VII.7.32 Pompeii. Tempio di Apollo or Temple of Apollo.

Excavated 1817.

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6      Part 7      Part 8      Part 9      Part 10      Part 11      Part 12      Part 13

The Temple had previously been named individually for Bacco - Bacchus, Venere - Venus, Ceres or Mercurio – Mercury (also with Maia) until finally identified as that of Apollo.

See Van der Poel, H. B., 1983. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part II. Austin: University of Texas, pp. 284-5.

According to Gell –

“It had heretofore been called the Houses of the Dwarfs, from many paintings exhibiting short deformed species of monsters bearing some resemblance to the human shape, having been found upon the walls; but subsequent excavations have laid open an enclosed space surrounded by a portico of columns with a raised Temple in the midst of the area.”

See Gell, W, and Gandy J. P., 1821. Pompeiana: 2nd edition. London: Rodwell and Martin, p. 17.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. 2016/2017.

Model of Temple of Apollo, lower centre, from model in Naples Archaeological Museum.

Above it, in the centre, is the Forum, on the right is the Basilica. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella

VII.7.32 Pompeii. July 2021. Looking north to entrance doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking north to entrance doorway.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Entrance doorway on north side of Via Marina.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking north towards west side of doorway on Via Marina.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. West side of doorway.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. April 2019. Entrance step and threshold. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking towards east side of doorway and along exterior south wall.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. East side of doorway.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking east along doorway threshold on Via Marina.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018.

Looking east along pavement/flooring towards Forum, from outside Temple.   

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking north to threshold of doorway from Via Marina.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking south to interior of doorway threshold, at east end of doorway.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking north across doorway threshold.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Doorway threshold.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Doorway threshold at west end of doorway.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking east along interior of doorway threshold.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance doorway on Via Marina.

According to Cooke, Cockburn and Donaldson:

“However splendid in their general arrangements, the columns of the peribolus (precinct) are capricious in taste and decoration.

The capitals are of stucco, of the Corinthian order, with a single row of leaves covering a capital originally Doric; the entablature is of tufo, once Doric, but converted to accord with the capital by a thick coat of plaster, in a grotesque style and painted.

The walls of the court are covered with paintings of the most interesting description.

They are in vivid colours and represent generally landscapes, views of country houses, interiors of rooms with male and female figures; in several compositions figures are drawn sporting among themselves, sacrificing to Priapus, contending with crocodiles, or occupied in domestic duties; nor must we omit a painting of Hector tied to the car of Achilles, and one of Agamemnon and Achilles.

The sanctuary itself now presents only its four dark walls, raised on an elevated and dismantled basement, in former times enriched with marbles; the portico completely surrounded the cella, having six columns in front, and in all probability eleven on the flanks, agreeing in this respect with the rules of Vitruvius.

Inside is the rough construction for the altar, and the pavement is a very elegant mosaic, the centre compartment consisting of green, white and black marbles, and the border of a Greek meander of black, white and red mosaic.

The walls, as well as the steps, retain every appearance of the fatal effects of the earthquake, being shattered, out of level, and displaced.

At the end of the court, opposite the entrance, is a small chamber, which possesses an invaluable picture of Bacchus and Silenus, the former holding the thyrsus in one hand and a vase in the other; Silenus appears with his lyre instructing the god. A small niche is in the wall, apparently for the reception of a statue or lares.”

See Cooke, Cockburn, Donaldson: Pompeii, Pt 1, 1827, (p.55)

VII.7.32 Pompeii. Painting by Francesco Morelli, of wall in small room with painting of Bacchus and Silenus.

In this version, there is a cupid to the left of Bacchus, and not a panther (or a billy-goat, see below).

There are also differences in the medallions, the architectural paintings, and the painted plants.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 1199.

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)

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, (395).

See Carratelli, G. P., 2003. Pompei: La documentazione nell'Opera di disegnatori e pittori dei secoli XVIII e XIX. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 113 and 115.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. 1825 drawing of the painting of Bacchus and Silenus. Small room at the rear of the temple.

Bacchus was holding the thyrsus in one hand and an upended cup in the other, with the panther below.

Silenus was playing his lyre for the god, with a basket of fruit by his feet.

See Real Museo Borbonico II, 1825, pl. 35.

According to Garcia y Garcia, this painting is now held at the Naples Museum, inventory number 9269.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.112).

According to the ICCD Scheda for a similar drawing ADS 831 the painting that was cut out and is now in Naples Museum (9269) was from VIII.3.2.

VII.7.30/32 Pompeii. 1852 drawing by Gell of the painting of Bacchus and Silenus. Small room at the rear of the temple.

According to Kuivalainen: There are four 19th century versions of this painting, with only minor differences between them.

The basic composition is with two persons.

An almost naked youth with a cloak around his arms and wearing boots stands in the middle, leaning on the shoulder of Silenus, who plays the lyre; the youth pours wine from a cantharus in his right hand. In the foreground, on the left, sits a panther with left foreleg raised (in three versions, interpreted as a winged cupid in one) drinking the wine.

In the background, a landscape with rocks and a vine, on the right side a basket full of fruit and a crater on a short pillar.

Gell claims that the painting "had been anciently removed from another situation" and neatly fastened.

The drawing published by Gell is not as precise as the one by Bechi.

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, p. 168.

VII.7.30/32 Pompeii. 1884 plan of temple by Overbeck (with north to the right).

The small room "x" at the rear of the temple was the site of the painting of Bacchus and Silenus.

See Overbeck J., 1884. Pompeji in seinen Gebäuden, Alterthümen und Kunstwerken. Leipzig: Engelmann, fig. 49, p. 96.

VII.7.32 Pompeii, on right. March 2019. Looking west along Via Marina between VIII.1.2, on left, and VII.7.32, on right.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii, on left. March 2019.

Looking east along Via Marina towards the Forum, between VII.7.32, on left, and VIII.1, on right. 

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2019. East side of entrance doorway on Via Marina.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2019. East side of entrance doorway on Via Marina.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. East side of entrance doorway, looking north on Via Marina.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2019. East wall at side of entrance doorway on Via Marina.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2009. East wall at side of entrance doorway on Via Marina.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Remains of plaster on east wall at side of entrance doorway.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2009. Remains of plaster on east wall at side of entrance doorway.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2019. Remains of plaster on east wall at side of entrance doorway.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of pavement on east side of entrance doorway.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2009. Remains of plaster on east wall at side of entrance doorway.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail from pavement on east side of entrance doorway.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. South exterior wall of Temple, remaining stucco decoration towards east end.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Detail of remaining stucco decoration towards east end of south wall.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. East end of exterior south wall of Temple.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2019.

Looking north to corner junction between Via Marina, on left, and Forum (wall of Temple of Apollo), on right.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018.

Looking north to corner pilaster in south-east corner of Temple, with Forum, on right.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018. Looking west from Forum towards south-east corner of Temple.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32, Pompeii. South-east corner of Temple, on the left is the south face of the corner pilaster.

On the right, with graffiti, is the east face of the corner pilaster.

See Mau A., 1879. Pompejanische Beiträge. Berlin: Reimer, Tav. I.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. September 2018.

Looking west to south-east corner pilaster of Temple, along Via Marina from the Forum.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.7.32 Pompeii. March 2009. White insert in road surface in Via Marina, outside Temple entrance.

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6      Part 7      Part 8      Part 9      Part 10      Part 11      Part 12      Part 13