II.3.5 Pompeii. Thermopolium.

Linked to II.3.4. Excavated 1754-57, 1952.

(Originally when excavated, this was numbered as Reg. II, Insula 6, no.5).

II.3.5 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking south past fountain towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

II.3.5 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance doorway.

According to Pagano and Prisciandaro, in August and September 1756, many electoral recommendations were found here.

On the north-east corner of the insula (left of photo) east of doorway, were found CIL IV 1153-1159.

These were cut from the wall and are now in the Naples Archaeological Museum. Some of them have now faded and are no longer readable.

Graffiti found September 1756, (PAH I, 1, 44, add. 96, dated 18th September 1756) -

[3] Rufum aed(ilem) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis)       [CIL IV 1155]

Q(uintum) Postumium

Modestum quinq(uennalem) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis)      [CIL IV 1156]

L(ucium) Ceium Secundum IIvir(um)

O(ro) v(os) f(aciatis) Papilio rog(at)       [CIL IV 1157]

Found September 1756, (PAH I, 1, 44, dated 25th September 1756) -

P(ublium) Paquium et A(ulum) Vettium d(uumviros) i(ure) d(icundo) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis) [[scr(ipsit)]]    [CIL IV 1158]

L(ucium) Popidium Secundum aed(ilem) d(ignum) r(ei) p(ublicae) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis)

[3]ro[     [CIL IV 1159]

In October 1756, another two were found (PAH I, 1, 44, add. 96, dated 9th October 1756),

Modestum

quinq(uennalem) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis)

d(ignum) r(ei) p(ublicae)

Ovidiumrei    [CIL IV 1160]

O() Secundum e istive o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis)    [CIL IV 1161]

See Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (www.manfredclauss.de).

See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi.

(p.23)

II.3, found on the northern part of insula. Fragment of red painted plaster, reading –

“Vote for Vettius Firmus for aedile (who is) worthy of being a public administrator.”

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inv. 4674.

Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella, June 2017.

II.3, Pompeii, found on the northern part of the insula (Via dell’Abbondanza).

Detail from information card for fragment of plaster, inv. 4674, in Naples Archaeological Museum.

Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella, June 2017.

II.3.5 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance doorway, looking south.

According to Parslow –

“He (Weber) carefully drew the two shops fronting onto this street, one of which (II.3.4) had a small stepped shelf at one end of its marble counter “for placing dishes, as are used today”, while the other (number 21 on his plan) had a small hearth as well as another shelf for glassware, both of which Weber labelled separately.  Today, after almost six hundred shops and taverns have been brought to light at Pompeii, such shops seem relatively commonplace, but these were among the first to be isolated, described and illustrated.

On the street in front of this second shop stood a public fountain whose lava standard was decorated with a mask wreathed with clusters of grapes… (see below).

See Parslow, C.C. (1998). Rediscovering Antiquity: Karl Weber and the Excavation of Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabiae. UK: Cambridge UP, (p.121).

II.3.5 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking south from bar-room towards rear room.

II.3.5 Pompeii. December 2007. South wall of bar room with doorway to rear room.

On the right, would have been the stairs to the upper floor and a hearth.

See Van der Poel, H. B., 1986. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part IIIA. Austin: University of Texas. (p.44)

II.3.5 Pompeii. December 2007. South-east corner of bar room with doorway into small room or cupboard.

Fountain outside II.3.5. September 2005. Looking south-east towards fountain with replacement pilaster.

According to Parslow –

the fountain pilaster or “lava standard” was described by Weber as being decorated with a mask wreathed with clusters of grapes.

The original was removed and transported to the royal villa at Portici.

See Parslow, C.C. (1998). Rediscovering Antiquity: Karl Weber and the Excavation of Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabiae. UK: Cambridge UP (pp.121,168 and 283)

About 1810. Drawing by Mazois of fountain with head of Bacchus or a God of the countryside and crossroads.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei : Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot. (p. 37, Pl. III Fig. II).

According to Eschebach –

during the earliest excavations in 1755, near the Street of the Graves, a representation of the god Vertumnus or Bacchus was found, in the form of a fountain profile, which fits the character of this residential area.

This fountain in the form of a pilaster was discovered in VI. Ins. Occ. Via Consolare, see Mazois.

Eschebach commented, “This permits no conclusions on the shape of the well basin”.

See Eschebach, H., 1983. Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae; Bollettino dell’ Associazione Internazionale Amici di Pompei 1. (pp. 15, 25, 26: Fig 33).

This may, or may not, be the fountain from this site, see also the possible fountain we have placed at VI.17.27, which could also be a dubious location.

III.6, and III.7.1 Pompeii, on left. September 2005. Via dell’Abbondanza at II.3.5, on right behind fountain.