VIII.7.8 Pompeii. Workshop dwelling of M. Surus (Syrus) Garasenus, son of Dama.

Linked to VIII.7.7. Excavated 1764, 1873, 1906 and 2005 to 2010.

The Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia (PARP:PS) has been excavating VIII.7.1 to 15 since 2005.

For more detail see their annual research reports at http://www.fastionline.org/micro_view.php?itemkey=fst_cd&fst_cd=AIAC_356.

VIII.7.7 Pompeii, on left, and VIII.7.8. October 2024.

Looking north-west to entrance doorways on Via Stabiana. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.7.7 Pompeii, on left, and VIII.7.8. December 2018.

Looking west to entrance doorways on Via Stabiana. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010. Entrance on Via Stabiana. Looking west. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010. ID plate on north wall of entrance. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking north-west across workshop towards tablinum and cubiculum. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking west across the front room of the workshop towards corridor, tablinum and cubiculum, from entrance. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

According to Mau – this large (front) room was 7.30 x 8.40.

See Mau in BdI, 1875, (p. 165).

In 2007, just inside the threshold of the shop entrance, a tank and two 6.5m length by 2.7m width and 1.5m depth vaulted cisterns.

One cistern ran north to south along the entire length of the front room.

The other cistern ran east to west along the south wall and was connected to the first.

The remains of a drain were also excavated.

The excavation report proposes the question what was such a massive water supply needed or used for?

See http://www.fastionline.org/docs/FOLDER-it-2008-112.pdf .

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010.

Doorway to cubiculum on west side of shop. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

According to Della Corte, in 79AD in this ample shop with several communicating rooms, lived one Marcus Surus.

We cannot guess what commerce or industry was carried on in his shop.

However, we do know he was a veteran of the Misenum fleet, in which he had served for 26 years as a rower.

He was of Gerasa, a city of the Decapolis in Jordan/Palestine, and had transferred to Pompeii from Paestum.

In his cubiculum where he slept, was found preserved the authentic copy in bronze of the decree of his discharge in the year 71AD by Vespasian, by which he was accorded Roman citizenship. 

This decree was found on 16th July 1874 and is CIL X 867, and names M.  Damae f. Suro Garaseno.

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.263) 

See Wikipedia for description of ten cities of Decapolis.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 110043.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. Text of outer side parts 1 and 4 of the bronze decree of discharge found on 16th July 1874.

This names M. Surus Garasenus, son of Dama, and was issued on 5th April 71 A.D.       [CIL X 867].

See Giornale degli Scavi di Pompei 1874, NS3, 22, p. 53-4.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. Text of inner side parts 2 and 3 of the decree of discharge of M. Surus Garasenus, found on 16th July 1874.

See CIL X 867, which names M. DAMAE f. SVRO GARASENO.

See Giornale degli Scavi di Pompei 1874, NS3, 22, p. 53-4.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, (p.271, H89, where the decree is described as coming from a bedroom in a small shop in VIII.v.)

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. 1885 drawing showing style of first lines of decree of discharge of M. Surus Garasenus.

According to Hübner this is from the “Intus, tabella prior”:

Imp(erator) Caesar Vespasianus Aug(ustus)

pont{ifex) max(imus), tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) II, imp(erator) VI, p(ater) p(atriae)…..”      [CIL X 867].

See Hübner E., 1885. Exempla scripturae epigraphicae latinae a Caesaris dictatoris morte ad aetatem Iustiniani. Berlin: George Reimer. (820, p. 288).

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. Front part 1 of decree of discharge of M. Surus Garasenus.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 110043.

The Epigraphic Database Roma records

Ìmp(erator) Caesar Vespasianus Aug(ustus)
pont(ifex) max(imus), tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) I̅I̅, imp(erator) V̅I̅, p(ater) p(atriae),
co(n)s(ul) III, desig(natus) I̅I̅I̅I̅,
veteranìs, quì militaverunt in
classe Misenensi sub Sex(to) Luci=
lio Basso, qui sena et vicena sti=
pendia aut plura meruerant
et sunt deducti Paestum, quorûm
nomina subscripta sunt, ipsis li=
beris posterisque eorum civita=
tem dedit et conubium cum uxori=
bus, quas tunc habuissent, cum
est cìvitas iìs data, aut, si qui
caelibes essent, cum iìs quas
postea duxissent dum taxat
singuli singulas.
Nonis April(ibus)
Caesare Aug(usti) f(ilio) Domitiano,
Cn(aeo) Pedio Casco co(n)s(ulibus).
Gregalì
M(arco) Damae f(ilio), Suro Garaseno.
Descriptum et recognitum ex ta=
bula aenea, quae fixa est Romae
in Capitolio in podio arae
gentis Iuliae parte exteriore      [CIL X 867]

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. Inner part 2 of decree of discharge of M. Surus Garasenus.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 110043.

The Epigraphic Database Roma records

si quì caelibes essent, cum
iìs quas postea duxissent
dum taxat singulì singulas.
Nonis April(ibus)
Caesare Aug(usti) f(ilio) Domitiano,
Cn(aeo) Pedio Casco co(n)s(ulibus).
Gregali
M(arco) Damae f(ilio), Suro Garaseno.
Descriptum et recognitum
ex tabula aenea, quae fixa est
Romae in Capitolio in podìo
arae gentis Iuliae parte
exteriore      [CIL X 867]

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. Inner part 3 of decree of discharge of M. Surus Garasenus.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 110043.

The Epigraphic Database Roma records

Ìmp(erator) Caesar Vespasianus Aug(ustus),
pont(ifex) max(imus), tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) I̅I̅, imp(erator) VI, p(ater) p(atriae),
co(n)s(ul) III, desig(natus) I̅I̅I̅I̅,
veteranìs, quì militaverunt in
classe Misenensi sub Sex(to) Lucilio
Basso, quì sena et vicena stipendia
aut plura meruerant et sunt de=
ductì Paestum, quorum nomi=
na subscripta sunt, ipsis liberis
posterisque eorum civitatem de=
dit et conubium cum uxoribus,
quas tunc habuissent, cum est
cìvitas iìs data, aut,      [CIL X 867]

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. Signatures on part 4 of decree of discharge of M. Surus Garasenus.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 110043.

The Epigraphic Database Roma records this bears the signatures of

Appi Didi Praxiae, Laudiceni, eq(uitis) R(omani)
C(ai) Ìuli Agathocli, Laudiceni
Cn(aei) Cessi Cn(aei) f(ilii) Col(lina) Cesti, Antioches(is)
L(uci) Corneli Simonis, Caesarea Straton(is)
Ti(beri) Claudi Epaphroditi, Antioches(is)
C(ai) Ìuli Theopompi, Antiochesis
Ti(beri) Claudi Demosthenis, Laudic(eni)      [CIL X 867]

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking west into tablinum (or used as triclinium). Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking south-west from entrance doorway, towards south wall with kitchen/bench and corridor to rear, on left. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

According to Mau –

“In the north-west corner of the large room, there was the remains of a brick column, in the south-west corner there was a mass of masonry in the form of a bench or a low table, and at the foot of it towards the east were two round basins (diam. c.0.42), however of a not entirely regular shape, one of which widens in the lower part.”

See Mau in BdI, 1875, (p. 165 – Terza casa).

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. October 2024. Looking south at kitchen with bench, near south wall of shop. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010. Looking south at kitchen with bench, near south wall of shop. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. October 2024.

Looking west towards corridor along south side of workshop room. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking west along corridor to rear courtyard/workshop room. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010.

Doorway to small storeroom on north side of corridor. Looking north. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010.

Storeroom, looking west towards rear. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking east along corridor towards shop entrance on Via Stabiana, from rear workshop room.

Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010. Rear courtyard/workshop room, north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

According to Mau –

“.. and finally a corridor, through which you pass into a rough complex that I do not know whether it was a small courtyard or a covered room: it was too large to be the kitchen, which moreover is not to be found, nor are there any remains of the hearth.”

See Mau in BdI, 1875, (p.166).

(“…  e finalmente un corridoio, per cui si passa in un compreso rozzo che non so se fosse una piccola corte o un vano coperto: era troppo grande per essere la cucina, che d’altronde non si trova, ne vi si trovano avanzi del focolare.”)

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. September 2010. Rear courtyard/workshop room, south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

VIII.7.8 Pompeii, on left. 1966.

Looking east from rear of VIII.7.8 towards Via Stabiana, with steps to upper floor at VIII.7.7, centre right.

On the opposite side of Via Stabiana, I.1.8 can be seen.  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.

J66f0200

Mau’s report: Extract from Bull. Inst., 1875

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. 1875. Report by Mau.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1875 (p.165 – La terza casa).

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. 1875. Report by Mau.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1875 (p.166 – La terza casa).

VIII.7.8 Pompeii. 1875. Report by Mau.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1875 (p.166, note 1 – La terza casa).