Roman Domestic Religion
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF
PP246
House of Pansa (VI. vi. 1)
Cult Space Type:
Cult Painting
Date:
79 A.D.
Associated
Cult Spaces:
-
Structural type:
Wall Painting
Room function:
Culina/Kitchen
Description:
On the north wall of the kitchen was a cult painting. The scene sat above the hearth on a white background. In the upper zone, a central Genius poured a libation onto an marble cylindrical altar while holding a cornucopia, with a tibicen on his left. Flanking these figures were the larger Lares with their situla and rhyton. The upper zone was crowned by garlands with taeniae also hung down the sides of the scene. Beside each Lar were bushes. This painting depicted two large serpents in its lower register, meeting at an altar with offerings of a pine cone and eggs. The serpents crawled among plants with a garland with taeniae hanging above their heads. The whole painting was encompassed in a painted aedicula structure which had a small hippocamp painted on the centre of the top structure. On the left of the cult scene was the depiction of a pig, birds, a plate of bread, and a rabbit underneath a garland. This was joined by a similar scene on the right of the cult scene which included the depiction of an eel on a skewer, a pork rib, a hogs head, and another unrecognisable food item, again underneath a garland. Giacobello noted the presence of an arched niche in the same location which was not previously recorded; however, it is uncertain if this had cultic functions.
References:
Boyce 1937 pp. 46-47 (#156); Jashemski 1979, pp. 18-19, ;Giacobello 2008, pp. 172-173 (#50)
Image reference:
Mazois (Date Unknown) (Via Pompeii in Pictures)