VI.14.38 Pompeii. Casa di C. Poppaeus Firmus.

Excavated 1834, 1845, 1874. Bombed in 1943.

 

Wall between VI.14.37 and VI.14.38 on Vicolo dei Vettii. December 2007. Looking north.

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. December 2007.Entrance doorway.

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance doorway.

According to Cooley, the translation of an electoral recommendation found here, read –

Helvius Sabinus an honest young man    [CIL IV 6684]

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii : A Sourcebook. London : Routledge. (p.120)

 

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

Helvium Sab[inum]

iuvenem pro[bum]       [CIL IV 6684]

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. December 2007.

Looking east across atrium, tablinum and peristyle, from entrance doorway.

According to Garcia y Garcia, this house was badly hit by the 1943 bombing.

It caused the destruction of the atrium floor, including the impluvium and the marble table.

Also destroyed were the two rooms nearby on the north side of the atrium with their decoration, the south wall of the peristyle and the loss of the IV Style painted plaster in two rooms adjacent to the north-east of this.

The stucco of four of the columns in the peristyle also collapsed.

Today the house still appears a complete ruin.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.91-93, incl. photos).

 

According to Schefold, found in the ala on the north side of the atrium, room (e), was a painting of Pindar, Myrtis and Korinna.

See Schefold, K., 1962. Vergessenes Pompeji. Bern: Francke. ( p.82 and Picture on 55,1)

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: Giannini. (p. 132, no. 644, described as a musical contest).

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking east from entrance corridor.

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. December 2007. Site of tablinum, and peristyle, looking east to rear rooms.

Jashemski reported that the middle panel of the right (south) wall of the tablinum, instead of having the usual large painting, was plain yellow and contained a small garden scene.

This was reported but not described by Mau.

The left (north) wall was almost completely destroyed at the time of the eruption.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.398, with ref: Mau, BdI (1878), p.115)

 

According to Jashemski, the peristyle garden at the rear of the tablinum would have been visible from the entrance.

The tablinum would have been completely open on both its east and west ends.

The garden was enclosed on the north, west and south sides by a portico, supported at the time of the eruption by nine columns.

There was a cistern opening without a puteal on both the north and south sides between the two west columns.

In the garden were two marble table supports, and a monopodium without the basin which it probably supported.

In the south-west corner of the peristyle were the ruins of an arched niche.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.150-51)

 

According to Boyce, in the south-west corner of the peristyle were the ruins of an arched niche, with heavy projecting floor.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.53, no.205)

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico.  Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.275)

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. December 2007. North-east corner of peristyle, and rear rooms.

According to Della Corte, this other commodious and ample dwelling of another member of the same family, C. Poppaeus Firmus, was proved by finding his name on an amphora in the peristyle. It read –

C. Poppaeo Firmo      [CIL IV 5880]

 and then another amphora, with the name of this same citizen expressed by only initials -

C. P(oppaeo) F(irmo)      [CIL IV 6153] 

 and then another, which Della Corte thought was wrongly attributed as being from the house to the east. This read –

C. P(oppaeo) Fir(mo)      [CIL IV 5881]

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.83)

 

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

 

C(aio) Poppaeo Firmo    [CIL IV 5880]

 

P LXXV PT XIII

C(ai) P() F()     [CIL IV 6153] 

 

C(ai) P(oppaei) Fir(mi)     [CIL IV 5881]

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii, Looking north to rooms at rear (east) of peristyle, in background. 

VI.14.39 is in foreground looking north into rear rooms. Taken from VI.14.22. December 2007.

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. December 2007.

Looking across to atrium of VI.14.39, Casa Lucrum Gaudium, also bombed in 1943.

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. December 2007.

Looking across area of two houses VI.14.38 and 39, destroyed by bombing in 1943.

 

VI.14.38 Pompeii. Looking west, from rear, across cork model in Naples Archaeological Museum.