V.3.11 Pompeii. House. Excavated 1902.

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Vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone. June 2019. Looking north to new excavations between V.3 and V.4, at north end.

On the left are the doorways to V.3.11 and 12, and another smaller doorway. On the right is V.4.

Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Front street wall, with painted plaster on west side of Vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone.

According to Cooley, the following graffito was found -

I beg you to elect Cn. Helvius Sabinus and M. Samellius Modestus aediles, worthy of public office. [CIL IV 6616]

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge. (p.124, F70)

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

Cn(aeum) Helvium Sabinum

M(arcum) Samellium Modestum

aed(iles) d(ignos) r(ei) p(ublicae) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis)    [CIL IV 6616]

According to NdS, March 1902, between the doorways of V.3.10 and V.3.11 graffiti were found –

V.3.11 Pompeii. Inscription found between V.3.11 and V.3.12.

The first two lines were in black (and the letters were 120mm high).

The last F of the second line and the third line were in red (with letters of 90mm) [CIL IV 6615].

Just past the doorway of V.3.11, in red with letters of differing heights, was the above [CIL IV 6616].

According to NdS, it was the first time that the two names of Helvium Sabinum and Samellium Modestum had appeared recommended together, which on their own were repeated so many times, and would have to correct the conclusions of Willems “Les elections municipals a Pompei”, page 124, which gave the year 78 for the candidacy of Samellium and 79 for Helvium Sabinum.

Vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone.

The above was seen on the street wall to the right, belonging to insula IV, after the second doorway from the south end but higher up the roadway.

This was written in red on white plaster [CIL IV 6628].

Vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone.

Higher up the roadway, near to the third doorway from the south end, on the red zoccolo near to the right door-jamb, a figure of a gladiator with a large helmet and shield, above which was graffitied his name [CIL IV 6772].

Vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone. Past the doorway on the white plaster, written in red letters, was the above recommendation [CIL IV 6627].

The frequent repetition of the name of Samellium Modestum in this roadway, and the word “vicini” (neighbours) would lead us to believe that his dwelling must have been in this area.

Vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone. Nearby, written in red, was the above [CIL IV 6626].

Nearby, written in red, was the above.

NdS comments that this was the first time an electoral recommendation had been found written as a poem.

This gave new proof of the correctness of the naming of the nearby house as the house of Lucrezio Frontone.

See Notizie degli Scavi, March 1902, (p.210-213 for more graffiti)

(Note 1: regarding Insula IV, whereas NdS specify the location as “after the second doorway from the south end” and “near the third doorway from the south end”, etc., there may have been an extra doorway in the side wall of V.4.1, which had been blocked).

(Note 2: V.3.12 is known as the House of Samellius Modestus, or Casa della Duchessa di Aosta, but the house on the other side of the roadway at V.4.c was also named after him and also known as Casa degli Ori).

(Note 3: According to Mau, the last two words of the second line of the last recommendation should be BONO EST). See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1904, p. 263.

(Note 4: According to Milnor, the last recommendation translates as –

“if modesty is thought to bring any profit in life

this man Lucretius Fronto is worthy of good position.”      [CIL IV 6626]

See Milnor K., 2014. Graffiti and the Literary Landscape in Roman Pompeii. Oxford: OUP, p. 108).

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Front street wall, with painted plaster on the west side of Vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone.

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance doorway with benches on either side.

Front street wall, with painted red plaster, some of it fallen on the pavement on the west side of Vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone.

The stone benches on either side of the doorway were also covered in red plaster.

These were described as being “so well preserved that one would say they had not been used at all”.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902, (p.274 and p.369)

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance doorway. Looking west.

According to NdS, the entrance threshold was made of lava.

The door was formed of double shutters, but only the right iron door hinge remained.

In the door jambs were two rectangular recesses in which were placed the cross-bar to secure the door.

The walls of the entrance corridor were painted in black.

On the dado were painted plants with large leaves.

The large upper panels of the wall were also black, divided by yellow bands, and contained paintings of animals, masks, and landscapes.

A graffito of a ship was seen on the left wall, above it one could see white, red and yellow banding placed vertically.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902, (p.369)

V.3.11 Pompeii. Plan of house and garden.

See Notizie degli Scavi, 1902 (p.369)

A – atrium

B – cubiculum

C – large room, triclinium in south-east corner of atrium

D – kitchen

E – latrine

F – tablinum

G – garden

H – cistern

I – windowed triclinium

L – (NdS says on the left side of the tablinum) room facing into kitchen and onto the garden

M – (NdS says on right side of tablinum) barrel-vaulted cubiculum (according to NdS 1902, then relabelled as an oecus)

(on the above plan, from the NdS description on p.372, we think L should be M, and M should be L).

V.3.11 Pompeii. Garden area at rear of tablinum/atrium.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902 (p.369).

V.3.11 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking west from entrance, towards atrium and tablinum.

V.3.11 Pompeii. pre-1937-39. Looking west across impluvium in atrium towards tablinum.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 846.

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. West end of fauces, and floor of atrium with impluvium.

According to NdS, between the entrance corridor and the atrium was another door, of which only the iron hinges remained.

The doorjambs imitated a sort of very coarse yellow marble with red veins and white spots.

The impluvium did not match exactly the central axis between the doorway and the large room at the rear, but seemed somewhat shifted northwards.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902, (p.369-70)

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Impluvium, looking west.

According to NdS, the floor of the impluvium consisted of fragments of marble slabs of different colours.

The border, 10cm tall, had a first facing of red plaster which had then been recovered by a second facing, which had been left unfinished.

A small square brick pilaster was joined in a manner to form a table, also in masonry.

The tube that carried the water to the statuette that was on the table, ran up the pilaster.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902 (p.370)

V.3.11 Pompeii. May 2005. Impluvium in atrium.

According to NdS, eight doorways opened into the atrium.

The doorjambs of these were simply decorated with a dado in the manner of variegated marble, and with black panels above painted with flying swans and griffins.

Only the two doorjambs of the tablinum were decorated more richly with golden candelabra, but only the foundations and part of the stem remained.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902 (p.370)

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Impluvium in atrium, looking east.

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Cubiculum B on south side of entrance corridor.

According to NdS,

this small room was poorly decorated with a high dado and yellow panels above, separated by bands imitating marble (il marmo lumachella).

In this room many notable finds were made.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902, (p.274-5 and 370-71)

V.3.11 Pompeii. Necklace found in V.3.11. Now in Naples Archaeological Museum.

According to Boyce, in the small room to the left of the entrance corridor were found the contents of a chest which had been destroyed.

Many pieces of jewellery and 3 bronze statuettes were found.

Two of the statuettes represented Harpocrates wearing the lotus flower upon his forehead and holding the index finger of his right hand to his lips.

The third statuette was of Venus Anadyomene.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (Appendix 1, Item 2, p. 108)

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902, (p. 370).

Found on 7th April, in the first room to the south of the atrium of V.3.11, was a rectangular slate sheet, 11 cm long by 7 wide.

I did not notice then that on the edge were graffiti of letters and make amends today for unintentional neglect.

MEIRIO

The first letters were well engraved, the last ones just drawn.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902, (p. 469).

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to triclinium, in south-east corner of atrium.

According to NdS, this large room was decorated with a yellow dado separated by bands of imitation variegated marble.

In each of the upper panels was a small bronze-coloured painted figurine, sphinx, griffin, peacock, or harpy.

In two places the walls were irregularly holed, as occurred many times by those fleeing the eruption or by searchers in the buried city.

For these holes in the walls, a system had now been adopted.

If they did not compromise the stability of the wall, they were left as they were, facing only the edges with cement.

In the opposite case, they would be blocked up, inserting a marble slab engraved with the year of restoration.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902, (p.371)

According to Bragantini, the dado was black, and the middle zone was yellow with panels.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1983. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 2. Rome: ICCD. (p.79, ambiente (C))

V.3.11 Pompeii. May 2005. South side of atrium, with doorways to triclinium and kitchen.

When excavated, the pilaster between the doorways was seen to show an imitation marble dado, and the middle zone was black with panels.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1983. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 2. Rome: ICCD. (p.79, atrium (A))

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to kitchen, storeroom and latrine.

In 1902, the kitchen and latrine were not yet fully excavated.

V.3.11 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room in south-west corner of atrium, looking west.

On the right would be the tablinum, which did not have a corridor on either of its sides.

According to NdS, on the left of the tablinum would have been a cubiculum.

This room faced into the kitchen and the garden and was decorated with red and yellow panels with painted birds in the panels.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1902, (p.372)

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