IX.9.g Pompeii. Domus P. Aemili Celeris. Workshop dwelling.

Excavated 1888.

IX.9.f Pompeii (on left) May 2005. Entrance doorways, and IX.9.g (on right).

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance doorway.

According to Della Corte, the name of the owner was found painted and written many times at the side of the entrance, as well as in the vicolo.

See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.166)

Found painted were –

Aemilius Celer hic habitat     [CIL IV 3794] 

P. Aemilius Celer     [CIL IV 3790] 

Aemilius Celer          [CIL IV 3792]

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

Ae[mili]us Celer hic habitat      [CIL IV 3794]

P(ublius) Aemilius Celer           [CIL IV 3790]

Aemilius Celer                             [CIL IV 3792]

Graffitied were –

Celer           [CIL IV 5288, and 5289 a e b ]

P. Aemiliu(s)                      [g]

Celer amicu(s)                             [CIL IV 5291, h,i,k,j] 

Ce(ler), Celer, Ce(ler), Ce(ler)   [CIL IV 5994, a-d]

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

Celer            [CIL IV 5288]

Celer / Celer       [CIL IV 5289]
P(ublicus) Aemilius / M() / Il / iu amicu      [CIL IV 5291]

Chl                [CIL IV 5994]

IX.9.g Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance doorway, looking east.

According to NdS, this was the doorway to a modest house but had a painting advertising that this was the house of a “painter of electoral programmata”.

The doorway led directly into the small atrium which had an attic above, as in the previous house (IX.9.f).

The upstairs room had a balcony which jutted out into the roadway, but this had completely fallen when found.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1891, p.264.

According to NdS, a graffito was found written in charcoal, on the inner surface of the right doorjamb.

The doorjamb was faced with yellow painted plaster imitating coloured marble.

The graffito showed  -

……… XV| K AVG

XXX XXXV

LXX XV K AVG XL

LXX LX

LXX LX

LXX LX

L.. LX F

LXXX XIIII K aVG LX

LXXXX LX

….. xL xxxC • xLx

According to Sogliano, a drawing found on the right doorjamb showed a male figure in black outline (0.16 high).

This was drawn almost from behind his shoulders, stretching his right hand forward, as if in the act of signing something on the wall, and was perceived certainly to be Aemilius Celer, shown in the act of painting slogans on the house-walls of Pompeii.

Underneath in black letters, nearly vanished, was the wording - aemiliVS CELER.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1888, p.520 (recorded as being from IX.7, near the seventh doorway in the side street)

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009.

Looking east across small atrium, to doorway to rustic cubiculum (on left), and area of light-yard, (behind the atrium on the right).

According to NdS, the atrium was of an irregular shape.

In the middle of the front of the atrium was the cistern, the mouth of which was covered by a terracotta puteal.

On the right of the entrance was a cubiculum with a high window overlooking the roadway.

On the left was the latrine and the base of the Sarno stone staircase, by which one went up to the upper room and balcony.

Opposite on the east side of the atrium was another rustic cubiculum.

In the south-west corner of the atrium, a small hearth protected by a vaulted roof was found.

This kitchen area was formed by the east wall of the cubiculum, the south wall of the atrium, and the wall of the impluvium.

The impluvium was placed against the south wall of the atrium.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1891, p.264.

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. North-west corner of atrium, on north side of entrance doorway.

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. Area in north-west corner of atrium, site of latrine.

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. Looking north across atrium, to steps to upper floor, and latrine.

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. Looking south into doorway into cubiculum on south side of entrance atrium.

On the left would be the east wall of the cubiculum, and straight ahead would be the south wall.

The small hearth in the kitchen area would have been in the area behind the east wall, on the left.

Boyce’s west wall would have been the other side of this “east wall”.

According to Boyce, the hearth stood against the south wall of the atrium and on the west wall near it was the lararium painting.

Found in the cubiculum on the right of the entrance doorway was a small altar composed of a terracotta cylinder supporting a square plate of travertine.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p. 94, no. 469)

According to Giacobello, on the south wall of kitchen (e) was a lararium painting (not conserved).

Perhaps this does not apply to this house, as it is headed IX.9.7, (IX.9.g?)

See Giacobello, F., 2008. Larari Pompeiani: Iconografia e culto dei Lari in ambito domestico. Milano: LED Edizioni. (p.216)

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of cubiculum, on south side of entrance doorway. 

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to other rustic cubiculum, on east side of atrium.

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. East wall of cubiculum. 

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. Looking east across light-yard towards doorway to triclinium.

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. East wall of triclinium. 

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. North wall of triclinium. 

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of triclinium, with remains of painted plaster.

According to NdS, the decoration in the triclinium consisted of red and yellow panels, a black zoccolo at the base, and a frieze with white background.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1891, p.265

IX.9.g Pompeii. March 2009. West wall of triclinium with a window onto the light-yard, as well as a doorway.