I.4.25 Pompeii. Domus L. Rapinasi Optati

I.4.5 Casa del Citarista or House of the Citharist or Casa di Apollo citaredo or House of the Lyre Player or Domus L Popidius Secundus (Augustianus).

Quick Outline

This page has been created to give an appreciation of the main rooms and three peristyle areas of the very large Casa del Citarista which has entrances at I.4.5 and I.4.25.

If you are then interested to see the house and garden areas in more detail, they can be seen using the links below.

Entrance, Atrium 47      Atrium 6 West      Lower Peristyle      Middle Peristyle      Middle Peristyle West      Upper Peristyle      Service and Baths areas

Combined I.4.25/5 room plan

I.4.25 Pompeii. March 2018. Looking towards west side of entrance doorway.

A small face is set into the wall on the right above the name sign.

Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020.

Looking south across atrium 47, towards doorway to upper peristyle, from entrance corridor.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 47, looking towards north-west corner of atrium.

A puteal with a decorated upper rim stands at one end of the impluvium.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 47, looking towards west side of atrium.

In room 51 on the left can be seen an elevated area that supported two big strongboxes.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2019. Room 47, looking towards east side of atrium.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Atrium 47, looking south towards doorway to north portico.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020.

Looking across north portico of upper peristyle 56, with open doorway to atrium 47, looking north across to entrance corridor.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Upper Peristyle 56, looking west along north portico.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Upper Peristyle 56, looking south-west from north-east corner of portico.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020.

East portico of upper peristyle 56, with doorways to room 60, on left, room 58, in centre, and room 59, on right.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020.

Upper Peristyle 56, looking west along south portico towards steps down to Middle Peristyle 17.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Middle Peristyle 17, looking towards east end.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. 1966. View of east end of middle peristyle 17 from stairs to upper peristyle 56. 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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I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Looking south from Middle Peristyle 17, towards windows into Lower Peristyle 32.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

According to Jashemski –

The long wall separating the centre (Middle) peristyle from the south (Lower) peristyle has six windows and two doors which afforded a magnificent view into the southern peristyle.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Middle Peristyle 17, looking towards west end, and large room 18.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2006. Room 18, exedra on west side of middle peristyle 17.

In this room was found a painting of an old man with a grey beard that is now in Naples Museum.

I.4.25 Pompeii. 1966. View of west end of middle peristyle 17 from stairs to upper peristyle 56. 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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I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Middle Peristyle 17, looking north-west across peristyle garden and pool from south portico.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Middle Peristyle 17, looking north along west portico from south-west corner.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25/1.4.5 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 14, tablinum, looking west across atrium 6 towards entrance doorway at I.4.5.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25/1.4.5 Pompeii. September 2020.

Room 14, tablinum, looking north-east from atrium 6 (of I.4.5), towards north wall of tablinum, with Corridor 15 from Middle Peristyle, on its left.

Portrait bronze busts of a man and woman, presumed to be of the owners, were found in the atrium.

It is likely the two were a pair, placed on herms on either side of the entrance to the tablinum.

Both are now in the Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number (Man) 4989 and (Woman) 4990

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Middle Peristyle 17, looking east from west portico.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Middle Peristyle 17, semi-circular basin and pool, looking east from west portico. 

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2004. Middle Peristyle 17, looking east across semi-circular marble basin and pool.

Around the marble basin are bronze replicas of statues of a cobra, a lion and a boar being attacked by dogs.

The original statues are now in Naples Archaeological Museum.

Remains of Roman lead pipes can be seen in the wall of the rectangular pool.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020.

Middle Peristyle 17, looking south-west along south portico, with doorway to Lower Peristyle 32, centre left. 

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Lower Peristyle 32, looking west along north wall with windows separating it from Middle Peristyle 17.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 33, small room on east side of lower peristyle 32.

A reproduction bronze statue of Apollo playing the cithara.

The original that gave the name to the house was found in the middle peristyle 17.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020.

Lower Peristyle 32, looking north-west towards doorway threshold and south-east portico, from room 35.

In this room were wall paintings of Iphigenia in Tauris with Thoas, Orestes and Pylades, and Bacchus discovering the abandoned Ariadne.

In the floor are the remains of a meander pattern mosaic.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. 1966. Looking north-west across the lower peristyle 32, from outside room 35. 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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I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007. Doorway to room 37, triclinium on west side of lower peristyle 32.

According to Tatiana Warscher in 1942 the room gave the impression of total devastation: it was difficult to see that it had been adorned with paintings.

In this room the paintings of Endymion and Selene, Adonis and Aphrodite, and Io, Argo and Mercury were found that are now in Naples Museum.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007. Room 19, triclinium of Antiope. Looking east from entrance doorway.

In this room was found a painting of Antiope sleeping by a stream. There are remains of a mosaic floor.

I.4.25 Pompeii. December 2007.

Doorway to room 20, the cubiculum of Mars and Venus with an antechamber at the front.

In this room were found paintings of The Love of Mars and Venus, Leda and the Swan, and a painting interpreted as either Apollo and Poseidon at the court of Laomedon, King of Troy or Achilles and Phoenix guarding the wounded Greek hero Telephus.

I.4.25 Pompeii. September 2020. Room 21, looking towards north-east corner and east wall.

In the left wall was found a painting of the Judgement of Paris.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25 Pompeii. October 2019. Doorway to room 23, in east wall of room 21.

In this room are paintings of Midas learning of the defeat of Marsyas, Apollo with his lyre, and a painting interpreted as either a musical contest or Pindar and Corrina.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.

I.4.25/I.4.5 Pompeii. October 2019.

Corridor 13A/unnumbered corridor on north side of room 13, lead pipe and valve on north side of steps/doorway into room 38, on left.

Foto Tobias Busen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.