VII.4.32 Pompeii. Shop. Linked to VII.4.31, VII.4.33 and VII.4.51.

VII.4.32 Pompeii. May 2010. Entrance, looking north-east to rear room leading to entrance at VII.4.33.

VII.4.32 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking north across shop to rear room.

VII.4.32 from VII.4.33 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking south-west towards entrance.

VII.4.32 Pompeii. May 2010. West wall of shop.

VII.4.32 Pompeii. May 2010. North wall of shop, and small rear room.

VII.4.32 Pompeii. May 2010. Small rear room. On the left side is an entrance into the atrium of VII.4.31.

VII.4.32 Pompeii. May 2010. East wall of shop.

VII.4.32 Pompeii. May 2010. Sill or threshold of shop.

VII.4.32 Pompeii. Drawing by Gell of phalli from the façade of the shop, near the entrance and inscription for Holconius and Priscus.

See Gell, W. Pompeii unpublished [Dessins de l'édition de 1832 donnant le résultat des fouilles post 1819 (?)] vol II, pl. 92 verso.

Bibliothèque de l'Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art, collections Jacques Doucet, Identifiant numérique Num MS180 (2).

See book in INHA Use Etalab Licence Ouverte

According to Gell –

“At the junction of the two streets (Vicolo di Eumachia leading into Via degli Augustali, then also known as Strada dei frutti secchi (Street of dried fruits), on a house at the angle (corner) inscribed M. HOLCONIUM and PRISCUM FELICEM. AED. O.V.F., is a species of triple Phallus in terracotta of singular invention.

Near this, in a house, is the picture of a graceful young Bacchus expressing the juice of the grape into a vase placed on a column.

A rampant Tiger or Lynx (?Panther) is expecting the liquor.

On a pier is written

TREBIUM. AED. OVF.

   CVM.NARI. ROG.  [CIL IV. 677]

See Gell, W, 1832. Pompeiana: Vol 1. London: Jennings and Chaplin, (p.11 and 12).

According to CIL IV (1871), Gell had read CIL IV 677 wrongly, especially the second line of the inscription above, they transcribed it as –

TREBIUM . AED . OVF.

CLIBANARI . ROG .   [CIL IV 677]

(Note:

The inscription for HOLCONIVM AND PRISCVM would have been seen on a pillar at the side of VII.4.32.

The painting of the graceful young Bacchus was from a pillar at the side of VII.9.28.

The inscription for TREBIUM was written on the pilaster/wall on the north side of Vicolo del Balcone Pensile, on the right (east) by the posticum of the Pantheon, VII.9.41/2.)

According to PAH – 7th July 1822

“The clearing of the noted roadway is advancing a lot, and we are near to meeting the other begun to be excavated in the past year 1821, which remains on the side facing to the Civil Forum on the sides of the east and north, in which there are other buildings still buried, and perhaps of some consideration, such as some that have already been brought to light.

In a pillar to the right of the aforementioned road, a graceful figure of Bacchus had been painted in the act of pressing a bunch of grapes into a vase, and a tiger at his feet who rises eagerly to taste it. In the meantime, I have ordered that this painting be secured with a small canopy like the others, and that the usual necessary restorations of the collapsing walls of the shops discovered so far be continued.”

See PAH, II, 7th July 1822, p.55-56

According to PAH - 29th July 1822

In the last week, just received the report by Scognamiglio, he had worked in the same place well known to him, where one of the usual fountains of travertine, which can be seen at the crossroads and junctions of that buried city.

In the façade of a house that remains behind the named fountain we can read various inscriptions, following here transcribed with all accuracy.

On the pillar near to the fountain, one could read with the usual distressed red letters:

CAPRASIVM

FELICEM                   [CIL IV 564]

M . HOLCONIVM       [CIL IV 565]

On another pilaster of the following shop, the following could be seen written in the usual red letters but small:

CVSPIVM

PANSAM . AED

IVVENEM . PROBVM

DIGNVM . REI . P . OVF (mon.)         [CIL IV 566]

and underneath –

CAPRASIVM      FELICEM

                         AED OVF (mon.)

                         PHILIPPVS              [CIL IV 567]

On another pilaster of the shop facing the described, also in red, one could read:

VETTIUM . FELICEM

        AED . ROG                               [CIL IV 615, near to 567]

And on the following pilaster with the same letters but in black, there was written:

M . CERRINIVM . AED

   DONATVS . ROG.                           [CIL IV 616]

According to PAH - 4th August 1822 –

Continuing the clearing in the same noted street, a painted brick was found above the last shop on the left, in which a Priapus in the shape of an animal, measuring 1 pal squared, (0.26m sq.) was carved in bas-relief, on the side of which there were two others shown in different situations. 

I will therefore be careful to receive orders, if one has to remove it from the aforementioned site as an obscene object, or since its shape is not entirely clear for everyone, let it remain in the same way that another similar object was discovered above another shop excavated a short while: since the ancient Pompeians used to locate such objects, as it was well known to them, above their dwellings, as is used among us with the horns of animals, and with several other amulets.

See PAH II, 1822, p.57-58.

(PAH 7 Luglio 1822 –

Lo sterramento della nota strada si avanza di molto, e si sta prossimo ad incontrare l’altra incominciata a disterrarsi nel prossimo passato anno 1821, che resta al lato opposto del Foro civile ne’lati di levante e settentrione, in cui esistono seppelliti ancora altri edifizi, e forse di qualche considerazione, come alcuni che sono stati di gia posti alla luce. In un pilastro a destra della strada suddetta, si era scoperta dipinta una graziosa figura di Bacco in atto di premere un grappolo di uva dentro un vase, ed una tigre a’suoi piedi che si alza desiderosa di gustarla. Io ho disposto intanto, che venga cautelata questa dipintura con piccola tettoia come le altre, e chi si continuino le solite necessarie restaurazioni de’muri crollanti delle botteghe sinora scoperte.

Vedi PAH, II, 1822, p.55-56).

(29 Luglio 1822 -

Nella prossima scorsa settimana, giusta il rapporto ricevuto dal sorvegliante Scognamiglio, si era travagliato nello stesso locale a lei ben noto, dove si era disterrata una delle solite fontane di pietra di travertino, che si vedono nei bivi, trivi e quadrivi delle strade di quella sepolta citta. Nel prospetto di un’abitazione che resta dietro della nominata fontano si leggono varie inscrizioni, qui in seguito trascritte con tutta esattezza.

Nel pilastro vicino di essa fontana si legge colle solite lettere malconce di rosso:

CAPRASIVM

FELICEM                         [CIL IV 564]

M . HOLCONIVM              [CIL IV 565]

In un altro pilastro della bottega seguente, vedersi scritto colle solite lettere rosse piu piccole:

CVSPIVM

PANSAM . AED

IVVENEM . PROBVM

DIGNVM . REI . P . OVF (mon.)         [CIL IV 566]

e piu sotto –

CAPRASIVM      FELICEM

                         AED OVF (mon.)

                         PHILIPPVS              [CIL IV 567] 

In altro pilastro della bottega in fronte della descritta, anche di rosso si legge :

VETTIUM . FELICEM

        AED . ROG                               [CIL IV 615, vicino a 567]

E nel pilastro in seguito colle stesse lettere ma nere, vi era scritto:

M . CERRINIVM . AED

   DONATVS . ROG.                           [CIL IV 616]      

(4 Agosto 1822 –

Continuandosi lo sterramento nella stessa nota strada, si era rinvenuto sopra l’ultima bottega a sinistra un quadretto costrutto di mattoni, in cui vedesi scolpito in bassorilievo un priapo a forma di animale, di misura pal. 1 in quadro, (0.26m sq) ai lati di quale ve ne sono due altri in diversa situazione espressi.

 Io dunque saro in attenzione di ricevere gli ordini, se dovra togliersi dal suddetto sito come oggetto osceno, oppure non essendo la sua forma interamente chiara per tutti, farlo rimanere nel modo stesso che trovasi un altro simile oggetto scolpito sopra altra bottega da piu tempo disterrata: poiche solevano gli antichi Pompeiani situare siffatti oggetti, come era a lei ben noto, sopra le loro abitazioni, come si usa fra noi colle corna di animali, e con diversi altri amuleti.)

Vedi PAH II, 1822, p.57-58).

Fountain outside VII.4.32 Via degli Augustali, Pompeii. December 2005.