Roman Domestic Religion
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF
PP313
House of the Golden Cupids (VI. xvi. 7/38)
Cult Space Type:
Shrine
Date:
79 A.D.
Associated
Cult Spaces:
PP312
Structural type:
Aediucla; Stucco Relief
Room function:
Peristyle/Portico
Description:
On the northern wall of the peristyle was a shrine, in the form of an aedicula upon a rectangular masonry podium. The podium was adorned with a stucco cornice and was painted in red and yellow imitation marble with a large red circle in the centre of the front. The aedicula structure comprised of two fluted columns of marble with capitals of stucco. Above these columns sat an architrave and the pediment, decorated with egg and dart moulding. The tympanum was painted blue. A shallow rectangular niche was cut into the wall at the rear of the aedicula and was bordered at its sides by white stucco walls. The floor of the aedicula consisted of two levels of steps. These steps were decorated with stucco moulding of garlands of leaves and pelta designs. The shrine was found with its contents intact. This included a bronze statue of Jupiter holding his thunderbolt and sceptre, Juno, and Minerva, each seated on a throne. Also included was a bronze statue of Mercury holding his caduceus and a patera, and two bronze Lares holding rhyta and situlae. The statuettes of the Capitoline triad sat on the upper step at the back and the statuettes of the Lares and Mercury sat on the lower. Between then sat a bronze oenochoe (wine jug) on its side.
References:
Boyce 1937, pp. 57-58 (#222); Bassani 2008, pp. 220-221; Giacobello 2008, p. 277 (V58); Hackworth Peterson 2012
Image reference:
Haug 2015 (Via Pompeii in Pictures)