entrances.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.