VII.9.2 Pompeii. Tempio di Vespasiano o Tempio del Genio di Augusto o Tempio di Mercurio.

Temple of Vespasian or Temple of the Genius of Augustus or Temple of Mercury.

Excavated 1817.

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VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2014. Looking north along east side of Forum from entrance doorway, on right.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking towards entrance on east side of Forum. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. August 2021. Entrance doorway, front façade and marble veneer.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.9.2 Pompeii. July 2010. Temple portico and entrance. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

According to Mau, the space in front of the temple was occupied by a portico, of which no trace has been found.

See Mau, A., 1907, translated by Kelsey F. W. Pompeii: Its Life and Art. New York: Macmillan. (Page 106).

VII.9.2 Pompeii. August 2021. Looking towards entrance on east side of Forum.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.9.2 Pompeii. December 2018.    

Entrance on east side of Forum. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance on east side of Forum.

According to Mau, at the time of the eruption in 79AD the entrance from the Forum had received its veneer of marble and was in a finished state.

See Mau, A., 1907, translated by Kelsey F. W. Pompeii: Its Life and Art. New York: Macmillan. (Page 109).

VII.9.2 Pompeii, 7th August 1976. Looking towards entrance on east side of Forum.

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

VII.9.2 Pompeii. August 2021. Looking north at marble veneer on north side of entrance doorway.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking north at marble veneer on north side of entrance doorway.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking north at marble veneer on either side of entrance doorway.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 152.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2014. Detail of front façade and marble veneer at north end.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Front west wall with marble veneer, facing onto east side of the Forum.

VII.9.2 Pompeii but shown as VII.9.3 on photo. Pre-1937-39. Decorative stonework on east side of Forum.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1197.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Marble veneer on south side of entrance doorway.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of marble veneer and wall at south end.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2014. Looking south along east side of Forum, from south end of front façade.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking through entrance doorway towards north wall, from Forum.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Marble doorway threshold, looking west from interior towards the Forum.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of doorway threshold at south end.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii, May 2018. Detail of doorway threshold. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.9.2 Pompeii, May 2018. Threshold of entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.9.2 Pompeii, May 2018. Detail from entrance doorway threshold. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. Drawing of plan of Temple of Vespasian.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1942, (p.267-270, (plan on p.268, fig.8)).

VII.9.2 Pompeii. Marble dedication of the temple of the Genius of Augustus. 7-2 BC. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

M[a]ṃia P(ubli) f(ilia) sacẹṛdos public(a) Geni[o --- s]ọlo et peq̣[unia sua ---]       (CIL X, 816).

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 3766.

The information card reads:

“Mamia, daughter of Publius, public priestess ……. to the Genius ……. on her own land and at her own expense”.

Mamia, of a noble Samnite family, was a priestess of Venus, the patron of Pompei and the mythical progenitor of the family of Augustus.

The temple of the Genius of Augustus was built sometime between 7 BC, when Augustus instituted the cult of his own person in Rome, and 2 BC, when the renovated theatre of Pompeii was inaugurated by Marcus Holconius Rufus, the first priest of the cult. The building has been tentatively identified as the so-called “Temple of Vespasian”, on the east side of the Forum.

The dedicator is a member of the collegium of ministri Mercurii et Maiae, who worshiped the emperor assimilated to the god Mercury. The cult was initially performed in the shrine in the Macellum. In the Claudian age, it was moved to the so-called Temple of the Public Lares in the Forum, rebuilt after the earthquake of AD 62. This probably explains why most of the inscriptions of this collegium, all datable between 25 BC and AD 40, were found scattered in other buildings.

(Mamia figlia di Publio sacerdotessa pubblica … al Genio … sul proprio suolo e proprio spese).

Mamia, di nobile origine sannitica, fu sacerdotessa di Venere, la dea protettrice della citta e mitica progenitrice della famiglia di Augusto. La costruzione del tempio del Genio di Augusto si colloca tra il 7 a.C., quando Augusto istituisce il culto a Roma, e il 2 a.C., anno dell’inaugurazione del rinnovato teatro di Pompei ad opera di Marco Olconio Rufo, che fu il primo sacerdote del culto. Si e proposto di identificare l’edificio con il cd. Tempio di Vespasiano, sul lato orientale del Foro.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. January 2023. Looking east across Temple, from entrance. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. January 2023. Looking east across Temple, from entrance. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. August 2021. Looking east across Temple, from entrance.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.9.2 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking east across Temple, from entrance. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking east.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. August 2021. Looking towards north wall.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. North wall.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. January 2023. Looking north-east. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking north-east.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking south-east, on right.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. Pre-1824 aquatint by Jakob Wilhelm Huber, “Restes du Temple de Mercure”.

See Huber, J. W., 1824. Vues pittoresques des ruines les plus remarquables de l’ancienne ville de Pompei, pl. IX.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019.

Looking south across towards vestibule on south side in south-west corner.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. July 2010. Vestibule south end. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Vestibule. South end.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. July 2010. Vestibule north end. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking towards vestibule at north end.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019.  North wall in north-west corner, with doorway into vestibule

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. July 2010.

Looking across altar to north-west corner and north side of vestibule. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking west along north wall.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking towards north wall.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of pillar along north wall towards west end.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of pillar along north wall towards west end.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of pillar along north wall towards centre.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of pillar along north wall towards centre.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii, May 2018. Looking towards north wall. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. September 2005. North wall.

According to Mau, at the time of the eruption in 79AD the wall had only received a rough coat of stucco and was still awaiting completion.

See Mau, A., 1907, translated by Kelsey F. W. Pompeii: Its Life and Art. New York: Macmillan. (Page 109).

VII.9.2 Pompeii, May 2018. Detail of upper north wall. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking towards north wall.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 793.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking east along north wall to north-east corner.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking north-east.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. December 2018. Looking across altar towards north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. Pre-1937-39. Looking across altar towards north-east corner.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1166.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. August 2021. Detail of east wall in north-east corner.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.9.2 Pompeii, May 2018.

Looking towards east wall between north wall and steps to cella, on its north side. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. July 2010.

East wall between north wall and cella. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.9.2 Pompeii, May 2018. Steps against north wall of cella, looking towards stucco on base. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.9.2 Pompeii, May 2018. Steps to cella on north side, remaining decoration. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. August 2021. Steps to cella on north side of podium.

Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking towards steps on north side of cella.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking south to stairs to podium at north end of cella.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Steps at north end of podium to cella.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. July 2010. Steps to podium against north wall of cella. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking towards south-east corner on north side of podium/cella.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Marble veneer in south-east corner on north side of cella/podium.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. July 2017. Detail of marble veneer.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Looking east along detail of marble veneer in south-east corner on north side of cella/podium.

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

VII.9.2 Pompeii. March 2019. Detail of base of marble veneer

Foto Anne Kleineberg, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

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