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Pompeii
PBM
House of the faun
&
Villa of Poppaea Oplontis
THE HOUSE OF THE FAUN
• The House of the Faun built during the second
century BCE, was one of the largest, most
impressive private residences in Pompeii, Italy,
and housed many great pieces of art
HISTORY
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The House of the Faun was built in the second century BC, during the Samnite
period (200 - 80 BCE).There is evidence, most notably in the eastern walls of the
tetrastyle atrium, that after the great earthquake in 62 CE, the House of the Faun
was rebuilt or repaired; yet, the building was only used as a house from the second
century BCE until 79 CE, ultimately rendered unusable by the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius. Although the eruption was devastating, the layers of ash covering the
abandoned town preserved artworks, like the mosaics of the House of the Faun,
which would have otherwise been likely destroyed or decayed due to the passage
of time.
The House of the Faun was named for the bronze statue of the dancing faun
located, originally, on the lip of the impluvium, a basin for catching rainwater; it
has been moved to the centre of the impluvium, as you can see in the picture to
the right. Fauns are spirits of untamed woodland, which Romans often connected
to Pan and Greek satyrs, or wild followers of the Greek god of wine and
agriculture, Dionysus.
Archaeologists discovered an inscription bearing the cognomen Saturninus,
suggesting that the dwelling was owned by the important clan, Satria; a ring
bearing the family name Cassius was also found, indicating that someone of the
Cassii family married into the gens Satria and lived in the House of the Faun.
ARCHITECTURE
• The House of the Faun covers nearly 3,000 square meters, and occupies
an entire city block, or insula. The house can be divided into four major
parts: the Tuscan atrium, tetrastyle atrium, service rooms and corridors,
Like many ancient Roman houses, the House of the Faun had tabernae,
and a highly-sophisticated building plan, which details the many rooms.
The entrance is decorated by the Latin message “HAVE”, a greeting both
for meeting and parting.
• Like other wealthy aristocrats of the Roman Republic, the owners of the
House of the Faun installed a private bath system, in the house. The
bathing room was located in the domestic wing, which was to the right of
the entrance, and along with the kitchen was heated by a large furnace.
The servants’ quarters were dark and cramped, and there was not much
furniture. The house features beautiful gardens, the second of which was
created as a stage to host recitations, mimes, and pantomimes.
Additionally, the house contained an entrance passage, a number of
bedrooms (cubicula), dining rooms (triclinia) for both the summer and
winter, a reception room (oecus), and an office (tablinum).
Building Layout
REMAINS
• Today visitors can still explore the remains of the
House of the Faun in modern Pompeii. Although most
of the original artworks have been relocated to the
National Archaeological Museum in Naples, the most
famous pieces, like the Dancing Faun and the
Alexander Mosaic, have been recreated to give tourists
a clearer picture of what the house was originally like.
Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, Pompeii’s current
archaeological superintendent, explained, “I want
visitors to have the impression that they are entering
the same luxurious house in which the ancient
Pompeian owners lived before it was destroyed by the
eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Greek Influence
• Greek influence has been seen in Pompeii, the
House of the faun, through the building styles
with the use of Doric and ionic style buildings.
Also in the house of Faun there is a mosaic of
Alexander in the battle of Issus 333 b.c.e who
was a hero of greece.
ARTWORK
• From the house of the faun there were many
interesting and impressive artworks left
behind.
the following slides will mention the most
notable of the artworks found.
The Alexander Mosaic
The Creeping Cat Mosaic
Mosaic with Nile scene
Erotic mosaic of a satyr and nymph
Dancing Faun
The villa of Poppaea
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One of two elite villas from Roman Oplontis, a
small town whose name survives on the Tabula
Peutingeriana, an ancient map of Roman Imperial
Roads
Discovered in 1964, the villa was excavated over
the next twenty years to reveal an otium style
villa, an elite holiday home used as a summer
retreat from the city. The style and extent of the
building suggested it was an important residence
and it was linked to Poppaea Sabina, second wife
of the Emperor Nero whose native town was
nearby Pompeii.
The oldest part of the house, which follows the
classic atrium style, dates to the mid first century
AD. However, after this date, probably as a result
of a change of ownership after Nero’s death, a
series of extensions were added on the property
which were still in progress at the time of
Vesuvius’s eruption of 79AD.
Tabula Peutingeriana
• Though the site of the villa
was rediscovered during
brief excavations carried
out by Francesco La Vega
in the eighteenth century,
the swimming pool, which
measures 60 by 15 meters,
was not unearthed until
the 1970s.
• The archaeological
evidence suggests that at
the time of the eruption of
Vesuvius in 79, the villa
was empty, being in the
process of rebuilding and
redecoration, possibly in
the aftermath of the
earthquake of 62.
The Original House
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The original house was the main residential
area. At its centre was the atrium, the
traditional roman reception room. The atrium
of the villa Poppaea had the usual roof top
opening, the conpluvium which allowed
rainwater to be collected in a central pool, the
impluvium, which was once the household’s
main water supply.
•The main function of the atrium of the Villa Poppaea
was to impress. A vast room, it contained 2nd style
murals, which incorporated landscapes and
mythological scenes as well as columns and porticos
which increase the scale of the room. Immediately
opposite the entrance would have been a series of
folding doors which opened up to overlook a small
peristyle garden. The rest of the original house was
constructed around the atrium. The rooms
immediately surrounding it were lavishly decorated
and designed to be seen.
The Extension of the Villa of Poppaea
This area was primarily
recreational, centering on
the swimming pool and
large northern gardens.
Overlooking the pool, a
series of guest suites were
added, each with their
own sitting rooms and
viridarium, a small
enclosed internal garden.