IX.3.19 Pompeii. Shop and rooms. Taberna T. Genialis.

Linked to IX.3.20. Excavated 1870.

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IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance doorway.

According to Fiorelli, “the shop communicated with a bakery, whose doorway was in the eastern roadway (IX.3.20).

It seemed to have been used for the sale of bread, and next to the entrance threshold of the doorway, was a shallow masonry parapet/podium for the mortar, on the other side were the marks for the staircase to the upper floor, under which was installed a storeroom/cupboard with three tiers of shelves.

There were two triclinium lit by windows, the first of which was decorated with two figures of Bacchantes, one with thyrsus in hand and a basket on the head, the other carrying a thyrsus in the right hand and a vase in a basket in the left hand. There was also a head of Diana, facing forward, with quiver on the shoulder.

A corridor that led to the bakery, had at its extremity the entrance doorway to an oecus/triclinium furnished by two windows, the one facing south towards another triclinium, the other looking out onto the adjacent bakery.

The oecus/triclinium was decorated by two paintings alluding to the industry of the place.

The first of these showed Ceres, sitting majestically enthroned, behind which was a standing Proserpina carrying a box, and to the right Triptolemus mounting onto the cart pulled by two serpents, scattering the grain on the ground received from the god; whilst the Earth, seen from the back, sitting between two small Genii, clutching the horn of plenty.

The second painting showed Ariadne, laying by the sea on a bed of leaves with her head resting on a pillow, found by Bacchus who approached her led by a young Faun, followed by two Bacchantes, and two others that looked on from the top of a cliff.”

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.147)

See Fiorelli, G., 1875. Descrizione di Pompei, (p.397-8)

IX.3.19 Pompeii. 1964.

Looking towards entrance doorway, on north-west corner of junction with Vicolo di Tesmo. 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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IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2018.

Entrance doorway to shop-room of bakery. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

Found on the wall on the right side of the entrance doorway was the graffito -

Herennium et Suettium aed(iles)

Statia rog(at)      [CIL IV 3683]  

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p. 193).

IX.3.19 Pompeii. 1964.

Entrance doorway to shop-room of bakery. The corridor leading to/from the bakery is left of centre of photo. 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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IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2018.

Looking north across shop-room of bakery, the corridor to the bakery is on the left. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Doorway to corridor leading south from bakery at IX.3.20.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Corridor leading south from bakery at IX.3.20.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 11, west wall of oecus/triclinium on north-west side of corridor.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 11, west wall of oecus/triclinium on north-west side of corridor.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007.

Room 11, oecus/triclinium on north-west side of corridor. Wall painting of Triptolemus despatched by Ceres.

See Richardson, L., 2000. A Catalog of Identifiable Figure Painters of Ancient Pompeii, Herculaneum. Baltimore: John Hopkins. (p.83)

See Schefold, K., 1962. Vergessenes Pompeji. Bern: Francke. (T. 60).

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.147).

See Trendelenburg, in BdI, 1871, (p.208)

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 11, wall painting on west wall of oecus/triclinium on north-west side of corridor.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007.

Room 11, east wall of oecus/triclinium on north-west side of corridor. Remains of wall painting of Bacchus finding Ariadne.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. Room 11, east wall of oecus/triclinium on north-west side of corridor.

Drawing by Geremia Discanno, 1871, of wall painting of Bacchus finding Ariadne.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 1095.

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)

Kuivalainen describes –

“A composition of at least eight figures. In front, by the sea, a female figure sleeps on her back on a mattress of leaves, covered with a blue blanket; her head is resting on a high blue pillow; a purple cloak covers her legs. In the middle stands a fully robed youth wearing high boots, a red chiton, and a purple cloak; he is carrying a thyrsus and points towards the woman with his languid right hand, supported by the satyr on his right side. He wears a short cloak, a loincloth, and a pine crown. Behind these are several figures with thyrsi, and one with a tympanum, watching the scene.”

Kuivalainen comments –

“The scene of a fully robed Bacchus discovering Ariadne is depicted as seen from the sea. Exceptionally, she is lying on a mattress, as in E9.”

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, (p.152, E14).

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 11, north wall, with window of oecus/triclinium overlooking bakery.

In the south wall was another window giving light to one of the other triclinia.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 10 the shop-room, looking south through entrance doorway.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007.

Doorway to room 12, triclinium on west side of room 10, the shop-room.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 12, west wall of room on west side of room 10.

The zoccolo (or lower plinth) was purple/violet, the middle zone of the wall had a red central aedicula.

The upper zone of the wall was white and finished with a cornice of moulded stucco.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 12, north wall of triclinium, with window into oecus.

The making of the window interrupted the symmetrical structure of the IV style decoration on this wall.

This wall had a violet/purple zoccolo which was divided into panels and narrow compartments, which continued up onto the middle zone, painted with candelabra. In the middle of the wall was a red aedicula with a central painting, but only traces of the lower framework was still visible.

The side panels were yellow, and at their extremity were black panels, but now totally faded and appearing white.

In each of these side panels, was a medallion, also now faded, but the outline could be seen.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. IX. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.350)

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 10, the shop-room with the outline of staircase to upper floor, which is visible on the east wall.

Below the stairs would have been a small storeroom/cupboard, with remains of shelving supports on the east wall.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 10 the shop-room, with masonry parapet/podium on west side.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 10. Looking at entrance to room 13 on right, and corridor to bakery on left.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. May 2005. Room 10. Entrance to room 13 on right, and corridor to bakery on left.

IX.3.19 Pompeii. May 2005. Room 10, looking north along corridor to bakery.

IX.3.19 Pompeii.  December 2007. Room 13, a triclinium.

According to PPP, the only known decorations of this room were in the panels and showed vignettes of female flying figures.

According to Fiorelli,

“There were two triclinia lit by windows, the first of which was decorated with two figures of Bacchantes, one with thyrsus in hand and a basket on the head, the other carrying a thyrsus in the right hand and a vase in a basket in the left hand. There was also a head of Diana, facing forward, with quiver on the shoulder.”

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.147).

See Fiorelli, G., (1875). Descrizione di Pompei, (p.397-8).

IX.3.19 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 13, north wall with holes for the support beams for the upper floor.

IX.2 Pompeii, on left.           Vicolo leading to Via Stabiana & Via degli Augustali, looking west.                IX.3.19, on right.

IX.3.19 Taberna T. Genialis. Graffiti on wall between IX.3.18 and IX.3.19.

Old undated photograph courtesy of the Society of Antiquaries, Fox Collection.

According to Fiorelli, the wall that preceded this shop had varied and important graffiti. Some of them read:

M . C . M . AED . M . S . M AED

PYRAMVS . OLYMPIONICA

CALVOS . ROG  OVF

M. CASELLIVM . ET . L . ALBVCIVM . AED . OVF

STATIA . ET . PETRONIA . ROG . TALES . CIVES . IN . COLONIA . IN . PERPETVO

L . ALBVCIVM . CELSVM . AED

T. GENIALIS . INFANTIO . ROG

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.146-7)

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) these read

M(arcum) C(asellium) M(arcellum) aed(ilem) M(arcum) S() M() aed(ilem) /

Pyramus Olympionica

Calvos rog(ant)

o(ramus) v(os) f(aciatis)      [CIL IV 3674]

M(arcum) Casellium et L(ucium) Albucium aed(iles) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis)

Statia et Petronia rog(ant) tales cives in colonia in perpetuo      [CIL IV 3678]

L(ucium) Albucium Celsum aed(ilem)

T(itus) Genialis Infantio rog(at)      [CIL IV 3680]

According to Della Corte, he thought people working or living here were named on the surviving electoral propaganda.

3 men named as Pyramus, Calvus, and T. Genialis, with the writer being Infantio, and 3 women named as Statia, Petronia and Olympionica.

These three were found on the left of the entrance doorway, between IX.3.18 and IX.3.19:

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p. 193)

IX.3.19 Taberna T. Genialis. Graffiti on wall between IX.3.18 and IX.3.19.

Old undated photograph courtesy of the Society of Antiquaries, Fox Collection.

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