VI.4.1 Pompeii. Workshop or thermopolium. Farmacia, officina farmaceutica.

Taberna of a seplasarius or farmacista. House of the chemist.

Caupona of Olius Vulcentanus. Excavated 1804, 1809.

VI.4.1 Pompeii. May 2006. Looking south from junction of Via Consolare with Vicolo del Farmacista (on right).

VI.4.1 Pompeii. 1824 drawing showing façade, street shrine and snake painting.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei: Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot. (Pla. 6, fig. 2).

VI.4.1 Pompeii. 1822-4 painting by Paolo Fumagalli showing façade, street shrine and snake painting.

The painting has the title “Vue de l'Auberge dit d'Albino à Pompeia”.

The narrative in his book though describes clearly the hospitium of Albinus at VI.17.1.

See Fumagalli P. Pompeia, trattato pittorico, storico, e geometrico, opera disegnata negli anni 1824 al 1830, Firenze: Fumagalli, p. 37 and unnumbered picture.

Photo courtesy Thorvaldsensmuseum Copenhagen. Inventory number E550,50.

See photo on museum web site  CC0 dedicated to Public Domain

VI.4.1 Pompeii. May 2006. Entrance doorway with counter.

According to Curti, in 1818, in the face of the Via Domiziana [todays Via Consolare], on the corner of a triangular insula, was found a taberna of a seplasarius [a trader in perfumes and unguents] or a pharmacist. For exhibition, he had painted a large snake that bites a pine cone. The serpent was the attribute of Hygeia, the goddess of health, and of Aesculapius: it is still the emblem of today's [1873] pharmacies. In Pompeii, as we have noted elsewhere, it was valid for other purposes, and therefore would not have been enough to fix the designation of this taberna as a pharmaceutical workshop, where not found inside many other medicines, chemical preparations, pots with dried medicines and pills, spatulas, and a bronze box with compartments containing drugs, and a porphyry blade to spread and smooth the poultices.

See Curti P. A., 1873. Pompei e le sue rovine: Part 2. Napoli e Milano, p. 268.

According to Della Corte, this thermopolium or workshop was always described in the old bibliographies as an “officina farmaceutica”

Why?  Many chemical preparations and many jars with dried medicines and pills were found here.

As medical substances, they are unknown, however as the results have never been analysed.

The notion that it was an “officina farmaceutica”, however was, and stays, simply circumstantial.

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.42)

VI.4.1 Pompeii. May 2006. Two-sided marble counter without urns, but with hearth or oven.

According to Eschebach, this had a three-sided counter.

See Eschebach, L., 1993. Gebäudeverzeichnis und Stadtplan der antiken Stadt Pompeji. Köln: Böhlau. (p.166)

VI.4.1 Pompeii. May 2006. Looking south across counter towards rear room, and small room, on the right, possibly a latrine.

VI.4.1 Pompeii. May 2006.

Looking south-east from entrance, towards podium, linked to VI.4.2, and doorway to room in south-east corner, possibly a cubiculum.

VI.4.1 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking south from entrance at VI.4.2, towards rear room, possibly a cubiculum of VI.4.1.

VI.3 Pompeii, on left. September 2004. Looking south along Via Consolare with VI.4.1, on right.

VI.4.1 Pompeii. May 2006. Thermopolium and Vicolo del Farmacista from Via Consolare, looking south.

VI.17 Pompeii, on left. December 2006. Vicolo del Farmacista looking north to VI.3 on east side of Via Consolare.

On the right is the side wall of VI.4.1.