VIII.3.4 Pompeii. Casa di Ercole ed Auge or House of the Popidii.

Linked to VIII.3.6. Excavated 1816 and 1838. (Strada del Abbondanza 4).

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VIII.3.4 Pompeii, on left, and VIII.3.3, on right. December 2018. Looking south to entrance doorways. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2018. Looking east along Via dell’Abbondanza from entrance doorway, on right.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. May 2024. Entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii.

Dedication of Vibio Popidio on limestone block found outside in Via dell’Abbondanza, 1838, written in Oscan alphabet.

Naples Museum translates this as:

“Vibius Popidius (son of) Vibius, public meddix, had this portico made. He approved it himself.”

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inv. 2543 (Vetter 13). Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. Information card from Naples Archaeological Museum, photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella, June 2017.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance.

According to Della Corte, these walls had many recommendations mentioning the Popidi found on them at the front of the entrance. One of them being

Helvium  Sabinum

aed(ilem

Popidi(us)  rog(at)      [CIL IV 705]

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.227).

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. May 2024.

Looking south towards east side of atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. October 2023.

Looking south across atrium from entrance corridor/fauces. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. October 2022.

Looking south across atrium from entrance corridor/fauces. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. May 2024. Looking south across atrium from entrance corridor/fauces. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking south across atrium from entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking south from fauces. 

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Floor decoration on east side of fauces, looking north.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. c.1930. Looking north along east side of vestibule/entrance corridor.

The flooring of cocciopesto contained white tesserae that dotted the “carpet” of cocciopesto.

Towards the atrium, it ended with a threshold decorated with meanders.

DAIR 41.737. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

See Pernice, E.  1938. Pavimente und Figürliche Mosaiken: Die Hellenistische Kunst in Pompeji, Band VI. Berlin: de Gruyter, (taf. 41.3)

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, staircase to upper floor, and small room.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorways to rooms 1, 2 and 3 on east side of atrium.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, east wall of cubiculum, with painted plaster.

This room might have contained the wall painting of Dionysus & Silenus,

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

According to Fiorelli,

“.... e nel secondo (cubicoli) oltre alcuni bustini rinchiusi da circoli, un quadretto esprimente Bacco poggiato alle spalle di Sileno; che suona la lira, in atto di versare con l’altro mano il cantaro sulla pantera che gli sta ai piedi.”

(trans: and in the second (cubiculum on the left of the atrium) other than some heads enclosed by circles, a painting showing Bacchus leaning on the shoulder of Silenus; who plays the lyre, in the attitude of pouring with the other hand the cantharus onto the panther who is at his feet.)

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.123)

According to PPM, the painting of Dionysus & Silenus was found in the atrium, but today, has faded and disappeared from the walls.

It has been wrongly identified with a painting in Helbig (H,395b) in which Silenus was described as seen playing a tambourine.

Whereas Schultz affirms that in the painting Silenus was playing the lyre.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.357).

See Annali dell’Instituto di corrispondenza archeologica (DAIR), 1838, Schultz, p.201

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1841, Schultz, p.119-120.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. Drawing by Giuseppe Abbate, of a painting showing Bacchus with Silenus playing the lyre.

This drawing shows the correct position of the group.

The wording on the lower left reads “Pompeii, painting found in a “Botteca” in the street known as “of M. Olconio”.

According to the ICCD scheda for this drawing it is from VIII.3.2 and was cut out and is now in Naples Museum (9269).

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 862.

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)

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. Drawing by Giuseppe Abbate of painting of Bacchus with Silenus playing the lyre.

According to the ICCD scheda for this drawing it is from VIII.3.2 and was cut out and is now in Naples Museum (9269).

The drawing in the centre is however reversed from ADS 862.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 861.

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)

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. Old undated photo of painting of Bacchus with Silenus playing the lyre.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9269.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. 1825. Drawing by Maldarelli of painting of Bacchus with Silenus playing the lyre.

See Real Museo Borbonico Vol. II, 1825, Tav. XXXV.

This drawing was reproduced by Roux in 1840 (and 1870).

See Roux, H., 1840. Herculanem et Pompei recueil général des Peintures, Bronzes, Mosaïques : Tome 3. Paris : Didot.  Pl. 112.

VIII.3.4 or V.1.7 Pompeii?

Drawing by Giuseppe Abbate, 1843, of painting of Bacchus with Silenus playing the tambourine.

According to the ICCD Scheda, “La collocazione della pittura raffigurata nel disegno nella Casa di Ercole e Auge a Pompei (VIII 3, 4) non è sicura.”

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 811.

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)

According to PPM this has been wrongly identified with this house as Silenus was originally identified as playing a lyre.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 357.

The wording below the drawing reads –

“Painting excavated in the presence of Duke d’Omal in a house before the crossroads of the Strada della Fortuna”

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

According to Mary Harrsch [email], “I read your reference to a drawing of Dionysos and Silenus playing a tambourine where you pointed out that the fresco was misidentified as one within the Casa di Ercole ed Auge and mentioned it was recorded "Painting excavated in the presence of Duke d’Omal in a house before the crossroads of the Strada della Fortuna." Recently, I wrote an article about the House of the (Bronze) Bull and while researching that site, I translated the section of PAH volume 2 that described the excavation (according to the Swedish Pompeii Project), and each time the excavators appeared to be discussing the work there, they referred to the location as "before the crossroads of the Strada della Fortuna”. The PAH also describes multiple visits by nobility. So, I think that fresco was found in what is now known as the House of the Bull (V.1.7)”.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 3, ala, looking east.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway in south wall of ala, to room 4, triclinium

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. East wall of room 4, triclinium, and doorway to corridor leading to VIII.3.6

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 5, tablinum, looking south to garden area.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 6, ala, in foreground, and doorway to small room or cupboard, at rear.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 7, oecus.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 7, west wall of oecus. 

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 8, cubiculum.

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 8, west wall of cubiculum. 

VIII.3.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 9, tetrastyle atrium. Looking south-east across site of impluvium.

Part 2      Part 3