THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF
Roman Domestic Religion
PP056
House of Menander (I. x. 4 and 16)
Cult Space Type:
Cult Room
Date:
79 A.D.
Features:
Altar, Niche, Podium, Wall Painting
Associated
Cult Spaces:
PP002, PP057, PP058, PP059, PP060
Room function:
Sacrarium/Cult Room
Description:
Located off the southwest corner of the peristyle was a cult room. This was open on its northern side, however, Bassani suggests that the room may have been able to be closed off by a wooden door or curtain as nails were found driven into the plaster above. A large rectangular masonry podium was built into the southwest corner. Above the podium, set into the west wall, was a large arched niche, sitting 0.24m from the podium top. The niche was set into the already existing wall decoration panel and was not placed centrally to the podium. An altar-like tufa base was set directly on the podium in front of the niche opening. Both the interior of the niche and the podium were decorated in red and yellow imitation marble. Within the niche sat five wooden busts, of which plaster casts remain.
References:
Boyce 1937, p. 28 (#49); Allison 2004, p.144-145, 205; Bassani 2008, pp.172-173; Giacobello 2008, pp. 256-257 (V12)
Image reference:
Cooper 2019