VII.3.29 Pompeii.  Domus M. Spuri Mesoris or House of M. Spurius Mesor.

Excavated 1868.

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VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 11, north wall of room next to tablinum.  

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 11, south wall of room next to tablinum. 

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009.

Room 1, looking east across atrium. Rooms on east side, doorways to rooms 12, 13 and 14.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. 

Doorway to room 12, corridor leading to garden area (not accessable)

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009.

Room 12, looking east along corridor. Remains of painted plaster on south wall.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 12, corridor. Looking east.

On the east side of the corridor was the garden area.

According to Boyce, in the south-west corner of the portico of the garden was a semi-circular niche.

Its vaulted ceiling was adorned with a painted shell.

Painted on the wall above the niche was a pediment and below it a single serpent beside an altar.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.65, no: 270, Pl. 4,1)

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 12, north wall of corridor with doorway to garden area (no access).

In this area were also a large exedra or triclinium, another triclinium and a niche shrine.

According to Richardson, the best rooms of the house were the pair of dining rooms opening onto a small garden.

These opened off a small square area that contained the lararial niche.

One of the triclinia opened directly to the garden by a large window with a low sill and had fine black and red decoration.

The decoration was once very fine with large paintings in the centre panels, and delicate architecture in the upper zone.

Only ruins of this now remain but drawings were made of it when it was freshly excavated.

Two paintings were taken to Naples Museum, inventory numbers 120085 and 120086.

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: (p. 101 no: 548 – 120085, and p.126 no: 616 – 120086)

See Richardson, L., 1988. Pompeii: an Architectural History. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. (p. 222-3)

One of the triclinia had a mosaic set into its floor with the name M. SPVRIVS MESOR.

According to Della Corte, he thought possibly M. Spurius Mesor (or Mensor) was not the owner, but a mosaicist that worked there and signed his work.

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.148)

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. Drawing of about 1880, of wall painting from the south wall of the triclinium.

Wall painting now in Naples Museum. Inventory number 120086.

According to Sogliano, Heydemann thought the painting was of Hercules.

Helbig proposed  that the painting represented Achilles at the altar of Diana.

Brizio recognised the atonement of Oreste after killing his mother.

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: (p. 101 no: 548 – 120085, and p.126 no: 616 – 120086)

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 13, ala on east side of atrium. 

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 13, ala, looking east.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 14, cubiculum.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 14, cubiculum. 

East wall with recess.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 15, kitchen and latrine.

Looking south.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009.

Room 15, east wall of kitchen, with downpipe in south-east corner.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 15, kitchen and latrine.

Small door to area under the stairs to upper floor.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 16, in foreground, stairs to upper floor. 

In background, small door from kitchen to area under stairs.

 

VII.3.29 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 16, stairs to upper floor.

 

 

Part 1

 

Part 2      Part 3      Plan (Opens in separate window)