VI.9.5 Pompeii. Casa del Centauro or House of Centaur or Casa di A. Vettius Caprasius Felix.

Rear entrances at VI.9.10, VI.9.11. Linked to VI.9.4, VI.9.3 and VI.9.12.

Excavated 1827. (Strada di Mercurio 12).

Part 1      Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      VI.9.3      VI.9.4      VI.9.10      VI.9.11      VI.9.12      VI.9.3-5 and VI.9.10-12 Plan

VI.9.5 Pompeii, on left. From the city walls looking south along Via di Mercurio. VI.7, on the right.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. 1830 drawing by Gell of graffiti outside the house.

See Gell, W. Sketchbook of Pompeii, c.1830.

See book from Van Der Poel Campanian Collection on Getty website http://hdl.handle.net/10020/2002m16b425

The Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby records

M(arcum) Cerrinium Vatiam / aed(ilem) o(ro) v(os) f(aciatis) et [CIL IV 177]

CIL IV 1296 records: ad dextram ostii n. 12, litteris praeter S quadratis. - In muro aedium del Centauro prope pictam n. 177 GELL.

ROMVLVS  [CIL IV 1296]

Descripsi. - Eandem exhibere videntur Gell 1832 II p. 47, Garrucci XXVII 41, Ritschl P. L. M. tab. XVI 13 (ex delineatione Fiorellii), Mommsenus in schedis. ·

RO·ROMVLVS et infra PRIMVS Gell., qui graphio scriptam esse indicare neclexit.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance doorway and fauces 14.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W673. Looking east from Via Mercurio towards entrance doorway.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance on Via di Mercurio. 

VI.9.5 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking east from entrance doorway, along fauces 14 to Corinthian atrium 16.

The doorway into room 15, and VI.9.4, is on the left. 

According to Niccolini –

“The entrance corridor for the second house had, on its left, the below-stairs of the steps mentioned (in VI.9.4) which were probably occupied by the porter.

It was noted that the atrium, in place of the usual impluvium, had a garden in the middle surrounded by a portico supported by columns.

To the right of the entrance doorway, we see a cubiculum and an oecus, and on the south side there is a second garden also surrounded by a portico and being flanked on one side by a small storeroom/cupboard and a triclinium, and on the other side by a windowed cubiculum and a corridor, which led to the kitchen and various rustic rooms underneath the garden area, opening onto the eastern roadway (at VI.9.10).

In the same atrium we have the doorway into a windowed cubiculum and a room containing a large closet used to keep the clothing, and on the north side we have the doorway preceded by three steps, which gave access to the house already described (at VI.9.3).

At the rear of the atrium was the tablinum, which had two niches for statues carved in its wall.

At one time it was decorated by two large paintings which today can be seen in the Naples Archaeological Museum, which were firstly Hercules, Nessus and Deianeira and secondly, Meleager and Atlanta.

On the left of the tablinum was a triclinium, and on the right was an oecus, both of which having an entrance into the garden area, which was at the back; at the rear was the posticum (at VI.9.11) adjacent to that of the corridor mentioned above.”

See Niccolini F, 1862. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Secondo. Napoli, p.35.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking across Corinthian atrium 16 towards tablinum 26.

According to Jashemski, the atrium was enclosed with sixteen white columns.

In place of an impluvium there was a viridarium with a small pool in the centre.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.138).

VI.9.5 Pompeii. c.1830. Drawing by Gell.

According to Gell these are signs found on the columns in the court of the house beyond that of the Dioscuri.

Columns are with Doric flutes and Capitals as below.

See Gell, W. Sketchbook of Pompeii, c.1830.

See book from Van Der Poel Campanian Collection on Getty website http://hdl.handle.net/10020/2002m16b425

CIL IV 1299 records: ibidem in ordinis antici columna a sinistra secunda.

ASTI

VS

Tab. XXI 7 ex meo apographo. - Gell 1832 II tab. XLIX et p. 122; Garrucci XXVII 86.

Figuram prius incisam esse patet; alias eiusmodi figuras Gellius I. c. exhibet.

CIL IV 1297 records: in peristylio a aedium n. 12 in ordinis antici columna prima a dextra, litteris quadratis.

Q_RVSTI//

Q

Descripsi. - Gell 1. c. male.

Idem in alia eiusdem columnae parte sub 1298 repetitum est, nisi quod v. 1 Q_RVST.

--- In ordinis dextri columna quarta legi RV-S///////.

CIL IV 1298 records: in eadem columna litteris quadratis clarissimis.

DMVS 0,02i

Descripsi.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. c.1828.  Description and sketches by Gell of tiles and antefixes found.

See Gell, W: Sketchbook of Pompeii, c.1830.

See book from Van Der Poel Campanian Collection on Getty website http://hdl.handle.net/10020/2002m16b425

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W701. Corinthian atrium 16, looking across north portico towards north-west corner.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W703. Looking east along north portico of Corinthian atrium 16.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W702.  Corinthian atrium 16, north wall, looking east.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W699 Steps on north side of Corinthian atrium 16, leading up to Tuscan atrium 4, in VI.9.3.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W706. Corinthian atrium 16, looking into north-east corner.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii.  W705.  Corinthian atrium 16, looking towards north-east corner along east portico.

The doorway to room 27 can be seen on the right.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W704. Looking south-east across north portico to tablinum 26 and room 28.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. c.1840. Detail of painted stucco at top of a column in the Casa del Centauro.

Painting by James William Wild, (1814-1892, artist).

Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum, inventory number E.3968-1938.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W707. Corinthian atrium 16, looking north-west from east portico.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. W708. Corinthian atrium 16, statue base near east portico.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

VI.9.5 Pompeii. May 2005.

Looking east from vestibule into remains of Corinthian atrium 16, and across to remains of triclinium 27, and tablinum 26. 

VI.9.5 Pompeii. September 2004. Looking east across site of dividing wall of two houses. VI.9.3 is on left, linked to VI.9.5 on right.

Part 2      Part 3      Part 4      VI.9.3      VI.9.4      VI.9.10      VI.9.11      VI.9.12      VI.9.3-5 and VI.9.10-12 Plan