VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Casa dei Postumii or Domus M. Holconi Rufi or House of Holconius Rufus.

Linked to VIII.4.2, VIII.4.3, VIII.4.5, VIII.4.6, VIII.4.49 and VII.4.50.

Excavated 1766, 1855 and 1861.

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VIII.4.4 Pompeii. 1966.

Looking north across garden from south portico. 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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VIII.4.4 Pompeii. 1966.

Round marble table with column for a base, used as a fountain. 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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VIII.4.4 Pompeii. From a coloured album by M. Amodio, dated c.1880. Looking north across garden area. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Album by M. Amodio, c.1880, entitled “Pompei, destroyed on 23 November 79, discovered in 1748”.

Looking north. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Old photograph by Amodio, numbered 2983 in an album dated c.1873.

Looking north across garden from south portico. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Stereoview by G. Sommer, c. 1870s. Looking north across peristyle garden. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Old photo by Sommer, 1870.

Looking north across garden, including the fountain statuette on its base. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. From an Album by Roberto Rive dated 1868. Looking north across garden area. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii, 1978. Looking south-east across garden, without the statuette on its base. 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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VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Fountain and south portico of peristyle. Old undated photograph.

Courtesy of Society of Antiquaries, Fox Collection.

According to Dyer:

“Two of the rooms on the further side of the peristyle, and at the extremity of the house, are visible in this view.

The smaller one, on the left, appears to be a bedchamber.

The floor is of opus Signinum; the walls painted mostly red and yellow, apart from the usual architectural ornaments, also have pictures of Nereids riding through the waves on sea-monsters.

The picture facing the entrance, so far as can be made out, represented the Dioscuri.

Next to this room, on the right, is a large and handsome exedra, or retiring room.

It is paved with black and white marble and has in its middle a small impluvium or basin; from which we may infer that there was a corresponding aperture in the roof.

The walls were adorned with small but well-executed pictures.

On the facing wall was Narcissus admiring himself in the fountain.

On the left wall a Hermaphrodite leaning on the shoulder of Silenus could be seen.

On the right wall, Bacchus accompanied by his usual troop, discovering Ariadne.

See Dyer, Thomas, 1867: The Ruins of Pompeii. London: Bell and Daldy, (p.80).

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Looking south across garden and showing decorated walls of rooms 11 and 12 overlooking the south portico.

Photo by permission of the Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford. File name instarchbx202im 053a. Resource ID. 44491.

See photo on University of Oxford HEIR database

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking west along south portico.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Looking south across garden area to rooms overlooking the south portico, with doorway to room 12 on right.

This photo shows the decoration on the south wall in the room. On the left is the entrance to room 11, the exedra.

Photo by permission of the Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford. File name instarchbx202im 013 Resource ID. 44495

See photo on University of Oxford HEIR database

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 12 on south portico.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 12, looking south.

According to Helbig, this room contained the following paintings: Europa (128), Light Gods? (964) and Nereide (1030)

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 12, south wall.

In the red zoccolo, at the centre was a panel with a border, to the sides were narrow panels with birds and plants.

The middle yellow zone contained a painting at the centre showing “the contest of the divinity of the light” (H964).

The side panels were red; the upper zone was faded.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 12, east wall.

According to PPM, seen on one of the side walls, perhaps the east wall, was a painting of a Nereid.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1030.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Drawing by Nicola La Volpe, of painting from the east wall of room 12.

The design showed a Nereid, headless, shirtless, with a veil on her legs raised with the right hand, and leaning on a sea horse or sea bull, also headless, with front hooves and the coiled tail of a fish, that is moving to the right; two dolphins swim below. 

Nothing remains of the painting today.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 845.

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)

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 12, west wall.

According to PPM, seen on one of the side walls, (perhaps the west?), was the painting of Europa with Zeus disguised as the bull and described by Fiorelli in Giornale degli Scavi, 1861, p.82, as a Nereid.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 128.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. Drawing by Nicola La Volpe of the painting from the west wall of room 12.

The drawing depicts Europa, nude, viewed from behind, with cloth wrapped around an arm and a leg, clinging with both hands to the head of the bull (Zeus) that is carrying her to the left; a cupid at the top right tends the noose tied around the bull's head, while a dolphin swims down between the legs of the animal. 

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 846.

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)

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. September 2015. Looking north from VIII.4.44.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 12, collapsed floor?

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Area 13, looking west to south-west corner of south portico.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. December 2018.

Area 13, looking east from south-west corner along south portico. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii.  March 2009. Area 13, looking east from south-west corner along south portico.

Found scratched on one of the corner pillars of the portico was a proverb -

“If you want to waste time, scatter millet and pick it up again”. [CIL IV 2069]

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge. (p.78)

Fiorelli said this inscription was to be found on one of the corner pillars in the south portico:

IIIIORAM  SI  QVAIIRIIS
SPARGHII IIIIILIV IIT COL
L I G I I

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.127)

MORAM  SI  QVAERES

SPARGE  MILIV(m)  ET  COL

LIGE                                  [CIL IV.2069]

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.212).

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. December 2018. Area 13, looking north along west portico. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Area 13, looking north along west portico.

Among the graffiti found, was one on the right wall in the peristyle.

This was either for the purchase or perhaps the sale on a certain day in July of an unspecified year of 200 pounds of hog’s lard and 250 bunches of garlic.

IIX .  ID  IVLIAS  AXVNGIA  P . CC

ALIV . MANVPLOS  CCL         [CIL IV 2070]

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.127)

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.212)

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 14.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 14, west wall.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Looking east across garden from room 14.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii, c.1900’s. Looking east across south end of garden area. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 15.

VIII.4.4 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 15, south-west corner, with remains of wall plaster.

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