IX.7.25 Pompeii. Thermopolium, Popina, Hospitium of MM. Fabii Memor and Celer.

Linked to IX.7.24.  Excavated 1879, 1881.

Part 1.                                       Part 2

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005.

Looking south along fauces or entrance corridor,  in centre, and IX.7.24, on the right.

According to Mau, the doorway was capable of being closed in the evening by a beam slotted into the slits in the walls of the corridor on either side .

Another beam or girder would have leaned obliquely against the door and against the notched stone sunk into the flooring of the entrance corridor, at a distance of 1.70m from the lava threshold of the doorway.

The flooring of the corridor and the atrium was made from opus signinum made from crushed lava (lavapesta), instead of crushed brick or tile (cocciopesto).

The walls of the fauces, and the atrium were painted with a red background.

See Mau, in BdI, 1882 (p.177-8)

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking south from fauces or entrance corridor, across atrium to tablinum.

According to Della Corte, this spacious atrium, deprived of an upper floor, was adapted to the use of a hospitium and caupona.

The thermopolium, with the customary bench, was at number 24.

Here, the atrium, the kitchen, the two triclinia (installed in the tablinum and the ala), and various dormitories were destined for the use of a hotel.

Found in the atrium, was a graffito of a long list of foodstuffs, supplied to someone not known, but supplied on eight consecutive days.

This mentioned bread, wine, cheese, wine, oil, leeks, onions, beans, etc.  [CIL IV 5380]

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.197)

 

According to Cooley, the list seemed to record food, either sold or bought.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii : A Sourcebook. London : Routledge. (p.163)

 

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de), the graffito read as -

 

VIII Idus casium I

pane(m) VIII

oleum III

vinum III

VII Idus

pane(m) VIII

oleum V

cepas V /

pultarium I

pane(m) puero II

vinum II

VI Idus pane(m) VIII

puero pane(m) IV

halica III

V Idus

vinum domatori |(denarius)

pane(m) VIII vinum II casium II

IV Idus

Hxeres |(denarius) pane(m) II

femininum VIII

tri<t=D>icum |(denarius) I

bubella(m) I palmas I

thus I casium II

botellum I

casium molle(m) IV

oleum VII

Servato

montana |(denarius) I

oleum |(denarius) I VIIII

pane(m) IV casium IV

porrum I

pro patella I

sittule(m) VIIII

inltynium I

III Idus pane(m) II

pane(m) puero II

pri(die) Idus

puero pane(m) II

pane(m) cibar(em) II

oleum V

halica(m) III

domato[ri] pisciculum II       [CIL IV 5380]

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking south across atrium, with remains of impluvium.

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005.

North wall of cubiculum, on east side of entrance corridor.

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005. Floor in cubiculum on east side of entrance corridor.

According to Mau, this flooring was of opus signinum (cocciopesto) and was decorated with thin lines of little stars composed of white and black stones.

The area for the couch/bed was on the right of the entrance doorway, divided from the rest of the room by a line of white stones.

See Mau in BdI, 1882, (p.177)

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005. Kitchen, on east side of atrium. Looking east to unexcavated.

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005.

Remains of plaster decoration on south wall of room in south-east corner of atrium.

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005. Corridor on east side of tablinum, looking south.

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking south along corridor leading to garden area.

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005. West wall of garden area.

According to Jashemski, Mau had said on the south garden wall (not photographed here), to the right (west) of the door leading to a back room, there was a painting of a kind of pavilion.

This was formed by four columns in which stood a large crater fountain (79cm high).

It was decorated with plant and animal motifs in high relief.

The jetting water fell back into the crater from a height of about 20cm.

Fortunately, Tatiana Warscher had photographed the now-destroyed detail.

She said this was found “at the base of the middle of the garden wall”.

Nothing remains today.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (No.96 on p.366).

The Tatiana Warscher photograph can be seen on page 367, fig.430 of the same book.

Jashemski also included a mosaic fountain at IX.7.25, that we have included in IX.7.20, see Pt. 4.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.242).

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.89, no.446, he gives the location as IX.7.?)

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking into unexcavated area from IX.7.25

 

IX.7.20 from small room on south side of garden in IX.7.25. May 2005.

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005.

Looking south in tablinum, with doorway in west wall to a small room or cupboard.

According to Mau, when this house was being used as a hospitium, both the tablinum and ala were probably used as triclinia.

However, he conceded that in this tablinum, the couches would have made access to the small room on the right very difficult.

The rear wall of the tablinum was painted with a white background in the middle, with red on either sides.

A painted flying cupid could be seen on the white background, with a thyrsus on the left, and cantharus on the right, on its back it had a red cloak.

See Mau in BdI, 1882, (p.177 & 179)

 

IX.7.25 Pompeii. May 2005.

South-east corner of cubiculum, on west side of tablinum, with recess.

 

 

 

 

Part 2