VI.8.5 Pompeii. Casa del Poeta Tragico or House of the Tragic Poet.

Excavated 1824. Linked to VI.8.3.

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      VI.8.3 and VI.8.5 Room Plan

VI.8.5 Pompeii. December 2023.

Looking towards doorway. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VI.8.5, Pompeii. April 2019.

Looking north towards entrance doorway with shop at each side connecting to fauces. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.8.4.5.6 Pompeii. Gold jewellery was found in one of the shops adjacent to the entrance VI.8.5 but which may have fallen from above.

Two bracelets, each made up of twenty of the usual hazelnut shells, in two rows.

Two perfectly preserved necklaces, one of which has the shape of a chain, and the other of a vaguely contextual strap.

A pair of elegant and delicate earrings composed of two pearls hanging from a small button. Finally, two armbands.

According to Niccolini, from many circumstances it is clear that this building had a second floor. Both shops have a piperno threshold, with the usual hollows for the external closure: the walls are painted red at the bottom, and in the upper portion a yellowish tint, in which some squares appear. The shop to the left of the porch has three large pieces of piperno in the floor, which follow each other, rising several palms from the ground. The numerous jewels which were found there led some to believe that the house with the shops belonged to an ancient jeweller, who therefore kept such a large quantity of precious jewellery. The two shops, both had communication with the porch of VI.8.5, and thus had some dependence on the owner of the house. Therefore, following an observation by Mazois, Bechi and Raoul-Rochette were of the opinion that these tabernae were intended for the sale of grain, fruit, and other commodities from the owner's rustic estates.

In the first excavations, however, pieces of a fallen floor were found, representing a head of Bacchus and other figures in mosaic. It could also be assumed that the gold objects found in the shops next to the main entrance had fallen from above.

See Niccolini F, 1854. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Primo. Napoli, Casa del Poeta Tragico, p. 1-3, Tav. III.

VI.8.5, Pompeii. April 2019. Looking north towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. July 2010. Entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

According to Pagano and Prisciandaro, found on the right pilaster written in red, was –

M(aercum) Holconium

C(aium) Gavium aed(iles)     [CIL IV 262]

See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi, p. 129.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. July 2010. Reconstruction of house front with shops VI.8.4, entrance doorway VI.8.5 and shop VI.8.6.

The suggested upper floor of the house is also shown extending above the two shops.

In the first excavations pieces of a fallen mosaic floor were found and gold jewellery that may also have fallen from above.

VI.8.5, Pompeii. April 2019.

Looking west from side towards mosaic at entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.8.5, Pompeii. April 2019.

Looking north through entrance towards watchdog (Cave Canem mosaic). Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.8.5, Pompeii. December 2018. 

Looking north through entrance towards watchdog (Cave Canem mosaic). Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. May 2015. Cave Canem mosaic at entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. May 2015. Detail from Cave Canem mosaic. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. July 2010. Cave Canem mosaic. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. August 2005. Cave Canem mosaic. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. July 1980. Cave Canem mosaic in entrance corridor.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer, from Dr George Fay’s slides collection.

VI.8.5 Pompeii, 1978. Detail from mosaic of guard dog. 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.

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VI.8.5 Pompeii. Cave Canem mosaic.

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

VI.8.5 Pompeii. August 1976. Cave Canem mosaic in entrance corridor.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer, from Dr George Fay’s slides collection.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. 2016/2017. Looking north from mosaic in entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking north along entrance corridor across atrium towards peristyle with lararium.

Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.8.3/5 Pompeii. April 2022.

Looking north along entrance corridor across atrium towards peristyle with lararium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.8.3/5 Pompeii. April 2022.

Looking north across flooring in entrance corridor towards flooring in atrium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance corridor/fauces, looking north to atrium.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. April 2005. Entrance corridor/fauces, looking north to atrium. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking north across atrium, towards tablinum and garden area with lararium (see VI.8.3). Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. April 2005.

Looking north from entrance corridor/fauces, across impluvium with puteal, towards tablinum and garden area (at VI.8.3).

Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. Pre-1942. Painted zoccolo wall in entrance corridor/fauces.

See Warscher, T. 1942. Catalogo illustrato degli affreschi del Museo Nazionale di Napoli. Sala LXXX. Vol.2. Rome, Swedish Institute, p.29.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. Painting by Giuseppe Marsigli, 1825, showing west wall of entrance fauces. 

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 290.

Photo © ICCD. https://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it

Utilizzabili alle condizioni della licenza Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Condividi allo stesso modo 2.5 Italia (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 IT)

VI.8.5 Pompeii. c.1828. Entrance fauces/corridor, detail from north end of west wall.

See Raoul Rochette et Bouchet J., 1828. Choix d'Edifices Inédits : Maison du Poète Tragique. Paris, pl 13. (Described as Chambre 14, on his plan)

VI.8.5 Pompeii. c.1830. Drawings from sketchbook, some described as coming from the Faux (fauces/entrance corridor).

Harpy: Cavaedium of Tragic Poet left hand of Faux.

Swan with bandages from Tragic Poet in the Faux.

Griffin from Faux of T. Poet.

From the house but location not specified:

Stylus tablets and manuscript. Decayed painting House of T. Poet.

Goat or buck Tragic Poet.

Vessel with ribbon in red T. Poet.

See Gell, W. Sketchbook of Pompeii, c.1830.

See book from Van Der Poel Campanian Collection on Getty website http://hdl.handle.net/10020/2002m16b425

VI.8.5 Pompeii. August 1965.

Looking north along fauces, across atrium to tablinum and peristyle, at rear. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.8.3/5 Pompeii. April 2022. Looking north across atrium. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VI.8.5, Pompeii. 1907.

Looking north across atrium flooring and impluvium towards tablinum and doorway to corridor, leading to rear.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. August 27, 1904.

Looking north across impluvium in atrium, towards tablinum and garden area. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VI.8.5, Pompeii. c.1896. Restoration view by G. Discanno looking north across atrium.

See Niccolini F, 1896. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Quarto. Napoli, Saggi di Restauro Tav. III.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. c.1828. Perspective view taken from the prothyrum. Looking north across atrium.

See Raoul Rochette et Bouchet J., 1828. Choix d'Edifices Inédits : Maison du Poète Tragique. Paris, pl 4.

VI.8.5 Pompeii.

View by Gell - "taken soon after its discovery, at a moment when certain shades of drapery had been placed to protect the painting of Achilles from the effects of the sun".

See Gell, W, 1832. Pompeiana: Vol 2. London: Jennings and Chaplin, p. 95-6, plate XXXVI.

VI.8.5, Pompeii. 1832. The Poet's House Restored, view by William Gell

"This restoration is calculated to afford an idea of the pleasing effect which even a moderately sized house, arranged in the manner of the ancients, is capable of producing. Nothing has been changed from the original drawing, Plate XXXVI., the lines having been traced from it by means of a pane of glass. The roof only has been added, which must have existed, and, probably, in a much more complicated and ornamented form than that here represented. The pendent ornaments are taken from a picture at Herculaneum. The light also has been thrown from the contrary side, which has contributed to the apparent change of the picture; and the sombre shades, contrasted with the partial lights of the impluvium and the peristyle, produce an effect scarcely credible by those who have only seen the habitation exposed to the glare of sunshine.".

See Gell, W, 1832. Pompeiana: Vol 2. London: Jennings and Chaplin, p. 96-7, plate XXXVII.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, atrium, looking south from tablinum.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 1, atrium.

Looking north towards tablinum and peristyle with corridor to VI.8.3, where other photos can be seen.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. May 2005. Room 1, north side of atrium. Looking through tablinum to peristyle and aedicula shrine.

VI.8.5 Pompeii. July 2010. Peristyle and aedicula shrine. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      Part 5      VI.8.3 and VI.8.5 Room Plan