I.10.7 Pompeii. Casa del Fabbro or House of the Smith or House of the Craftsman

or Domus and officina of M. Volusius Iuvencus and the Equitia.

Excavated 1914, 1927 and 1933.

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I.10.7 Pompeii, on right. December 2018. Looking south to doorways on Vicolo del Menandro. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

I.10.7 Pompeii. April 2017. Looking south to entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Adrian Hielscher.

I.10.7 Pompeii. April 2017. Entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Adrian Hielscher.

According to NdS –

“Of all the large and small houses, of this insula, with the exception of the Casa del Menandro, this dwelling although modest, was the one that provided the most finds. A great deal of material was found in every room of the house, in which the number of objects, having a character of practical usefulness and intrinsic value, was remarkable.”

See Notizie degli Scavi, 1934,  (p.292)

For details of finds and their locations,

See Notizie degli Scavi, 1934,  (p.292-308)

For details of “finds” from this house,

See Allison, P.M. (2006). The Insula of the Menander at Pompeii: Vol. III The finds, Clarendon Press, Oxford, (p.158-213, & p.337-349, & Suppl. p.275-283).

See Online Companion with details and photographs of finds from I.10.7.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance on Vicolo del Menandro.

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance.

According to Varone, written outside was the graffito CIL IV 8364.

I.10.7 Pompeii. Drawing of graffito.

According to Varone, written outside the entrance was the graffito CIL IV 8364.

He translated it as –

“Secundus greets his Prima wherever she is: I beg you, lady, love me”.

See Varone, A., 2002. Erotica Pompeiana: Love Inscriptions on the Walls of Pompeii, Rome: L’erma di Bretschneider. (p.39)

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

Secundus

Prim(a)e suae ubi

que i<p=S>se salute(m) Rogo domina

ut me ames           [CIL IV 8364]

I.10.7 Pompeii. April 2017.

Painted plaster to the left (east) of the entrance. Photo courtesy of Adrian Hielscher.

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Painted plaster to the left of the entrance.

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance showing room 1 to the west of the entrance.

I.10.7 Pompeii. April 2017.

Looking south along entrance corridor, with doorstop in flooring. Photo courtesy of Adrian Hielscher.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Remains of doorstop in floor of fauces.

I.10.7 Pompeii. April 2017. Entrance fauces looking south towards atrium. Photo courtesy of Adrian Hielscher.

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance fauces looking south towards atrium.

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Rooms on west side of fauces and atrium.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, looking west.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, west wall, with latrine in north-west corner.

According to NdS –

The upper floor:

Above the west side of the atrium and above the oecus (room 8) would have been a small area of five or six rooms, all more or less decorated in a scheme of the 4^th Style.  The upper parts of the walls were preserved only partially for the first 4 rooms nearer to the roadway; all the rest were destroyed and reconstructable only by some traces. The access to this series of rooms would have been by the wooden stairs of room 1, which passed over the top of the latrine but there was also a masonry staircase which led to the walkway above the kitchen.

See Notizie degli Scavi, 1934, (p.292)

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 1, looking towards south-west corner.

I.10.7 Pompeii. April 2017.

Room 1, looking towards south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Adrian Hielscher.

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 2 (taken from south side of room 1). Painted plaster with winged beast on west wall.

I.10.7 Pompeii. April 2017. Room 2 (taken from entrance doorway).

Painted plaster with winged beast on west wall. Photo courtesy of Adrian Hielscher.

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 1, south wall.

I.10.7 Pompeii. April 2017. Room 1, looking towards south wall from doorway. Photo courtesy of Adrian Hielscher.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, latrine.

According to Hobson, Ling wrote in 1997, that this latrine was screened on the south by a low masonry wall.

On the east side, apparently, screened by a timber or timber-framed partition, the evidence for which was an iron-lined posthole in the floor.

In fact, it is likely that this was a swivel post for a wooden door and the jamb against the wall.

Due to the lack of preservation of wood in Pompeii, no doors have been found.

See Hobson, B., 2009. Latrinae et foricae: Toilets in the Roman World. London; Duckworth. (p.82)

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, south-east corner near doorway.

I.10.7 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking south across atrium from entrance corridor.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway in entrance corridor to room 2, cubiculum.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, west wall of cubiculum.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, north wall of cubiculum.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, niche/recess in south-east corner of cubiculum.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, south wall of cubiculum.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, remains of painted decoration on west wall of cubiculum.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, cubiculum. Painting of flying beast.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, cubiculum. Remains of painting of flying beast.

I.10.7 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 2, cubiculum. Remains of painted decoration.

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