II.1.1 Pompeii. Caupona of Hermes. Linked to II.1.13.

Street front excavated 1915. Completely excavated 1950 to 1951.

Restored 1987 and 2004.

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Entrance and restored balcony on upper floor.

According to Frohlich and Boyce, on the pillars on both sides of the entrance a painting of Hercules on the right, and Mercury on the left were found.

Both of these have now faded and vanished.

See Fröhlich, T., 1991. Lararien und Fassadenbilder in den Vesuvstädten. Mainz: von Zabern. (F14)

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.110, no.5 (as II.iv.1)

 

According to Della Corte, on the left side of the entrance the graffiti recalled the names of the girls working here

Palmyra sitifera     [CIL IV 8475]

[?....]trena culibonia     [CIL IV 8473]

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p. 366)

 

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

Pamhira si[t]ifera     [CIL IV 8475]

]matrona culibonia     [CIL IV 8473]

 

According to Varone and Stefani, to the left of the entrance, but nearer the entrance II.1.2, the following could be read:

(Pop]idium  Secundum

[aed(ilem)]  Primio  rog(at)     [CIL IV 7495]

See Varone, A. and Stefani, G., 2009. Titulorum Pictorum Pompeianorum, Rome: L’erma di Bretschneider, (p.179)

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. September 2005. Bench outside II.1.1

According to Della Corte, found here on the corner pilaster to the right of the doorway, was CIL IV 7489.

This gave the name of the keeper of this caupona – Hermes cupit  [CIL IV 7489]

 

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

 

Popidium  Secundum

aed(ilem)  d(ignum)  r(ei)  p(ublicae)  o(ro)  v(os)  f(aciatis)  Hermes

cupit      [CIL IV 7489]

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. 1917. Entrance when first excavated, with graffiti shown to right.

See Spinazzola in Notizie di Scavi, 1917, (p.252, fig.5)

On the right side of the entrance, above the bench near the corner of the insula, graffiti were found.

See Varone, A. and Stefani, G., 2009. Titulorum Pictorum Pompeianorum, Rome: L’erma di Bretschneider, (p.179-80)

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

 

Popidium  Secundum

aed(ilem)  d(ignum)  r(ei)  p(ublicae)  o(ro)  v(os)  f(aciatis)  Hermes

cupit      [CIL IV 7489]

 

L(ucium)  Ceium  Secundum

II vir(um)

rogant  clientes    [CIL IV 7490]

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. September 2005. Bench outside II.1.1

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking south-east across east side from north-east corner.

To the left of the counter were three display shelves, painted in red ornamented with white lines.

These were intended to display the crockery and glassware for the customer’s drinks.

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. December 2006. East wall with display shelves in north-east corner.

When excavated parts of the conserved base of the east and west wall showed painted stucco with red droplets.

On the surviving part of the east wall, painted decoration - including  panels painted with yellow lines of small leaves on a red background - could be seen.

See Notizie di Scavi, 1917, (p.251)

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. Drawing of graffiti, found on the east wall.

According to Della Corte, on 4^th September 1916, two graffiti were found at the top of the preserved red stucco of the east wall of the bar.

He could read the remains of this graffito traced with chalk.

It read –

ut te…

Carminio…

lega…

cas…

pytr…

See Della Corte, M. (Epigrafi inedite) in Maiuri, A., 1928. Nuovi Scavi nella Via dell’Abbondanza. Milano: Hoepli. (p.92 & Tav.X)

 

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

 

Ut te

Carminio

Lega

Cas

pyta        [CIL IV 8476a]

 

 

 

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. Drawing of graffiti, found on the east wall.

According to Della Corte, on 4^th September 1916, two graffiti were found at the top of the preserved red stucco of the east wall of the bar.

He could read the remains of this graffito traced with chalk.

It read –

Capre(n)s(is ?)…

X Ka(lendas)…

p. i… o t a c n ?

V… v  s…

Idu(s)  a…

VII K(al)…

IX K(al)…

See Della Corte, M. (Epigrafi inedite) in Maiuri, A., 1928. Nuovi Scavi nella Via dell’Abbondanza. Milano: Hoepli. (p.92 & Tav.X)

 

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

 

Capre(n)/s(es)

X Ka[l(endas)]

pi ctacn

v //

Idu(s) a

VII

IX K(alendas)       [CIL IV 8476b]

 

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking south towards two sided counter.

According to NdS, the masonry of the counter was covered in stucco, which was painted to imitate a beautiful design of rich polychrome marble inlay.

In the centre of the front of the counter was a yellow circle, at the sides of it were two narrow vertical rectangles.

These were of white marble veined with green lozenges.

At either end of the counter were two narrow vertical rectangles of yellow.

At the top, it was finished with a band of white marble.

The base was painted with a red background.

The exterior side of the counter was also painted, it showed three large Iris plants with birds flying between them.

At the south end of the side counter, a bronze cauldron was found.

It was round with a cylindrical neck, and without a lid, it was 0.80 high.

Beneath it there was a small hearth. 

See Notizie di Scavi, 1917, (p.250)

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Counter and east wall.

In the south-east corner there was a niche of a lararium to Venus which is no longer visible.

According to Boyce, the arched niche on the east wall had a painted blue border.

In front of it stood a small table decorated with metopes.

Nothing was found in the niche, but when the soil under the niche was investigated, fragments of a pseudo-alabaster statuette of Venus was found.

It was of very rough workmanship but had been gilded originally.

In front of the image of the goddess stood a small altar of terracotta.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.30, no.61)

Boyce gives a reference to Not. Scavi 1917, 251, with a photograph of the statuette, on p.253.

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. 1917.

Pseudo-alabaster statuette of Venus found in fragments below the lararium niche.

It was of very rough workmanship but had been gilded originally.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1917, p. 251-3, fig. 6.

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. December 2006. East wall.

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking south towards rear and II.1.13.

According to Jashemski, the living quarters behind the bar, linked to II.1.13, had a small garden in the rear south-east corner.

The east wall had broken amphoras inserted in its top.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.75)

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. Blue glass paste necklace. SAP 10512.

Photographed at “A Day in Pompeii” exhibition at Melbourne Museum. September 2009.

 

II.1.1 Pompeii. September 2005. Via di Nocera on north-west corner at II.1.1.