I.4.25 Pompeii. Domus L. Rapinasi Optati and I.4.5 Casa del Citarista or House of the Citharist or Casa di Apollo citaredo or House of the Lyre Player or Domus L Popidius Secundus (Augustianus).

Linked to 1.4.5 and I.4.28. Excavated 1853-1861, 1868, 1872 and 1929.

Middle peristyle 17, rooms 45, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 30, and 31, (14, 16, 15, 18 are in Middle 17, West).  

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6      Part 7      Part 8

Entrance Atrium 47      Atrium 6 West      Lower Peristyle      Middle Peristyle      Middle Peristyle West      Upper Peristyle      Service and Baths areas

We have combined the pictures of I.4.5 and 1.4.25 here.  Combined room plan

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007.

Doorway to room 20, the cubiculum of Mars and Venus with antechamber at the front.

I.4.25 Pompeii. October 2019.

Room 20, antechamber, looking into north-east corner, with doorway to room 19, on left, and room 20, cubiculum, on right.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20/19, detail of threshold of doorway in north wall of antechamber into room 19.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20/19, detail from west side of doorway of antechamber, into room 19.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. October 2019.

Room 20/19, detail of remaining mosaic flooring in centre of doorway threshold.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20/19, detail of mosaic on east side of doorway threshold of antechamber into room 19.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. October 2019.

Room 20, antechamber, looking into south-east corner, with doorway to room 20, cubiculum, on left, and across room 21, on right.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 20, antechamber, flooring in south-east corner.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 20, antechamber, detail of flooring in south-east corner.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2006. Room 20, north wall of cubiculum of Mars and Venus.

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20, looking towards north wall of cubiculum.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20, north wall in north-west corner of cubiculum.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20, centre of north wall in cubiculum, site of wall painting.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2004.

Room 20, north wall of cubiculum of Mars and Venus. Copy of painting of the Love of Mars and Venus.

I.4.25 Pompeii. May 2001.

Room 20, north wall of cubiculum of Mars and Venus. Painting of the Love of Mars and Venus.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 112282.

I.4.25 Pompeii. May 2001.

Room 20, north wall of cubiculum of Mars and Venus. Detail from painting of the Love of Mars and Venus.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 112282.

Photograph by Stefano Bolognini (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons.

I.4.25 Pompeii. c.1867, photograph by G. Sommer. Room 20, north wall of cubiculum of Mars and Venus.

Detail from painting of the Love of Mars and Venus. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

I.4.25 Pompeii. Stereoview by Sommer and Behles, c.1867. Marte e Venere Fresco. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

On the rear of the stereoview is a handwritten note –

“Showing frescoe painting in the House of Diomedes in the ruins of Pompeii. Visited June 22nd, 1867.”

The fresco is now in Naples Archaeological Museum and was originally from 1.4.25 and not the House of Diomedes. 

I.4.25 Pompeii. Room 20, north wall of cubiculum of Mars and Venus.

Drawing by Nicola La Volpe, of a painting of a couple, perhaps showing Aphrodite with a lover, or Enea and Didone?.

This painting was wrongly described as lost by Helbig, but is now in the Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 112282.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 18.

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)

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019.

Room 20, looking towards upper walls in north-east corner of cubiculum

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20, looking towards north wall at east end in cubiculum.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20, looking towards east wall in cubiculum.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2006. Room 20, east wall of cubiculum of Mars and Venus.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2004. Copy of a painting on east wall of room 20, cubiculum of Mars and Venus.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 111472.

Variously interpreted as Apollo and Poseidon at the court of Laomedon, King of Troy or

Achilles and Phoenix guarding the wounded Greek hero Telephus.

I.4.25 Pompeii. Room 20, east wall of cubiculum.

Drawing by Nicola La Volpe, of wall painting of an uncertain subject, seen on east wall.

This was detached from the wall and sent to Naples Museum, inventory number 111472.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, (1401).

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 21.

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)

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20, looking towards south wall of cubiculum

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019. Room 20, flooring in cubiculum.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.5 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 20, detail of flooring in cubiculum.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.5 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 20, flooring detail in cubiculum.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.5 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 20, detail of cubiculum flooring.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2006.

Room 20, south wall of cubiculum of Mars and Venus. This used to show the legend of Leda and the Swan.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 120034.

I.4.25 Pompeii. Stereoview by Sommer and Behles, c.1860-1870, showing wall painting from the south wall of room 20.

The stereoview is titled Sacerdotessa di Venere – Priestess of Venus.

According to PPM it represents Leda and the Swan.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 120034.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

According to PPM, the painting depicts the Swan (Jupiter) at the moment in which, frightened by the Eagle, it is about to take refuge in the garment of Nemesis who is making a sacrifice, assisted by two servants. The swan perched on the altar, stretches its neck toward Nemesis, whose head is veiled and who is wearing matronly garments, who will be substituted by Leda who will conceive Helen [of Troy] and the Dioscuri, [Castor and Pollux]. The female statue by the swan holds a Baetylus (also Bethel, or Betyl) a sacred stone, which was supposedly endowed with life. The female statue on the right is holding a plate and a dove, the symbols of Venus, as is the underlying basin with two doves.

The architecture visible in the painting has many points in common with the Doric temple in the Triangular Forum.

See Carratelli, G. P.et al, 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. I.  Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italian, p. 150-2.

I.4.25 Pompeii. Room 20, south wall of cubiculum. Drawing by Nicola La Volpe of painting of Leda and the Swan.

The painting was detached from the wall and is now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 120034.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, (152).

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 17.

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)

I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019.

Room 20, looking west across cubiculum, into antechamber, and out onto Middle Peristyle 17.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. May 2017. Looking towards east side of middle peristyle 17. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2004. South-east corner of middle peristyle 17.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007. Middle peristyle 17.

Reproduction picture above doorway in eastern end leading to antechamber of room 20.

Original Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9610.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007. Middle peristyle 17.

River landscape from above doorway in eastern end leading to antechamber of room 20.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9610.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1911 Taf. VI, 2.

I.4.25 Pompeii1975. Middle peristyle 17.

Part of river landscape from above doorway in eastern end leading to antechamber of room 20.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9610.

Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J75f0558

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007. Middle peristyle.

Reproduction picture above second doorway in eastern end leading to antechamber of room 20.

Original Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9496.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007. Middle peristyle 17.

Landscape from above doorway in eastern end leading to antechamber of room 20.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9496.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1911 Taf. VI, 1.

I.4.25 Pompeii. 1975. Middle peristyle 17. Part of landscape from above doorway in eastern end leading to antechamber of room 20.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9496.

Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

J75f0556

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007. Cistern mouth in east side of middle peristyle 17.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2004. Middle peristyle 17, looking east towards oecus at rear.

Lower peristyle is visible through the door on right and all of the six windows.

I.4.25 Pompeii. c.1900. Looking west across upper peristyle, with middle peristyle 17, on the left.

In the top right is the Via dell’Abbondanza leading to the Forum. Top left is the Large Theatre. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

I.4.25 Pompeii. Image by G. Sommer, c.1867.

Looking west across middle peristyle 17, on left, and upper peristyle 56, on right. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

I.4.25 Pompeii. c.1900. Looking west across the three peristyles. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6      Part 7      Part 8

Entrance Atrium 47      Atrium 6 West      Lower Peristyle      Middle Peristyle      Middle Peristyle West      Upper Peristyle      Service and Baths areas

Combined room plan