IX.2.16 Pompeii. House of Titus Dentatius Panthera or Casa di Bellerofonte

or Casa della Principessa Margherita. Linked to IX.2.15.

Excavated 1867, 1869, 1870 and 1876. Restored 1986.

Part 2      Part 3      Part 1

IX.2.16 Pompeii. December 2007. Atrium, looking south along fauces to main entrance.

On 4th March 1869, a seal attributed to Tito Decio (?) Panthera, was found here.

According to Fiorelli, the two rooms on either side of the entrance corridor were cubicula.

Found in the cubiculum on the left, on the south wall, was a painting of a landscape.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1871, (p.201).

IX.2.16 Pompeii. 4th March 1869. seal attributed to Tito Decio (?) Panthera, found in the atrium.

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

T(iti) D() M(arci) f(ilii) Men(enia)

Pantherae      [CIL X 8058, 29]

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 4738.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. 4th March 1869.

Urn symbol on handle of seal attributed to Tito Decio (?) Panthera, found in the atrium.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 4738.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. December 2007.  

South-west corner of atrium, with doorway to cubiculum and corridor leading to garden area and the rear entrance at IX.2.15.

According to Bragantini, the floor of the cubiculum was of black and white mosaic.

The north wall of the cubiculum had a black dado.

The middle zone was red with an aedicula with the painting of Artemis and Acteon, which was on the west of the doorway.

Above it on a purple frieze was a painting of the death of Pelias.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.413-4, cubicolo ‘b’)

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1871, (p.200-204)

IX.2.16 Pompeii. Pre-1943. Cubiculum b, north wall, painting of Artemis and Acteon. Photo by Tatiana Warscher.

See Warscher, T. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus, IX.2. (1943), Swedish Institute, Rome. (no.61.), p. 140.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. Pre-1943. Cubiculum b, north wall, painting of Artemis and Acteon.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher.

See Warscher, T. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus, IX.2. (1943), Swedish Institute, Rome. (no.61a.), p. 140.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. W.359. Drawing of Artemis and Acteon from north wall, on the west side of doorway in cubiculum b.

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

See Peters, W.J.T., 1963. Landscape in Romano-Campanian Mural Painting, (p.105, pl.91)

See Dawson, C., 1944. Romano-Campanian Mythological Landscape Painting, (p.80, pl.1)

IX.2.16 Pompeii. Drawing of painting of the death of Pelias, from frieze on north wall.

Schefold: North wall, above Acteon: Pelias’s death by Medea.

Helbig: The death of Pelias. Bearded Pelias with three of his daughters. 

On the far right is Medea with a bunch of herbs in her outstretched hand.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1261b).

See Reinach S., 1922. Répertoire de peintures grecques et romaines. Paris Leroux. Taf. 195,6.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. W.360. Drawing of painting of the Childhood of Dionysus, from the east wall of the cubiculum.

Photo by Tatiana Warscher.

DAIR 83.223. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

According to Helbig the painting was of a Bacchic herm and cult objects.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (579b).

According to Bragantini, the east wall of the cubiculum had a dado which was discoloured and faded.

The middle zone was red with an aedicula containing the painting of Theseus abandoning Ariadne.

In the side panels, on the purple frieze, were two paintings, on the left “Childhood of Dionysus”, on the right “Dionysus and the nymph”   

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.413-4, cubicolo ‘b’)

According to Sogliano, the painting of Theseus abandoning Ariadne had nearly vanished from the wall.

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: Giannini. (p.97, no.533)

IX.2.16 Pompeii. 1867 drawing of wall painting of Bacchus between nymphs, from the east wall.

DAIR 83.224. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

See http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/reproduktion/3314991

See similar image by Tatiana Warscher, DAIR W.355.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (571b).

See Schefold, K., 1957. Die Wände Pompejis. Berlin: De Gruyter. (p.242 – Bacchus, Ephebe and nymph, but he says from west wall.)

According to Bragantini, the south wall of the cubiculum had a black dado which had faded.

The middle zone of the wall was red with a central painting of Endymion.

In the side panels, on the purple frieze, were two paintings, on the left “Punishment of Marsyas”, on the right “Orestes and Pylades”.

The upper zone was painted with architectural designs including caryatids, sirens and dancers.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.413-4, cubiculum ‘b’)

According to Sogliano, a painting of “Narcissus and female figure” had faded and nearly vanished from the wall.

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: Giannini. (p.119, no.592)

According to Schefold, Sogliano 592 from the south wall, was Endymion.

See Schefold, K., 1957. Die Wände Pompejis. Berlin: De Gruyter. (p.242)

IX.2.16 Pompeii. W.356. Drawing of wall painting of Apollo and Marsyas, from the south wall. Photo by Tatiana Warscher.

Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. 1867 drawing of wall painting of Apollo and the punishment of Marsyas, from the south wall.

DAIR 83.225. Photo © Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.

See http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/marbilder/5343125

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (231c).

See Schefold, K., 1957. Die Wände Pompejis. Berlin: De Gruyter. (p.242 -The punishment of Marsyas)

IX.2.16 Pompeii. W.362. Drawing of wall painting showing Orestes and Pylades, from the south wall.

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

Three women and two men. The bearded man on the right, next to the column, has his hands tied behind his back.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1401b item 1).

See Schefold, K., 1957. Die Wände Pompejis. Berlin: De Gruyter. (p. 242).

See Reinach S., 1922. Répertoire de peintures grecques et romaines. Paris Leroux. Taf. 170,5.

According to Bragantini, the west wall of the cubiculum had a discoloured dado which had faded.

The middle zone of the wall was red with a central painting of Atalanta and Meleager.

In the side panels, on the purple frieze, were two paintings, on the left “Paris and the hunters”, on the right, “Hunters and dog”

The upper zone was painted with architectural designs including caryatids, sirens and dancers.

See Bragantini, de Vos, Badoni, 1986. Pitture e Pavimenti di Pompei, Parte 3. Rome: ICCD. (p.413-4, cubiculum ‘b’)

According to Sogliano, the painting of Meleager had faded and vanished.

See Sogliano, A., 1879. Le pitture murali campane scoverte negli anni 1867-79. Napoli: Giannini. (p.89, no.509)

IX.2.16 Pompeii. Drawing of wall painting, showing possibly Paris and the Hunters, from the west wall.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1401b, item 4)

Schefold describes a king, a youth with Phrygian cap, possibly Paris or Absyrtus, and a hunter.

See Schefold, K., 1957. Die Wände Pompejis. Berlin: De Gruyter. (p. 242).

See Reinach S., 1922. Répertoire de peintures grecques et romaines. Paris Leroux. Taf. 217,5.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. W.362. Drawing of wall painting showing “Hunters and dog” from west wall.

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

A male figure wearing a Petasos (hat or helmet), Exomis (Greek tunic) and boots, sits on a stone under a tree.

He holds out his right hand, talking to a [severely faded] man who has his foot on a stone.

A large dog has his nose to the ground in the centre of the picture.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1401b, item 3)

See Schefold, K., 1957. Die Wände Pompejis. Berlin: De Gruyter. (p. 242).

See Reinach S., 1922. Répertoire de peintures grecques et romaines. Paris Leroux. Taf. 217,4.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. December 2007. North-west corner of atrium with blocked door to tablinum.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. December 2007.

Corridor from atrium leading west to garden area, which was also accessible from the west end of the tablinum.

The wall zoccolo was without colour, the middle zone of the wall was a simple white plaster.

At the end of the corridor, on the left, is a doorway to the room on the south side, described by Boyce as a triclinium with the remains of a lararium.

On the left, just past the doorway, in the south-east corner of the peristyle, is the small storeroom next to the staircase which, according to PPM, was the location of the lararium.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. December 2007.

Doorway to room on south side of corridor, described by Boyce as the triclinium, room “m” in PPM.

He said that on the north wall was a panel of white stucco bordered in red and within it was the lararium painting in two zones.

The two Lares stood in the upper zone, both with rhyton and situla, and the Genius stood between them pouring a libation onto an altar.

On the other side of the altar was the tibicen. 

In the lower zone, one yellow serpent was advancing left towards a painted altar of yellow marble with one egg.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14.  (p.81, no.394)

According to Trendelenburg in BdI, “from the fauces, a side door gave access to a square room.

The original decoration was not conserved, other than some traces of figurines placed in the red and black divisions on the wall, and the painted lararium divided into two zones”.

See Trendelenburg in BdI, 1871, (p.201)

According to Fiorelli,

“Dal tablino, e dalla fauce che vi si trova accanto, nel cui estremo e situato il triclinio, si passa nel giardino, che ha un larario…….”

“From the tablinum, and from the corridor that one finds nearby, in whose extremity was situated the triclinium, one passes into the garden, that had a lararium with the painting of a Genius sacrificing being assisted by a tibicen.

There were also two Lares and a serpent advancing towards the table.

Following on was a storeroom (apotheca), a masonry staircase to the upper floor, the kitchen and the latrine, placed beneath the abovementioned stairs, and another room, occupied perhaps by a servant that guarded the door”.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.142-3)

See Fiorelli, G., 1875. Descrizione di Pompei, (p.384)

According to Giacobello, the picture was in an apotheca (o) on the north wall, but is no longer visible, only Boyce’s description remains.

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.204-5)

IX.2.16 Pompeii. December 2007. North wall of triclinium, the room on east side of staircase, and south of corridor.

Note the system for securing the plaster to the walls adopted in the first years of the 20th century under Spinazzola.

In this room, the zoccolo was colourless, the middle zones of the walls were red with traces of panels separated by compartments.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. Pre-1943. Lararium painting on north wall of triclinium at east end of wall. Photo by Tatiana Warscher.

See Warscher, T. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus, IX.2. (1943), Swedish Institute, Rome. (no.71.), p. 156.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking west in garden area, and towards the north wall with niche.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. Pre-1943. North wall of pseudo-peristyle, with niche.

According to Warscher –

this rectangular niche with projecting floor was in the north wall (height 0.22, x width 0.34, depth 0.25, and height above the floor 1.40).

See Warscher, T. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus, IX.2. (1943), Swedish Institute, Rome. (no.82.), p. 164.

IX.2.16 Pompeii. March 2009. Niche in north wall.

IX.2.16 Pompeii.  December 2007. Niche on north wall. escribed by Boyce simply as a rectangular niche with projecting floor.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.81, no: 395)

IX.2.15/16 Pompeii. 1966. Looking south-west across garden area. 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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