VI.14.28 Pompeii. Taberna Lusoria. Excavated 1876.

 

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. December 2006.

Looking north-west on Via del Vesuvio towards entrance, and showing remains of upper floor.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. Old undated photograph. View showing upper floor and wall paintings.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. About 1909. Via del Vesuvio, looking north.

Taberna Lusoria, on the left, showing upper storey, and plaque on outside wall. 

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. July 2010. Plaque on outside wall showing a “fritillus” between four phallus.

A fritillus was the vessel for dice-throwing. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. July 2010. Looking west across Via del Vesuvio. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance doorway and south wall.

According to Della Corte, found on the right door-jamb at the moment of excavation was the recommendation –

Alliari rog (ant)  [CIL IV 3485].

Instead of reading alia and aliarius, he believed that the words should have been read as alea and alearius, therefore he called it Taberna Lusoria Aleariorum.

Also found painted on the right, in the ground floor room, was Bacchus who with his wine made joy and merriment.

Also found was a painted Mercury, protector of players, swindlers, cheats and thieves.

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.90)

 

According to Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de), CIL IV 3485 reads as -

Cn(aeum) Helvium

Sabinum aed(ilem)

aliari rog(ant)      [CIL IV 3485]

 

According to Cooley, this translated as -

The dice-throwers ask for Cn. Helvius Sabinus.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii : A Sourcebook. London : Routledge.  (p.124, but she quotes CIL IV 3435, and not 3485)

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. May 2005. Doorway to room in south wall.

According to Della Corte, on the ground floor was a main room, with a small room on the south side.

He said graffiti found in this small room were –

 

VI idus febr(uarias), Vettia

(accepit a me?) denarios XX: usu (ra) (asses) XII.

 

Non(is) Febr(uariis) (Vettia accepit) a Faustilla

Denarios XV: usu(ra) a(sses) VIII.                         [CIL IV 4528]

 

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.94-5, and note 1)

 

According to Cooley, this translated as -

8 February. Vettia, 20 denarii: usury 12 asses. 5 February from Faustilla, 15 denarii: usury 8 asses.   [CIL IV 4528]

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii : A Sourcebook. London : Routledge.  (p.170)

 

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

IV Idus Feb(ruarias) Vettia

|(denariis) XX usu(ra) a(sses) XII

Nov(embres) Faustilla

|(denariis) XV usu(ra) a(sses) VIIII      [CIL IV 4528]

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. December 2006. South wall.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. December 2006. Looking west from entrance.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. December 2006. West wall.

According to Della Corte, in the north-west corner was a doorway linking with VI.14.30.

It led to steps to the upper floor, which had a further two rooms.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. May 2005. West wall.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii.  December 2006. North wall.

On the north wall was a painting of Venus fishing with the help of cupids.

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. 1878. North wall.

Painting of Venus fishing with the help of cupids.

See Presuhn E., 1878. Pompeji: Die Neuesten Ausgrabungen  von 1874 bis 1878. Leipzig: Weigel. (IV, Plate VII).

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.90-1, incl. Fig. 191 with painting of Venus)

See Schefold, K., 1962. Vergessenes Pompeji. Bern: Francke. (p.173 and Taf. 177.3)

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: (p.36, no. 146)

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. 1878. Also found were two little boys (or cupids) playing with a puppy and a bunch of grapes.

See Presuhn E., 1878. Pompeji: Die Neuesten Ausgrabungen  von 1874 bis 1878. Leipzig: Weigel. (IV, Plate VIII).

There were also flying cupids with all their pleasing attributes, lyre, tambourine, thyrsus, cornucopia, vases or plates for perfumed water, together with Polyphemus receiving Galatea’s letter from cupid.

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: (p.42, no.181 for description of painting of two cupids, or satyrs)

(p.78, no.472 for description of painting of Galatea and Polyphemus)

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. 1878. Polyphemus receiving Galatea’s letter from cupid.

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: (p. 78, no.472).

See Reinach S., 1922. Répertoire de peintures grecques et romaines. Paris Leroux. (172, 5)

 

VI.14.28 Pompeii. Cork model in Naples Archaeological Museum, showing area.

According to Della Corte, VI.14.28 consisted of a ground and an upper floor. The ground floor consisted of a small room to the south of the main room.

This communicated with a neighbouring room of passage in its north-west corner with the atrium of the Casa del Laocoonte, and by a wooden staircase to the upper floor. There were another two rooms on the upper floor. Mau observed there may have been another room on the upper floor, at one time in direct communication with the neighbouring room, but then had been walled up.

See Della Corte, M., 1965.  Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.90)

 

According to Garcia y Garcia, this was a real gambling den of the Roman period.

It was nearly completely destroyed by the nocturnal bombing of the 16th September 1943, with the ruin of the upper floor and nearly total loss of the decoration in IVth Style, that had been previously well preserved. 

See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.90-1, incl. figs 188-192)