Herculaneum Guide

8/9/2019 Herculaneum Guide

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When Mount Vesuvius eruptedin 79 A.D., the Roman seasidetown of Herculaneum was en-

gulfed by volcanic material alongwith Pompeii and the surround-ing area. Until the 18th century,it was buried under a layer of volcanic material more than 50feet thick.The mythical origin of Hercu-

laneum is linked to Greek heroHercules, who supposedlyfounded the town while return-ing from a trip to Spain. In real-ity, the city probably had anEtruscan origin, like Pompeii,and then by the 5th century BCwas controlled by the Samnites.Starting at the end of the

Roman Republic, the entirecoast near Herculaneum be-came the site of villas of the localRoman nobility (the most fa-mous is the Villa of the Papyri).

In the Augustan period, the cityunderwent a general revival,with the restoration of the walls,and the construction of theaqueduct, two spas, the Theatre,

the "Basilica", the Gymnasiumand the temples in the southernarea.It was then that the city

reached a population of about 4

to 5 thousand people.In 79 BC, when Mt.Vesuvius

erupted, Herculaneum was firsthit by a steamy, toxic intenselyhot cloud, then buried by subse-quent pyroclastic flows. Thelava, in semi-liquid state com-mingled with mud, penetratedeverywhere, then solidified intothe compact block that allowedthe extraordinary preservationof the town.In 1709, local workers hired by

the Austrian general, Count El-beuf, discovered the wall of thestage of the theater.In 1738 by order of King Charles

of Bourbon proper excavationsbegan.In 1750 the suburban Villa dei

Papiri, or Villa of the Papyrii

(#44 on the map) was discov-ered. It was surrounded by a gar-den closed off by porticoes, butwith an ample stretch of veg-etable gardens, vineyards and

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HerculaneumIn the Shadow of Mount Vesuvius

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woods that led down to a smallharbor. Built on four levels of terraces on the sloping site, itwas one of the most luxurioushouses in all of Herculaneumand Pompeii with its treasure of sculptures (now in the National

Museum of Naples) and thevilla’s library with a collection of papyrus (now in the National Li-brary of Naples).In 1927 a systematic digging

campaign lead to the unearthingof a large part of the city withentire neighborhoods and manypublic buildings such as the De-cumanus Maximus and theForum, which was the center of

economic, social and politicallife.The Thermal Baths (#26 Men's

Baths, #27 Women's Baths)were built probably in the age of

Caesar and then rearranged inthe early Augustan period (10B.C.) due to the greater availabil-ity of water from the construc-tion of the Serino aqueduct.Smaller and less refined thanthose of Pompeii, they have the

same arrangement of the roomsand the traditional division intomale and female sections.South of the Baths is the the

Casa a Graticcio (#35), or Houseof the Opus Craticium, whichconsists of a wooden frame filledby stones. It was an effective wayto erect residences for middleand lower class citizens of Her-culaneum. This residence, in-

habited by several families wholived together, is the best pre-served example of such struc-ture.Following the alley that runs

Herculaneum

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1 Fornici

2 Terrazza di M. Nonio Balbo3 Terme Suburbane4 Area Sacra5 Sacello di Venere6 Sacello dei Quattro Dei7 Casa del Rilievo di Telefo8 Casa dei Cervi9 Taberna di Priapo10 Grande Taberna11 Taberna Vasaria12 Palestra13 Casa del Giardino14 Casa del Gran Portale15 Pistrinum e Bottega di Sex. Patulcius Felix16 Casa dell’Atrio Corinzio17 Bottega del Plumbarius18 Casa del Salone Nero19 Bottega ad Cucumas20 Bottega21 Casa del Colonnato Tuscanico22 Thermopolium23 Sacello24 Sede degli Augustali

25 Casa dei Due Atri26 Terme Maschili27 Terme Femminili28 Casa del Bel Cortile29 Casa di Nettuno e Anfitrite

30 Bottega31 Casa Sannitica32 Casa dell’Alcova33 Casa dell’Atrio a Mosaico

34 Casa dell’Erma di Bronzo35 Casa del Graticcio36 Casa del Tramezzo di legno37 Bottega del Lanarius38 Thermopolium39 Casa del Genio40 Casa dell’Argo41 Casa di Aristide

42 Casa dello Scheletro43 Casa dell’Albergo44 Villa dei Papiri45 Struttura monumentale46 Complesso termale47 Edificio residenziale


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Terrazza di M. Nonio Balbo,orTerrace of M. Nonius Balbus

(#2)

Climbing the ramp against thewalls brings you into a large rec-tangular piazza, in front of thecomplex of the Suburban Baths.Here stands the funeral altar,covered with marble, which bydecree of the local senate wasdedicated to the senator M. No-nius Balbus, praetor and procon-sul of the provinces of Crete and

Cyrene, tribune of the plebes in32 BC and partisan of Octavian,the future ‘Augustus’ (27 B.C.-14

A.D.). M. Nonius Balbus didgood service towards the city of Herculaneum by restoring and

building many public buildings:at least 10 statues were erectedin his honor, and great honorsbestowed upon his death, re-called in the long inscription en-graved on the side of the funeral

altar facing the sea. On the mar-ble base next to the funeral altarwas the armored statue of M.Nonius Balbus himself, alsomade of marble: the head wasfound during the early excava-tions, while the large fragmentof the bust was recovered in1981.

Area Sacra, or Sacred Area(#4)The western sector of the

South Terrace, supported byheavy vaulted structures, is oc-cupied by a Sacred Area contain-

Terrace of M. Nonius Balbus

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alongside the Palestra (#12),one arrives at Pistrinum (#15),the flower mill and oven, thelargest such facility in Hercula-neum, where even tools formaking bread were found.

In the courtyard there weretwo huge stones used to crushthe grain probably operated bydonkeys, as revealed by bonesfound on the floor.Only partially excavated, the

Decumanus Maximus (north-east of #17 on the map) , was alarge paved thoroughfare forpedestrian access. The proxim-

ity of stores suggests that themarket was there. To the west,a large brick arch, originallycovered with marble, markedthe entrance to the arcadedsquare, the Basilica, built in the

Augustan age, and to public areaof the city.The Casa dei Cervi (#8), or

House of the Deer, was one of

the richest and most noble of Herculaneum’s villas. Built inthe form of a large rectangle, itis divided into an area in thenorth, with the living quarters,and one to the south, with ter-races overlooking the sea thatcommunicated with each otherthrough four windows. The

structure and decoration ledarcheologists to attribute thevilla to the Claudian-Neronianage. The interior is tiled in white

mosaic with slivers of coloredmarble. The garden has the castsof two marble sculptures thatwere found there.Beyond the garden, in front of

the sea, is a summer tricliniumwith remains of its beautiful

original floor, flanked by tworooms with windows adorned inmarble. At the North-Western edge of town, along via Resina, is the en-trance to the Theater (visit onrequest). Discovered in 1709, itis still buried under a layer of mud 25 yards deep. It was built

by the architect Numisius in the Augustan age and would haveheld an audience of 2,500 peopl

Mosaic

Also of interest


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ius Balbus, and is the secondlargest in Herculaneum (1800square meters). Built in a scenicposition, on the slop leadingdown to the marina, the housewas built on three levels andheld a rich collection of sculp-tures of the neo-Attic school, in-cluding the relief with the mythof Telephus, son of Hercules

(mythical founder of the city).The structure current datesfrom the Augustan period (27BC-14 A.D.), and was remodeledafter the earthquake in 62 AD.The atrium is similar to a peri-style, with columns supportingthe rooms of the upper floor, asin certain Greek houses. Be-

tween the columns hang theplaster casts of the marble oscillafound here (discs or masks, gen-erally in a Dionysian theme,

used to ward off evil).

Casa del Gran Portale, orHouse with Large Portal (#14)The name derives from the

half-columned portal, with bricklintel and cornice, built after theearthquake in 62 A.D., whichreused the Hellenistic tufa capi-tals symbolizing Victory. The

dwelling, whose unusual layoutcomes from an expansion of thebuilding at the expense of theperistyle of the adjacent ‘Sam-nite House’, has the remains of grooved tufa columns and twopilasters with half-columns stillencased in the walls, in theiroriginal position. Worthy of

note within the dwelling are the‘fourth style’ frescoes; the smallcourtyard to the left of the en-trance that gave the illusion of a

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ing various rooms and two tem-ples side by side, dedicated to

Venus and four divinities, re-spectively. Here, as recalled byan inscription, the board of

Venerii held its meetings. Twomythological frescoes were de-tached from the first vaultedroom after entering the Sacred

Area; the second was instead thesource of two headless statues of women in togas, and a marbleara dedicated to Venus by a lib-ertus of the Marii family. Archi-tectural terra-cottas from aprevious renovation have also

been found in the area.

Sacello di Venere, orSacellum of Venus (#5)Completely restored after the

earthquake in 62 A.D. by VibidiaSaturninus and his son A. FuriusSaturninus, this small temple isdedicated to Venus. It is pre-ceded by a marble-covered altar,

and had a vestibule (pronaos)

with grooved and stuccoed tufacolumns, now stacked nearby;the vaulted cell contains the re-mains of frescoes with a gardenmotif: in the painted panel tothe left of the entrance we canrecognize a rudder, an attributeof Venus-Fortuna who guidedsailors.

Sacello dei Quattro Dei, orSacellum of Four Gods (#6)Restored after the earthquake

in 62 A.D., the temple is dedi-cated to four divinities, as evi-denced by the lovely archaistic

reliefs, perhaps from the Augus-tan period (27 B.C-.14 A.D.), orig-inally fastened to the front sideof the podium standing at theback of the cell. These depictMinerva, Neptune, Mercury and

Volcano, all divinities related tothe world of manufacture, tradeand crafts. The floor of thepronaos (vestibule) and the

Corinthian columns are made of cipolline marble. Part of thewooden structure of the roof was recently recovered, draggedonto the beach below by theforce of the eruption.

Casa del Rilievo di Telefo, orHouse of Relief of Telephus

(#7) With the adjacent House of theGem, it formed a complex thatmay have belonged to M. Non-

Sacellum of Four Gods

House of Relief of Telephus


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ing into the dynamics of up-ward mobility. Their ‘board’,dedicated to worshiping theemperor Augustus, held itsmeetings in the area of theForum, where all political, reli-gious and commercial life tookplace. This is a building with aquadrangular layout, with wallsseparated by blind arches andfour central columns. Later, acell was built aligned with theentrance, which partly retainsits original floor and wainscot-ing covered with marble, and‘fourth style’ frescoes: on the

left wall is depicted the en-trance of Hercules in theOlympus, accompanied byJupiter, in the form of a rain-bow, Juno and Minerva; theone on the right alludes insteadto the battle between Herculesand the Etruscan god Acheloo.In the back, to the right of thesacellum, is the caretaker's room

in opus craticium, whose skele-ton was found lying on the bed.

An inscription now placed onthe wall reminds us that thebuilding, dedicated to Augustus(27 B.C.-14 A.D.) while still living,was built by the brothers A. Lu-cius Proculus and A. Lucius Iu-lianus, who offered a luncheonto the members of the municipalsenate and the Augustals on itsinauguration day.

Casa dei Due Atri, orDouble Atrium House (#25)The lovely façade on the gate

has a terracotta Gorgon mask

against the evil eye. There wasan upper floor extending for thelength of the house, with lightprovided by two atria: one, infront of the entrance, tetrastyle(with its roof supported by fourcolumns); the other, farther in-side, with impluvium and twowell-heads, which also acted as agarden. Note the small windowin the façade, one of which stillhas its original ironwork.

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yard, through the garden paint-

ings that decorated the walls;the triclinium, with the paneldepicting Silenus seated be-tween two satyrs, observing Ari-adne and Dionysus.

Casa del Colonnato Tus-canico, or House of the TuscanColonnade (#21)The original core of the

dwelling (from the Republicanperiod), centered around theatrium, was remodeled in the

Augustan period (27 B.C.-14 A.D.). The peristyle with the‘Tuscan colonnade’ was addedthen. Also, the impluvium wascovered with marble, somefloors renovated with mosaics orsectile opus, the walls decoratedin a lovely ‘third style’, which inthe oecus (or living room) stillholds two paintings, depicting a

seated Maenad preceded and

Pan conversing with twowomen, respectively. Thetablinum (restored after theearthquake of 62 AD) haspainted red and blue panels,with an Apollo in the upper area:other examples of ‘fourth style’are found in the triclinium andin a cubiculum (bedroom).

Secondo Sacello, orSecond Sacellum (#23)

A small rectangular sacellumwith podium in the back wall,facing the Decumanus Max-imus, probably related to wor-ship at the adjacent Hall of the

Augustals.

Collegio degli Augustali, orHall of the Augustals (#24)For the liberti (freed slaves) be-

coming Augustals meant enter-

Fresco in the Samnite House

House of the Tuscan Colonnade


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like the adjoining Casa dei Cervi,or House of the Deer, taken overby a large peristyle garden and astring of richly decorated roomsoverlooking the sea. What dis-tinguishes this house from itsneighbor is its spectacularatrium. At the rear of the atrium is aroom of unusual size and form.

A series of square pillars on thenorth and south sides of theroom divide it in the pattern of a nave and two side aisles, whileabove the pillars rises a secondstory with clerestory windows

reminiscent of the classicalbasilica layout. This room isconsidered a rare example of anOceus Aegyptius or Egyptiandining room based on Vitru-vius's description. Given its po-sition, it must have been used asa public reception area, deliber-

ately evoking the public settingof the basilica.On the south side of the atrium

is a door which opens onto thenorth portico of the large peri-style, with additional roomsalong its eastern and southernsides. In the center of the east-ern side is a large exedra, whichextends out into the garden witha small terrace.

Casa del Tramezzo di Legno,or House of the Wooden Parti-tion (#36)The entrance to this dwelling is

flanked by two masonry seatsand a waiting room. The con-ventional name derives from thewooden partition, a folding gatethat shields the atrium, to main-tain privacy. The partition hasprofiled panels with rings andsupports for hanging oil-lamps.

House of the Mosaic Atrium

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Casa Sannitica, orSamnite House (#31)This dwelling, built in the 2nd

century B.C., originally occupieda large area. Its currently visibleappearance is the result of changes made over time. Theresidence at first ceded its gar-den space to the adjacent house,then, after the earthquake in 62

A.D., the rooms on the upperfloor were separated from thehouse and rented out, creatingan independent entrance. Thelovely view frames the portaltopped by tufa capitals support-

ing the wooden architrave: theentrance is decorated in ‘firststyle’, with a coffered ‘secondstyle’ ceiling. The Hellenistic-style atrium, with walls paintedover in ‘fourth style’, is crownedat the top by an arcade closed onthree sides by false columns,

with one open side. The floor isdotted with white tiles, whilethat of the tablinum is adornedwith a rosette of diamondshapes centered around a roundcopper tile. During the final re-modelling, the impluvium wascovered with marble and a roompainted with a green back-ground, with the painting de-picting the rape of Europa.

Casa dell’Alcova, orHouse of the Alcove (#32)The house is actually two

buildings joined together. As a

consequence of this it is a mix-ture of plain and simple roomscombined with some highly dec-orated ones. The atrium is cov-ered, so lacks the usualimpluvium. It retains its originalflooring of opus tesselatum andopus sectile. Off the atrium is abiclinium richly decorated withfrescoes in the fourth style and a

large triclinium which originallyhad a marble floor. A number of other rooms, one of which is theapsed alcove after which thehouse was named, can bereached via a hall which gets itslight from a small courtyard.

Casa dell’Atrio a Mosaico, orHouse of the Mosaic Atrium

(#33)The house occupies an area of

over 1200 sq.m. much of which,

Fresco in the House of the Alcove


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Casa dell’Albergo, orHouse of the Hotel (#43)It is the largest, and probably

was the richest, private buildingin the southern part of town andthe only one in Herculaneum tohave a private thermal bathsuite.

Terme Suburbane, or

Suburban Baths (#46)Built between the walls of the

town and the sea in the early 1stcentury A.D., this bath complexis one of the best preserved any-where. The half-columned portalwith tympanum leads into thevestibule with impluvium, bor-dered by 4 columns; water spraysinto the circular fountain. Thevestibule opens to the right,through a corridor, onto a waitingroom and to the praefurnium

(oven). The bathing rooms assuch include the frigidarium (coldbathing room), with a floor of white marble slabs and frescoesin fourth style, the tepidarium,with a floor of slate slabs andstuccoes on the walls depictingwarriors, the caldarium (hotbathing room), with walls deco-rated in 4th style. In this room

one can see the impression of the labrum (tub for ablutions) inthe volcanic material that camein through the window. The east-ern sector of the bath complexincludes an apsidal room, with a‘pool’ heated using the ‘samovar’system (a receptacle placed inthe center of the room, belowwhich the fire was lit directly),and the laconicum (steam bathroom), with a black mosaic flooron a white background.

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The floor of the large atrium isdecorated with white tiles, dat-ing from the most ancient stageof the residence. The marblecovering of the impluvium tub,the wall paintings and the geo-metric mosaic of the room tothe right of the entrance date in-stead from a restoration fromapproximately the mid-1st cent.

A.D.

Casa del Genio, orHouse of the Genius (#39)To the north of the House of

Argus lies the House of the Ge-

nius. It has been only partiallyexcavated but it appears to havebeen a spacious building. Thehouse derives its name from thestatue of a cupid that formedpart of a candlestick. In the cen-tre of the peristyle are the re-mains of a rectangular basin.

Casa di Argo, or

House of Argus (#40)The second house in insula II

got its name from a fresco of Argus and Io which onceadorned a reception room off the large peristyle. The fresco isnow lost, but its name lives on.This building must have beenone of the finer villas in Hercu-laneum. The discovery of thehouse in the late 1820s was no-table because it was the firsttime a second floor had been

unearthed in such detail. Theexcavation revealed a secondfloor balcony overlooking CardoIII. Also wooden shelving andcupboards. However, with thepassing of time, these elementshave now been lost.

Casa di Aristide, orHouse of Aristides (#41)The first building in insula II is

the House of Aristides. The en-trance opens directly onto theatrium, but the remains of thehouse are not particularly wellpreserved due to damage caused

by previous excavations. Thelower floor was probably usedfor storage.

Casa dello Scheletro, orHouse of the Skeleton (#42)The front of the building was

first explored by an archaeolo-gist who found a skeleton on theupper floor. The current layout

combines three existing housesin an elongated shape, of whichthe central one has a coveredatrium. The nymphaeum to theleft of the entrance has the backwall covered with lava and a mo-saic-covered frieze. A mosaiclararium is also present in asmall courtyard, protected by ametal grate. A few rooms havefloors in sectile opus and fres-coed walls.

Suburban Baths

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Herculaneum Guide