HOUSE OF THE GILDED CUPIDS - POMPEII

Opposite the house of the Vettii, in the triangular-shapes insula on Via Vesuvio, stands the house belonging to the wealthy gens Poppaea – possibly the family of Nero’s second wife. The house obtained its name from the original decoration used for the cubiculum near the shrine of the tutelary gods, where, set into the plaster, there were several glass discs whose gold leaf back bore the engraving of the cupids. The layout of the house is quite unusual as it has an atrium and tablinum but no cubicula (bed chambers) on either side, and all of this is off-set compared to the rest of the house, which elegantly extends out towards the peristyle and garden. The latter was lavishly decorated with statuettes, busts, animal sculptures and theatrical masks which were fitted into the walls and hung between the columns, in addition to medallions against the evil eye. Every single object was tastefully designed and added a magical atmosphere to the house. The colonnade along which we find the lararium and, tucked away in one corner, the sacellum dedicated to the Egyptian triad of Harpocrates, Isis and Serapis follows the slope of the ground so that the west-facing side is higher than the rest. Here we find the triclinium with its stone beds and two lavishly decorated rooms: the one on the left, with a vegetable garden to the rear, shows a depiction of the seasons against a white background, while the other is decorated with love-related themes, such as Leda and the swan, Venus fishing and Actaeon spying on Diana while she bathes. Both rooms have particularly striking coffered ceiling.

 

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The discovery of the statue of Doriphorus, the symbol of youth and strength and a roman copy of the original of Polycletus, led early archaeologists to define this space with its surrounding colonnades beside the Large Theatre as a gymnasium (palestra). However, it was actually the headquarters of a military association of noble Pompeian youths who used to train here for parades and official competitions. The limited space available meant that certain kinds of training probably took place in the adjoining area of the Triangular Forum. The building dates back to the 2nd century B.C. and is enclosed by tuff-stone Doric columns on three sides only as, after the earthqu ... continue

(Apic. 4, 2, 12) Ingredients:

• Leftovers of cooked fish
• 5 grains pepper
• 5 leaves rue
• Liquamen (or 2 tblsp soya sauce + 2 tsp anchovy paste)
• 2 tblsp oil
• 2 eggs
• Seaweed

Instructions:
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Finely chop enough baked or boiled fish to fill a casserole dish of the size you want to use. Pulverize pepper and rue, add Liquamen, oil and raw eggs, then whip. Pour the mixture over the fish and mesh. Gently place sea nettles on top, taking care to see they do not mix with the eggs. Cook by steaming so that the seaweed ... continue

Love was a common topic of conversation in Pompeii. Feelings, passions, poetic love, sex, homosexuality, prostitution and so forth were all part of daily life and not a source of prejudice. The concept of “obscenity” seems to have been unknown. Love and sex were considered earthly practices of a man’s life that were encouraged by the benevolence of Venus. The thousands of examples of graffiti found on the town’s walls are unequivocal proof of what the people of Pompeii thought about love and sex.