VII.5.24 Pompeii. Terme del Foro or Forum Baths.

Entrance to men’s baths and portico. Excavated 1823.

Part 1     Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6

Other parts of the baths:   VII.5.2      VII.5.7      VII.5.8      VII.5.10      VII.5.12      VII.6.17      VII.6.18      Forum Baths Plan

VII.5.24 Pompeii. December 2005. Forum Baths entrance (12 on plan).

This leads to the men’s baths and the courtyard with portico (see plan).

According to Fiorelli-

VII.5.18-29. One sees a series of large shops topped with higher floors, amongst which was the doorway leading to the garden of the Men’s Baths.

They have no particularity of construction, but were found rich in objects, some of which would have fallen from the upper floors.

(Vedesi una serie di grandi botteghe gia sormontate da altro piano, tra le quali era l’adito (n.24) portante al giardino al bagno virile. Esse non hanno particolarita di costruzione, ma furon trovate ricche di oggetti, alcuni dei quali caduti dai cenacoli superiori.)

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.96).

VII.5.24 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance corridor (10), looking west.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. One of two identical inscribed travertine plaques found in different parts of the building.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3836.

Secondo Fiorelli: Un titolo ripetuto in due lastre di travertino, rinvenute nell'ambito dell'edificio, ma in luogo diverso da quello ove prima erasi collocato, ne die i nomi del duomviro e degli edili che presiedettero all'opera, fatto per decreto dei decurioni a pubbliche spese:

According to Fiorelli: A title repeated in two travertine slabs, found within the building, but in a different place from the one where it was previously located, the names of the duumvirs and of the aediles who presided over the work, carried out by decree of the decurions at public expense.

L CAESIVS C F D V I D

C OCCIVS M F      IIV

L NIRAEMIVS A F

D D S EX PEQ PVBL

FAC CVRAR PROB Q.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this expands to read

L(ucius) Caesius C(ai) f(ilius) d(uum)v(ir) i(ure) d(icundo)

C(aius) Occius M(arci) f(ilius)

L(ucius) Niraemius A(uli) f(ilius) IIv(iri)

d(e) d(ecurionum) s(ententia) ex pe<c=Q>(unia) publ(ica)

fac(iendum) cura(ve)r(unt) prob(averunt)que      [CIL X 819]

VII.5.24 Pompeii. Second of two identical inscribed travertine plaques found in different parts of the building.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3837.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. December 2007. Corner of entrance corridor (10), turning south. Latrine (11) is on right.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. December 2007. End of entrance corridor (10), turning west into courtyard (5).

VII.5.24 Pompeii. March 2009.  Looking south-west across courtyard (5).

The courtyard was enclosed by a portico (7) supported by columns on the west and north, and by brick pillars supporting arches on the east.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.183)

VII.5.24 Pompeii. Looking south-west across courtyard (5) and restaurant in portico (7).

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

VII.5.24 Pompeii. 1968.  Restaurant in portico of Forum Baths, looking west. 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.

J68f0580

VII.5.24 Pompeii. November 1966. Looking south-west across courtyard (5). Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

A rainwater channel (6) ran around the courtyard to take the water from the portico (7).

According to Fiorelli –

In the south-west corner was another exit from the Baths, having a very large latrine nearby.

(This would have led to present-day entrance at VII.5.12 in the Vicolo delle Terme).

VII.5.24 Pompeii. 1964.  Wilhelmina in the courtyard area, looking towards the arched east portico. 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.

J64f1549

VII.5.24 Pompeii. December 2007. Arches of east portico (7).

VII.5.24 Pompeii. May 2015. Looking south along east portico (7). Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking south along east portico (7) of courtyard (5), with brick pillars and arches.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. May 2017. Looking west along north portico (7) supported by columns. At the side are stone benches (8).  Photo courtesy of John Puffer.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. Allei Nigidi Mai programma found in 1824 in the courtyard or garden of the men's baths.

According to Fiorelli the dedication seemed to be mentioned in a programma, read in the courtyard or viridarium of the men's baths, of which only a few tattered remains remain; and in another that it was painted on the wall flanking the door of the female baths, now completely disappeared.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore, p. 94.

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) this reads

Dedicatione

[operis tabula]rum muneris Cn(aei) Allei Nigidi Mai

[3 pompa] venatio athletae sparsiones vela erunt

Maio

principi coloniae

feliciter      [CIL IV 1177]

VII.5.24 Pompeii. May 2015. Looking west along north portico (7). Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. June 2012. Looking west along north portico (7). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking west along north portico and stone benches (8).

Midway on the right the benches turn the corner into a room said to be an oecus or exedra (9).

VII.5.24 Pompeii. May 2015. Detail of the benches turning the corner into a room said to be an oecus or exedra (9).

Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance corridor (13) leading north from courtyard (5) to men’s baths.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. June 2012. Men’s baths apodyterium or changing room (14), looking north. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

According to Fiorelli –

The changing room (14), other than the doorway from the fauces (corridor 16, on right above), had another five doorways around it.

On the right of the corridor 16, (centre, above) was a small room where the oils and ointments were stored.

On the left of the photo above (west) was the doorway to the long corridor leading to the boiler area.

On the left (behind the figure) was also the third doorway which led into the tepidarium (37).

The fourth doorway (in the south-west corner) led into the frigidarium (19)

The fifth doorway (in the south-east corner) led into corridor 13, leading towards the garden/courtyard area, which had two secondary entrances or exits towards the east and west sides of the Insula.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.94-95).

VII.5.24 Pompeii. March 2012. Men’s baths apodyterium or changing room (14), looking south.

Along the sides of the room are stone benches (15). Photo courtesy of Marina Fuxa.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. December 2007. Men’s baths apodyterium or changing room (14), looking south.

Along the sides of the room are stone benches (15).

VII.5.24 Pompeii. November 2010. Changing room (14), south wall with stucco mask of Oceanus beneath window.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. June 2012. Changing room (14), with stone bench (15) along base of east wall.

Corridor (13) is in the south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. May 2015. East wall of changing room (14) with benches. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. May 2015. Detail of east wall of changing room (14). Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.5.24 Pompeii. December 2005. Changing room (14), east wall with stone bench (15) along base of wall.

Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      Part 6

Other parts of the baths:   VII.5.2      VII.5.7      VII.5.8      VII.5.10      VII.5.12      VII.6.17      VII.6.18      Forum Baths Plan