VIII.5.37 Pompeii. Casa delle Pareti rosse or House of the Red Walls or House of the family Fabia.

Excavated 1832 and 1882.                                        Part 1.

 

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VIII.5.37 Pompeii. September 2006. Wall and possible blocked door. 

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. December 2007.   Vicolo delle Pareti Rosse, looking east. 

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance.

According to Della Corte, two electoral programmes written next to the doorway were attributed to indistinct members of the family Fabia:

Fabi rog(ant)  (3591):  Fabi rog(ant)  (3592)

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.257)

 

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

 

Iunianum  IIvir(um)

d(ignum)  r(ei)  p(ublicae)  Fabi  rog(ant)     [CIL IV 3591]

 

Laelium  Fuscum

d(uum)  v(irum)  i(ure)  d(icundo)

Fabi  rog(ant)         [CIL IV 3592]

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance and west side of atrium.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, atrium, looking north along west side.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, atrium, looking north across site of impluvium.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. December 2007. 

Looking north from entrance across atrium and remains of impluvium.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii.  Room 1, atrium, looking north across site of Impluvium.

Photographed 1970-79 by Günther Einhorn, picture courtesy of his son Ralf Einhorn.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, remains of impluvium in atrium. 

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, east side of atrium, looking north. 

 

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, east side of atrium.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, aedicula lararium in atrium. 

On the front of the podium was a painted round altar flanked by two serpents. 

On the altar Two eggs and a pine cone were painted on the altar.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (L96, T: 8,3).

According to Boyce, this aedicula lararium had paintings and statuettes when found.

The tympanum was white, bordered with a red stripe and painted on it were small gladiatorial arms.

In the middle a helmet, to the left greaves, and to the right a shield and above it a dagger.

Mau thought because of these paintings, the owner of the house may have been a retired gladiator.

On the back wall within the aedicula was the lararium painting consisting of Genius and two Lares.

When excavated, six bronze statuettes were found in this aedicula.

They were of Aesculapius, Apollo, Mercury, Hercules and the two Lares.

In addition to the statuettes, a bronze lamp with a crescent moon on its handle was also found.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.77, no.371, and Pl.31, 1 and 2).

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. 

South side of podium of lararium, with remains of painted plants decoration.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Aedicula lararium pediment.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Lararium.

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009. Lararium painting.

A Genius making an offering is flanked by two Lares.  Above are two garlands. 

The two columns were decorated with a red and yellow marble effect.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (L96, T: 8,3).

 

VIII.5.37 Pompeii. March 2009.

Lararium painting of the Genius with cornucopia and dressed in a toga making a sacrifice at the round altar.

On either side are two Lares dressed in blue tunics.

 

 

 

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