Pompeii: Houses

(Note direction of compass)

• Biggest house in Pompeii
• Intricate structure - thin corridors for slaves
• Named after fresco in peristyle of comic playwright Menander
  • shows culture, humour, education
  • Menander was known for his "maxims" about practical ways to live
• Had private baths, however they were out of use
  • areas had been walled off so hot air could not circulate
  • items were being stored there - so unlikely they intended to continue building the baths
• 4th Style decoration
  • can be seen on ceiling of Room 18 
• Impluvium was being repaired - brackets found in tablinium
• A small altar in Room 25 (appeared to be of regular use)
• Animal stable stored commercial quantities of amphorae
  • may have been the family business
• May not have been of single occupancy
  • Room 41 was a second atrium

• Characteristics of a typical Pompeii home 
• Had a biclinium (two seater dining area) 
  • more intimate
• Fresco of Pyrimus and Thisbe
  • represents devotion - like the owner's devotion to Isis
• On the other side of the fountain a fresco of Narcissus 
  • reminder that beauty fades
• Garden was used by the Cult of Isis
  • large trench down the middle represents the River Nile
  • Sphynx and other Egyptian decoration
  • garden had high walls and could only be seen once you entered the house - it was very secretive

• Made garum  (fish sauce) 
  • very expensive - 12 pints cost 1000 sesterces 
  • "No fluid except perfume begins to fetch as great a price" - Pliny the Elder
• Around the impluvium there were 4 advertisements:
  • "Scaurus' finest mackeral sauce from Scaurus' workshop"
  • "Finest fish sauce"
  • "Scaurus' finest mackerel sauce"
  • "Best fish puree from Scaurus' workshop"
• Scaurus Fish Sauce was famous - it was found in Southern France and other parts of the Roman Empire
• Adverts also found in Entrance 14 - this may have been the public entrance
• Entrance 15 - possible family entrance
• Entrance 13 - smaller, slave entrance
• Reported to have his own bath house