Lecture 03/06

March 6th ? Pompeiian Houses House of the Faun, con?t Tablinum. Offers a good view of the garden, which sometimes held exotic plants. Meant for show. Dining Room. Dining is an important aspect of Roman life, but why do they have so many dining rooms? There is also a lot of status surrounding dining, both in the presentation of the meal, and who is invited. This room features a marine mosaic. Roman were very interested in marine life, and they eat a lot of seafood. Exedra. The mosaics on the floors of the exedra show an interest in exotic places and foreign history, and include the Alexander Mosaic. 2nd Peristyle 2nd Atrium. More private than the first one, and the walls are plainer, although there are columns Roman Bath? Thought to be a bath because there may be a contraption set up to draw heat up into the room. Private baths were something only the very wealthy had. House of the Vettii Quite plain on the outside and much smaller than the House of the Faun Priapus from fauces (painting on the entrance) Strongboxes were found in the atrium, and there are lots of images on the walls (like cupid riding a crab) 4th style room decoration One thing to think about is why the Romans choose certain kinds of decoration for their dining rooms. The wealthier Romans were very well read and knew their classical mythology, and the stuff on the dining room walls may have meant to inspire discussion. They could also be copies of lost originals. Ixion room is one of the best examples of 4th style wall painting. Named after a painting with Hera, Hermes, and Ixion strapped to a wheel. The story is that Ixion falls in love with Hera. She doesn?t like this, so she tricks him into thinking that he has sex with her, and Zeus punishes him when he goes around bragging about it. Pasiphae and Daedalus. Another example of sorrowful/unrequited love Ariadne abandoned. The third example of love gone wrong. At least it eventually works out for her. Pentheus Room Shows scenes from the Pentheus legends, another grim tale. Hercules strangling snakes Punishment of Dirce