Newly restored house in Pompeii offers glimpse of elite life

Table Of Content

• A Journey Through Black History in Miniature
• Ariadne abandoned by Theseus
• Infant Herakles strangling the snakes
• Institutional Portal of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii
• An Ancient Pompeii Home Filled With Erotic Frescoes Was Just Restored After Two Decades Of Work
• Clowning for Novices: History and Practice With Rose Carver

This is interesting when we consider that achieving the status of augustalis likely indicates that Conviva made a large donation to a public works project in Pompeii. Other works of art depict various figures and stories from Greek mythology, including a scene featuring Poseidon and another featuring a young Hercules crushing two snakes. Experts think that the house was owned by two freed enslaved laborers who built their wealth in the wine business. In 79 C.E., the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the site under volcanic ash; archaeologists excavated it in the late 19th century. First unearthed during archaeological excavations in the late 19th century, the home was closed in 2002 for urgent restoration work, including shoring up roofing. Pompeii's architect director of restoration work, Arianna Spinosa, called the restored home "one of the iconic houses of Pompeii".

A Journey Through Black History in Miniature

Its nearly 12,000 square feet are replete with bronze and marble sculptures, and its courtyard garden once boasted 12 spurting fountains—all of them stilled by the volcanic eruption that buried the city in 79. Elaborate frescoes adorning the mansion’s walls, which depict characters and stories from mythology, have elicited careful study by archeologists, classicists and historians since the site’s excavation in the mid 1890s. And this year, after a restoration that took two decades, its treasures are newly accessible to the public, in all their colorful detail. The House of the Vettii or Casa dei Vettii (VI xv,1) is a Roman townhouse (domus) located within the ruined ancient city of Pompeii, Italy. A volcanic eruption destroyed Pompeii in the year 79 C.E., thus preserving extraordinary archaeological remains of the Roman town as it was at the time of its cataclysmic destruction. Those remains constitute a nearly unparalleled resource for the study of the Roman world.

Ariadne abandoned by Theseus

“This is the house which tells the story of Roman society,” Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii archaeological park, told The Guardian. In conclusion, the House of the Vettii is a remarkable symbol of Pompeii’s past grandeur and the enduring legacy of Roman civilisation. From its magnificent frescoes and intricate architectural details to the compelling story of its owners, every aspect of this house offers a unique window into the life and culture of ancient Rome. The Vettii, who like many Roman slaves would have been freed in their early 20s, likely lived here with their wives and families, Potter says.

Infant Herakles strangling the snakes

Lavish Home of Two Former Slaves Opened Up to the Public in Pompeii - Ancient Origins

Lavish Home of Two Former Slaves Opened Up to the Public in Pompeii.

Posted: Wed, 11 Jan 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

It depicts Cyparissus, Apollo's lover, who was turned into a cypress tree after killing Apollo's beloved stag. The mythological scene, Wrestling match between Pan and Eros is located in the south-east triclinium, surrounding the large atrium, on the south wall. The Death of Pentheus scene is located in the southern triclinium, surrounding the large peristyle, and painted on the east wall. The scene depicts Pentheus, the legendary King of Thebes, being killed by the female followers of Dionysus. When Dionysus returned to Thebes, Pentheus refused to believe Dionysus divinity as a god and imprisoned him, banning his worship. Dionysus escaped and enchanted Pentheus to go to Mt. Cithairon, disguised as a maenad.

This painting depicts the lovers Hero and Leander who lived on opposite shores of the Hellespont. Leander wished to be with his lover so he swam the strait each night, guided by torches Hero placed in a tower on the beach. While some have hypothesized the two were brothers, there is no certainty about that. DeAgostini/Getty ImagesOne of the most astounding frescoes in the House of the Vettii is of the Roman god Priapus and his large phallus. "They evidently tried to show their new status also through culture and through Greek mythological paintings," he said. After years in slavery, the men "then had an incredible career after that and reached the highest ranks of local society, at least economically,'' judging by their upscale home and garden, Mr Zuchtriegel said.

Excavated between 1894 and 1896, the House of the Vettii belonged to Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus, probably two freedmen brothers who had become rich through commerce in wine. The magnificent paintings and sculptures in the house also reflect the wealth of the territory of Pompeii, where wine was produced for export throughout the Mediterranean, and social mobility which enabled two former slaves to reach the upper echelons of local society. The construction of the House of the Vettii is attributed to the prosperous Vettii brothers, Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus.

Institutional Portal of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Now, thanks to meticulous restoration efforts that lasted two decades, one of the doomed town’s most opulent homes, the House of the Vettii, has been brought back to life. Marco Cantile/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRestored frescoes in the House of the Vettii. An inscription discovered on a wall gives the name of the enslaved person who worked here in Casa dei Vetti, Eutychis, describing her as a "Greek of beautiful manners" alongside an engraving that lists her services, ranging from one to 16 asses (a local currency). After being buried under rubble for nearly two millennia, Pompeii's House of the Vettii has reopened to the public following 20 years of restoration work. The tantalising fresh insights into the everyday life of one of the most celebrated remnants of the ancient world has delighted tourists and rewarded experts.

An Ancient Pompeii Home Filled With Erotic Frescoes Was Just Restored After Two Decades Of Work

This scene depicts Herakles as a child strangling the snakes sent by Hera to kill him. Hera become jealous of this relationship and sets out to kill the product of her husband's affair. She sends two snakes into Herakles crib, but the child easily averts her efforts by killing the snakes. The mythological scene, Daedalus and Pasiphae is located on the north wall of the same triclinium where the Punishment of Ixion is depicted.

Clowning for Novices: History and Practice With Rose Carver

After years in slavery, the men “then had an incredible career after that and reached the highest ranks of local society, at least economically,” judging by their upscale domus and garden, Zuchtriegel said. “They evidently tried to show their new status also through culture and through Greek mythological paintings, and it’s all about saying, ‘We’ve made it and so we are part of this elite’” of the Roman world. Like most of Pompeii's famous townhouses, House of the Vettii, or Casa dei Vettii, was found in remarkably good condition when it was first discovered in the late 19th century.

This scene shows Ariadne abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos after their flight from Crete due to Theseus killing the Minotaur. There are two service areas in the house, the first being centered around the small atrium. The second was accessible from the main atrium of the house as well as the second entrance from the Vicolo di Mercurio on the south facade. Draft animals were moved through this gate and stabled in the shop.[11] Besides the shop is an additional chamber and latrine. On the right-hand wall in the first room we can see a Fresco depicting the myth of Leander swimming towards his beloved Hero, while the opposite wall portrays Ariadne abandoned by Theseus on Naxos.

An array of newly reopened sites and exhibitions helps visitors learn even more about the doomed ancient city of Pompeii. The reopening of Casa dei Vettii is part of a broader €155 million ($137 million) restoration projected largely financed by the European Union. Named the Great Pompeii Project, the multiyear effort aims to prevent further deterioration at the ancient Roman site and continues to uncover new treasures.

After a partial reopening in 2016, it was closed again in 2020 for the final phase of the work, which included restoration of the frescoes and of the floor and colonnades. In the living room, known as the Hall of Pentheus, a fresco depicts Hercules as a child, crushing two snakes, in an illustration of an episode from the Greek hero’s life. According to mythology, Hera, the goddess wife of Zeus, sent snakes to kill Hercules because she was furious that he was born from the union of Zeus with a mortal woman, Alcmena. One fresco depicts Priapus, the god of fertility and abundance, with a large phallus balancing on a scale opposite a bag full of money. Another depicts Hercules as a child crushing two snakes, which according to the Daily Mail, may have been a nod to Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus’ ability to surmount challenges as former slaves during their lives.