VII.6.38 Pompeii. House of Cipius Pamphilus Felix.

Excavated 1760, 1841 and 1910. Bombed in 1943.

Part 1      Part 2

According to Garcia y Garcia Region VII, Insula VI was one of the insulae most devastated over the years since its excavation.

He calls it the “Cinderella” of Pompeii. Between the years 1759 and 1762 it was vandalised and stripped by the Bourbons, then re-interred.

Then came the slow and non-systematic uncovering again before the final destruction in September 1943.

The area was ignored and abandoned during the years following the war, which reduced the insula to a heap of bricks and masonry.

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.102).

VII.6.38 Pompeii. Plan based on PPM.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 210.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. May 2011. Entrance doorway, on left. Looking south along Vicolo del Farmacista. 

Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

According to NdS, on the east wall of the roadway, beginning at the extreme right, the following graffiti or painted inscriptions were found –

1. Graffito on the smooth mortar of the wall, at I.20m height from the ground:

2. At a distance of 0.22m from the previous, a similar graffito on the mortar:

3. Painted in red, with high letters of 13 to 27cm:

4. Painted in black 5cm high, to the left of the previous:

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1910, p.438-9.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019.

Looking north towards entrance doorway on Vicolo del Farmacista. 

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Detail of front facade on south side of entrance doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Looking east towards entrance doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Looking east along entrance corridor.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. June 2012. Looking east from entrance doorway.

According to NdS, the façade of the house would have had white plaster, with a window onto the entrance doorway, and other smaller windows that gave light to the internal rooms.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. June 2012. Looking towards remains of painted decoration on north side of entrance corridor.

The holes for the beam supports for the floor of the upper room can be seen in the north wall.

The north wall was more complete than the south wall.

The zoccolo was black, and above it were black panels, separated by thin red bands, and the upper part of the wall was white.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance doorway.

According to NdS, found on the rustic plaster on the right of the doorway was –

5.

on the left of the doorway was written –

6.

7.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019.

Looking east across flooring towards portico from fauces or entrance corridor.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking east from fauces or entrance corridor.

Notizie degli Scavi, 1910, p.446-453 (joined in with VII.6.3, as it used to be linked)

It is necessary now to describe, before any other, the existing house at the rear/south of this one, because, as I have said above the two dwellings, were originally in communication with one another. It, resulting of a peristyle with various rooms around, had its entrance on the western vicolo at number XXXVIII, 1.45m wide, with threshold of lava, with the iron hinges conserved and with the holes for the interlocking of the wooden jambs. 

Following on from this entrance was corridor 21, with the floor of cocciopesto, forming a slight slope towards the roadway, with the walls decorated with a high black zoccolo partitioned into panels by means of red bands and covered above by a simple white plaster. On the top of the north wall, at the height of 2.76m, were the holes for the rafters of a room built on the short corridor in a past time. The corresponding part of the opposite wall had not been preserved. This upper room ended with a window corresponding to the entrance.

The corridor opened into the peristyle, numbered 22, and towards this, it ended with two red corner pillars, of which only the left one was preserved.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Looking east across portico from entrance corridor/fauces.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019.

Looking south-east across portico from entrance corridor/fauces.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking south-east from fauces.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Looking east across portico towards base of portico wall/remains of columns.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2005. Wall around base of portico.

Found in March 1761 in this area, was a bronze seal/stamp with the wording –

Cipi Pamphili//

Felix     [CIL X 8058, 19]  

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 4733.

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

(p. 38)

This seal/stamp is illustrated in Part II of the same book, entitled Rami inediti, fig.30a-b on page 333.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. Found 18th March 1761 was a bronze seal/stamp of Cipius Pamphilus Felix.

On this side is CIPI PAMPHILI.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 4733.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. Found 18th March 1761 was a bronze seal/stamp of Cipius Pamphilus Felix. On the handle is the name FELIX.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 4733.

According to Jashemski:

The peristyle of the house (excavated in 1910) which enclosed the garden on the east, south and west was entered directly by a passageway from the roadway. The portico was supported by 4 columns, plastered and painted red. The columns were without capitals at the time of excavation. They were connected by a low masonry wall (0.68m high) the top of which contained a planting space. On the north side where there was no portico, a narrow passageway, according to Spano, communicated with the neighbouring house. Here on the rear wall, 2 engaged columns stood in line with the columns of the portico. Around the edges of the garden was a gutter from which water was channelled underground to the street on the west. The root cavities of various randomly planted small trees or large shrubs were found by Spano and he recorded their location on his plan, but he gives no measurements. Part of a fountain, a block of white marble (0.225 x 0.225m) with a hole in the centre, surrounded by acanthus foliage, and decorated around the base with two serpents, two toads, two lizards, two slugs and a large crayfish, was found in the room to the right of the entrance.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.185)

Reported in Notizie degli Scavi, 1911, p.272, were two graffitied inscriptions with names, read by Della Corte, and found traced on the middle column of the west portico.

1.

2.

Interrupted after the fifth letter by a gap in the wall, and continued regularly immediately after the gap.

Notizie degli Scavi, 1910, p.446-453

This peristyle had a portico on all sides, except on the northern one, where opened the wide linking doorway with the peristyle of the house previously described (see VII.6.3). The columns, without capitals, were two for each side, including the corner; they were made with pieces of tiles and with cut stone and bricks; and were covered with purple/peacock blue painted plaster. And since the decoration painted at the end of the western portico ends at the top (at 3.53m) with a horizontal cut, it seems to me to infer that the columns supported a terrace around it. Between the columns was a masonry pluteus, 0.68m high, empty internally to put plants, which was transformed into a pedestal at each column on the outside.

The interior area, or garden, was placed (new thing) at a higher level than that of the floor of the portico, and had a gutter of cocciopesto around it, with two slits in the Pluteus, of which that in “t”, carried water into the western roadway by an underground channel. Examining the area we found the gaps left by the roots of different trees, or perhaps of large plants, but they had been placed here and there without any order, as can be seen in NdS 1910, Fig. 1.

On the north side, devoid of portico, in part of the doorway which communicated with the peristyle of the other house (VII.6.3), and in correspondence with the pillars of the portico, were two pillars, and so also, on the same lines, on the opposite side. The decoration of the walls at the bottom of the portico consist of a high black zoccolo/plinth, followed by a white background with some fantastic architectures. Also on the north wall, existed the same black zoccolo, which however was decorated with the usual representations of plants. The floor was of ordinary cocciopesto, with parallel rows of marble squares, placed at equal distances.

Along the northern side was a raised passage, ending with two steps on one side and the other.

On the eastern portico of the peristyle, Exedra 23 opened in all its width, spacious and elegant, with two columns, between the jambs (once covered with wood) which supported the architrave. The room was therefore not closed by shutters, and the doorway lacked a threshold, whose place was occupied by the same flooring as the whole room, formed of cocciopesto with pieces of various coloured marble, inlaid here and there.

The square-shaped room was divided from the side rooms only by thin walls, now fallen, and bore a beautiful painted decoration, now preserved only at the bottom of the facing wall. From this little we see, that the wall showed three large rectangles, the central red and the sides yellow, divided by wide bands probably black, and lower however purple/peacock blue, showing perhaps fantastic architectures, and leaning (what you can see) on two pedestals, each consisting of a forepart of the general zoccolo of the wall.  This zoccolo/plinth was black with a purple/peacock blue squaring in the central area, and purple/peacock blue with black squaring in the side areas.  Of these three panels, the first one showed a very damaged mask in prospect, perhaps of a female with a kind of pine on top, from which two swirls of floral scrolls come out, all yellow. Each of the other two showed a dolphin. Under this zoccolo was another lesser painting in imitation of slabs of inlaid coloured marble.

In the south wall, today as I have said, destroyed, would have been two doorways, which gave access to small rooms 25 and 26.

In the vicinity of the peristyle were found the tufa capitals of two columns, covered with stucco, different from each other, neither of which however I think could have been part of the two columns of the exedra, or those of the peristyle, which are masonry and different colour. Both capitals were of the Doric type: the one, however, carried around the rounded moulding (Echino), a stucco protruding row of palms; the other a row of anchors and tridents, alternated with the first in the midst of two dolphins darting with their heads down, symmetrically arranged, with traces of celestial blue coloured painting.

To the left of the described Exedra 23 was the small rectangular room 24, which was also accessed from the peristyle by a wide entrance doorway which had wooden jambs and a threshold formed from several pieces of marble. It had a floor of cocciopesto, and the walls (the southern one, which was linked with that of room 23, was missing) were completely white, other than the zoccolo which had a black background, were partitioned into large rectangles, separated from each other by fantastic architectures, light and candelabra. Of the frieze, conserved on the left extremity of the north wall, there remained only the beginning of a garland. The zoccolo was divided by panels corresponding to the rectangles and the dividing architecture, showing, the first, plants with birds, the second, fantastic flying animals (recognised was an androsphinx, a sphinx with the head of a man). Nothing was seen of that which would have been shown at the centre of the large rectangles.

To the left of the north wall a bricked-up doorway, which communicated with cupboard/small storeroom/Apotheca 20 of the previous house (VII.6.3), at the bottom of the east portico of the peristyle 18.

I have already said that in 25 and 26 we entered from the Exedra 23. Both are small rooms; the first one had white walls and black zoccolo/plinth; the second, was equally so decorated, it had however a very high zoccolo/plinth. it showed the holes for shelving in the south wall, and showed a doorway abolished in the west wall. The two small rooms were separated by a thin wall, which was also reinforced by three vertical wooden poles, as evidenced by the emptiness left by these. This division was, however later, as observed by the south wall, where the wall partly covered the decoration of a single, more ancient room. At the top of the south wall, in 26, you could see a plaster of signinum which belonged to an upper floor room.

On the south side of the peristyle opened the beautiful room 27 with two entrance doorways, of which the one on the right was very wide, from the jambs in parallelepipeds of tufa at one time covered with wood; that on the left was narrow and with the jambs covered with black plaster, with a lava threshold. The room had flooring of signinum with a geometric design in the middle; it had the walls painted with a black background, and showed clear traces of having been covered, at least in the western half, by a low vault, by the bezel with which it finishes the decoration of the west wall and the holes for the beams that accompany it outside.

The walls were divided in their main field into large rectangles: they had a high frieze decorated with graceful architecture, animated by the usual figures of swans with curved necks, and by other birds with outstretched wings; and they had a low zoccolo painted with a black background. This decoration was preserved mainly on the south walls and west walls.

In the south wall, the middle rectangle had two small columns supporting a pediment, which consisted only of two inclined bands, representing the upper cornice of the pediment, on which, like an acroterium, stood a kind of high stem, terminating at the top with a red disc, intruding, like the pediment itself, into the background of the frieze. In the middle of the rectangle was a rectangular painting with a completely vanished representation. On the sides, two rectangles on each side, divided by a light and slender light-coloured candelabrum, at the middle of which was suspended a small rectangular painting, on a red background with vanished representation, hanging on the sides were two garlands. The plates of the candelabra seem to support a horizontal light band, which divides the rectangles from the frieze.

In the west wall, the middle rectangle had first of all the canopy, but ended with a flat entablature, without pediment, which is also an intrusive frieze. The painting that decorated the centre of the rectangle at the bottom of the canopy, was missing, perhaps because it was taken away at the time of the first excavation. At each side also here were two rectangles, separated by a candelabra, which however invaded the frieze, where it ended with a small plate, higher up from which was a bird with outstretched wings. In each side rectangle, you could see the representation of a small metallic vase, whose description, for brevity, I am obliged to omit. In the frieze above the canopy, a peacock on the left, and higher, a red rectangular painting, with plants and grazing birds. The bezel above the west wall, had a white background and on this was the representation of a large peacock on the right, pecking above some apples, and in the extreme right end was another yellow bird with red crest, in front of some plants.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019.

Looking north-west across portico towards doorway to room 29 on north side of entrance corridor/fauces.

On the left is room 28.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. December 2007. Doorway to room 29 on north side of entrance.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Looking west from doorway across flooring in room 29.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

Notizie degli Scavi, 1910, p.446-453

Room 29 was smaller; it had wooden doorposts at the entrance, had flooring of opus segmentatum (this was not yet entirely freed from the eruptive material); a window at the top of the west wall; a few holes for the beams at the top of the south wall and a notable painted decoration. This in fact, whilst in the upper part had the proper ashlar/boss detected, of the first style, then, it had below these, the imitation of other ashlar/boss, obtained by the only means of painting, in conformity with the system of the Second Style.

At the extreme right of the south side of the peristyle opened, with wide entrance, Corridor 30, by which was accessed some minor rustic rooms of the house, devoid of importance, and of which for brevity I omit the description.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking towards west wall of room 29 to north of entrance corridor.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. December 2007. East wall, south-east corner and south wall of room 29 on north side of entrance corridor.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. December 2007. West wall of room 29 to north of entrance corridor.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. December 2007. North-west corner of room 29 to north of entrance corridor. 

VII.6.38 Pompeii. December 2007.

North wall and north-east corner of room 29 on north side of entrance corridor. 

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Room 29, upper north wall in north-east corner.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Room 29, detail of north wall in north-east corner.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. c.1930. Room 29, detail of painted wall decoration

DAIR 41.783. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

See Pernice, E.  1938. Pavimente und Figürliche Mosaiken: Die Hellenistische Kunst in Pompeji, Band VI. Berlin: de Gruyter, (tav. 56.3, above.)

VII.6.38 Pompeii. c.1930? Room 29, detail of painted upper wall decoration

DAIR 32.1306. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019. Room 29, looking west across flooring from doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. 1934.

Room 29, looking west across beaten floor with flakes and pebbles with fish emblema in centre, from oecus on north side of entrance. 

DAIR 34.1751. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. 1940. Room 29, fish emblema in centre of floor. Oecus on north side of entrance. 

DAIR 40.328. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. 1930. Room 29, fish emblema in centre of floor. Oecus on north side of entrance. 

According to Blake –

In the triclinium of VII.6.38, (pl.50, fig.2), a round plaque of terracotta containing upon its upper surface several fish in finest mosaic, forms a striking contrast to the background composed of coloured stones set close together in cement with a rough but variegated effect. One feels tempted to see in this the contrast between an imported art treasure and the cruder Roman work, but the presence, in the rougher background near the terracotta rim, of stones of the same peculiar variety of orange as those found in the fish themselves seems to indicate that the centre was set in place under the direction of those who made it and sold it. Furthermore, the fish have been identified with those to be found in the region of Naples.

On the other hand, the centre may have been set into an already existing floor, with the necessary adjustments incident to its insertion. The background belongs with the walls, which are a combination of First and Second Styles.

For the three fish which are sufficiently well-preserved to furnish a basis for comparison, there are sufficiently close parallels in the fish mosaic of VIII.2.16 to make one suspect that these two mosaics were executed by the same artist; two of the same fish appear in another fine mosaic, still to be seen, in situ, in one of the rooms facing the peristyle of VII.4.31.

See Blake, M., (1930). The pavements of the Roman Buildings of the Republic and Early Empire. Rome, MAAR, 8, (p.138-9, & Pl. 50, tav.2).

According to PPM,

This central motif was carried away/stolen in 1976.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici; vol.VII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.217)

Notizie degli Scavi, 1910, p.555-7:

Nella casa XXXVIII, si trovarono due anfore di terracotta, frammentate, contenenti avanzi di lische di pesci, quasi allo stato di polvere.

Ma la scoperta piu notevole fu quella fatta nell’ambiente immediatamente a sinistra di chi entra nel peristilio della casa XXXVIII.

Questo ambiente, notevole per la sua decorazione parietale, che è insieme del primo e del secondo stile, ha il pavimento fatto ad opus segmentatum e decorato nel centro con un emblema circolare che presenta le figure di alcuni pesci in vermiculatum assai finemente eseguite. Purtroppo però tale musaico bellissimo è stato danneggiato in una buona metà (fig. 1). L'emblema ha intorno una piccola fascia circolare di terracotta, la quale altro non è che l’orlo rilevato di un disco fittile, entro cui è contenuto l'opus vermiculatum. Ciò dimostra che tali emblemata erano eseguiti a parte e forse messi in vendita. Il diametro, compreso il cerchio di terracotta, è di m. 0, 58. Vi si veggono dei pesci, raffigurati con tanta naturalezza che si direbbe con Marziale (III, 35) esservi bisogno soltanto dell'acqua per farli natare).

VII.6.38 Pompeii. 1910. Circular emblema that presents the figures of some fish in vermiculatum very finely executed.

According to Spano, one sees fish there, depicted so naturally that one would say with Martial (III, 35) that all you need is water to make them come to life.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1910, p.555-7, fig. 1.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019.

Looking north-east across portico towards site of exedra/oecus or tablinum, across centre, and VII.6.7 and VII.6.28 at the rear.

On the right are doorways into room 27.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII 6 38 Pompeii. September 2019. Room 27, looking south-east from doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII 6 38 Pompeii. September 2019. Room 27, detail of east wall, south-east corner and south wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019.

Looking north-east from south of portico towards site of exedra/oecus or tablinum, across centre. Room 27 is on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2019.

Looking east from south-east corner of portico. At the rear is VII.6.28.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2005.

Looking east across portico towards site of exedra/oecus or tablinum, in lower centre, and VII.6.28 in the background.

According to NdS (1910) -

“On the eastern portico of the peristyle, Exedra 23 opened in all its width, spacious and elegant, with two columns, between the jambs (once covered with wood) which supported the architrave. The room was therefore not closed by shutters, and the doorway lacked a threshold, whose place was occupied by the same flooring as the whole room, formed of cocciopesto with pieces of various coloured marble, inlaid here and there.

The square-shaped room was divided from the side rooms only by thin walls, now fallen, and bore a beautiful painted decoration, now preserved only at the bottom of the facing wall. From this little we see, that the wall showed three large rectangles, the central red and the sides yellow, divided by wide bands probably black, and lower however purple/peacock blue, showing perhaps fantastic architectures, and leaning (what you can see) on two pedestals, each consisting of a forepart of the general zoccolo of the wall.  This zoccolo/plinth was black with a purple/peacock blue squaring in the central area, and purple/peacock blue with black squaring in the side areas.  Of these three panels, the first one showed a very damaged mask in prospect, perhaps of a female with a kind of pine on top, from which two swirls of floral scrolls come out, all yellow. Each of the other two showed a dolphin. Under this zoccolo was another lesser painting in imitation of slabs of inlaid coloured marble.

In the south wall, today as I have said, destroyed, would have been two doorways, which gave access to small rooms 25 and 26.”

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1910, p.446-453.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. Painting called “The Siege of Troy”, found in the exedra/oecus or tablinum, Room 23.

See Antichità di Ercolano: Tomo Terzo: Le Pitture 3, 1762, tav. 40, p. 205.

Original now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9010.

See Hodske, J. (2007). Mythologische Bildthemen in den Hausern Pompejis. Ruhpolding; Rutzen, (p. 215, Taf 113, Kat.500).

VII.6.38 Pompeii. Pre-1843. Drawing by Abbate of “The Siege of Troy”.

Original now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9010.

See Raccolta de più interessante Dipinture e di più belle Musaici rinvenuti negli Scavi di Ercolano, di Pompei, e di Stabia. 1843. Napoli.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. Painting of “The Siege of Troy”.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9010.

According to PPM –

Found on 4th April 1761, in the exedra on the eastern side of the portico of the peristyle, was a painting of The Siege of Troy (NAP 9010).

Also found was a painting of Perseus with the head of Medusa between his hands, which was destroyed by the orders of C. Paderni.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici. Roma: VII (7), Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p. 214.)

According to Pagano and Prisciandaro –

11th April 1761 –

“of the two paintings found last week, the one that shows an army, prisoners and horse-men was cut, the other, on the orders of Canart, was left to fall”.

According to Pagano and Prisciandaro –

4th April 1761. Room 23 – “in the Masseria Irace in a room around 12 paces distance from the “Diana”, at the side of the garden with the red columns were found two paintings –

The siege of Troy (with description of painting) NAP 9010, AdE III, 40, 205.

The other showing three armies of men ……… 

A piece of brick with the following letters : INIDVS  (CIL X8042, 123)

See PAH, I,1,130: (and Addendum 142)

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

Naples: Nicola Longobardi, (p.38).

VII.6.38 Pompeii. September 2005. Looking west from VII.6.28 across site of oecus or tablinum, across garden area to entrance.

On the left in the centre of the photo is the doorway to room 28, on its left would have been corridor 30 leading left to other small service rooms.

VII.6.38 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking west across portico to entrance, from area of oecus or tablinum.

Another oecus is to the north and a triclinium to south of entrance. 

The portico would have been supported by the four columns, of which only a small lower area of each survives.

According to Jashemski, these were plastered and painted red and at the time of excavation did not have capitals.

They were connected by a low masonry wall.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.185).

Notizie degli Scavi, 1910, p.446-453

At the sides of the entrance corridor 21 were the two rooms 28 and 29, from both of which you could enter the peristyle.

The first (28) was a wide rectangular room, with lava threshold at the entrance, floor of cocciopesto with inlaid in in the middle with pieces of colored marble, forming almost a disc, the walls decorated with large rectangles with red and black background alternately, with white frieze and black zoccolo/plinth. At the top of the west wall, was a rectangular window overlooking the Vico. There was no trace of the roof.

The west wall showed five of these rectangles, of which the central and the two extreme sides were black, and they were divided by black bands showing graceful decorative motifs in vertical rows: swans, scrolls, volutes, tambourines, and other decorations. Seen in the middle of the central rectangle was an eagle almost in prospect, from the outstretched wings, slightly stylized and from which leave two graceful green garlands, in the middle of the other two black rectangles, a crown, from which were detached floral decorations, having a flying bird in the centre. The red rectangles each exhibit a small rectangular square, almost destroyed in the left rectangle, and showing a panther approaching a vase (?), on a purple/peacock blue background in the other.

The narrower south wall had three rectangles: the middle was black, the sides were red. The middle seemed, according to what can be judged from the little that remained, also showed the eagle as did the central rectangle of the other wall. In the left one, better preserved than the right corresponding one, was the remains of a black square placed with the corners towards the sides of the rectangle, with red curved lines, the ends of some figure that I could not determine. From each corner of the square was a graceful purple and green swirl. The frieze, in the two partially described walls, had delicate bands on a white background, decorated with flying birds, garlands and other motifs. Painted plants were seen in the zoccolo.

In the far-right end of the east wall, was a small recess.

Part 2