Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

 

Oplontis Caldarium room

 

 

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

Oplontis Peristyl room

 

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

Oplontis Oecus

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

Pompeii Fresco

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

 

Oplontis

Location	Torre Annunziata, Province of Naples, Campania, Italy
Coordinates	40.757192°N 14.45258°ECoordinates: 40.757192°N 14.45258°E
Site notes
Management	Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei
Website	Oplontis (in Italian)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv, v
Designated	1997 (21st session)
Reference no.	829
Region   Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea	Europe and North America

Oplontis and other cities affected by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The black cloud represents the general distribution of ash and cinder. Modern coast lines are shown.

Oplontis is an ancient Roman archaeological site located in the middle of the city of Torre Annunziata, which is south of Naples in the Campania region of southern Italy.^[1].The name « Oplontis » most likely referred originally to the baths in the area of Campo Oncino. The site comprises two Roman villas, the best-known of which is the so-called Villa Poppaea. Like the nearby towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, Oplontis was buried in ash and lava during the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.,^[2]

The first villa, referred to by archaeologists as Villa A, was rediscovered in 1590 during the construction of a canal, but no attempt was made to explore the ruins. In 1839-40, archaeological excavations were begun, but ceased due to lack of funds. It was only in 1964-84 that a full-scale excavation was performed that revealed about 60% of the villa, including a large swimming pool and private baths. The parts of the villa lying under modern structures remain unexcavated.

A pottery sherd bearing the name of freedman of Poppaea Sabina, the second wife of Nero was found at the site, which suggests the villa may have been the Empress’ residence when she was away from Rome. Badly damaged in the earthquake of A.D. 62, Villa A was probably uninhabited and in the process of being rebuilt (a number of tools were found on the site) at the time of the A.D. 79 eruption.

Villa A is famous for its Second- and Third-Style wall paintings. The former are found in the oldest part of the building, which date from c. 50 B.C., while the latter were created when the villa was rebuilt after the earthquake.

A second villa, Villa B, the Villa of L. Crassius Tertius, was discovered in 1974, 300 metres east of the Villa Poppaea,^[3] during the construction of a school. A bronze seal bearing Crassius’ name was found at the site. Villa B is much smaller than Villa A, and lacks the latter’s lavish decoration.

A large number of artifacts from Oplontis are preserved in the Naples National Archaeological Museum.

• Herculaneum
• Pompeii
• Stabiae

References

1. ^ « Oplontis – AD79eruption ». sites.google.com.
2. ^ « Oplontis ». Retrieved 23 May 2017.
3. ^ « Villa B ». Retrieved 23 May 2017.

Scavi archeologici di Oplonti Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea
Il calidarium della Villa di Poppea.
Localizzazione
Stato	Italia
Comune	Torre Annunziata
Scavi
Data scoperta	XVIII secolo
Date scavi	1839
Archeologo	Francesco La Vega
Amministrazione
Ente	Soprintendenza Pompei
Responsabile	Teresa Elena Cinquantaquattro
Visitabile	Sì
Sito web	www.pompeiisites.org
Modifica dati su Wikidata · Manuale

Bene protetto dall’UNESCO
Patrimonio dell’umanità
Aree archeologiche di Pompei, Ercolano e Torre Annunziata (EN) Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea
Tipo	Culturale
Criterio	(III)(IV)(V)
Pericolo	Non in pericolo
Riconosciuto dal	1997
Scheda UNESCO	(EN) Scheda (FR) Scheda
Manuale

Per scavi archeologici di Oplonti si intende una serie di ritrovamenti archeologici appartenenti alla zona suburbana pompeiana di Oplontis, seppellita insieme a Pompei, Ercolanoe Stabiae dopo l’eruzione del Vesuviodel 79 d.C.: oggi l’area archeologica è situata nel centro della moderna città di Torre Annunziata e comprende una villa d’otium chiamata « di Poppea » e una villa rustica detta « B o di Lucius Crassius Tertius ».

Le prime campagne di scavi nell’area oplontina furono effettuate prima nel ‘700 e poi durante la seconda metà del XIX secolo, anche se i primi scavi sistematici si sono svolti dal 1964riportando alla luce la Villa di Poppea. Nel 1974 è stata rinvenuta la Villa di Lucius Crassius Tertius: ad oggi le esplorazioni delle due strutture non sono ancora terminate.

Dal 1997 l’area archeologica di Torre Annunziata, insieme a quella di Pompei e Ercolano è stata inserita nella lista dei patrimoni dell’umanitàdell’UNESCO. Nel 2016 gli scavi hanno fatto registrare 54 403 visitatori^[1].

Storia

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

Il peristilio

I primi scavi per il recupero dell’area dove sorgeva l’antica Oplontis, un insediamento suburbano della vicina Pompei, con diverse attività commerciali e ville d’otium, seppellita durante l’eruzione del Vesuvio del 79, furono condotti per la prima volta durante il ‘700 da Francesco La Vega, il quale scavando un cunicolo nei pressi del canale Conte di Sarno riportò alla luce parte di una costruzione che venne denominata Villa A, in seguito Villa di Poppea: gli scavi vennero ben presto abbandonati per l’aria malsana che si respirava nella zona. Nel 1839 vennero effettuati altri scavi che riportarono alla luce il peristilio del quartiere servile della Villa A, oltre ad una fontana: per mancanza di fondi l’opera di scavo venne sospesa nel 1840 anche se, riconosciuta l’importanza del sito, i resti rinvenuti vennero acquistati dallo Stato.

Una campagna di scavi ordinata venne nuovamente iniziata nel 1964, sempre nel sito della Villa di Poppea, dove furono alzate le mura e i tetti e furono restaurati pavimenti e mosaici. Durante i lavori per lo scavo delle fondamenta di una scuola, nel 1974, a circa 250 metri dalla Villa venne alla luce un nuovo edificio su due livelli con un peristilio centrale: si tratta di una villa rustica a cui fu dato il nome di villa di Lucio Crasso Tertius o Villa B. Nei pressi di questa villa fu inoltre ritrovato un tratto di strada e diverse altre piccole costruzioni.

Nel 1997 gli scavi sono stati dichiarati patrimonio dell’umanità dall’UNESCO.

Villa di Poppea

Storia

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

Affresco con maschera teatrale e pavone

La villa di Poppea, in un primo momento denominata « villa A », è stata scavata per la prima volta nel ‘700 con alterne fortune, mentre un recupero più ampio e sistematico si è avuto solo a partire dal 1968: si tratta di una villa d’otium dove comunque non mancavano sale dedicate alla produzione del vino e dell’olio. La villa, risalente al I secolo a.C. ed ampliata nel corso dell’età claudia, viene attribuita a Poppea Sabina per l’iscrizione dipinta su un’anfora, indirizzata ad un liberto della moglie di Nerone; al momento dell’eruzione del Vesuvio la villa era disabitata, forse in fase di restauro a causa del terremoto di Pompei del 62 e tutti gli oggetti sono stati ritrovati accantonati in alcune stanze. Ad oggi la costruzione non è ancora interamente scavata: l’area riportata alla luce corrisponde alla zona orientale, mentre l’ingresso principale e la zona occidentale sono ancora da recuperare ostacolati anche dalla presenza di una strada moderna ed un edificio militare.

Struttura

La pianta della villa è molto complessa e ancora oggi non ancora redatta con certezza in quanto non esplorata totalmente e viene convenzionalmente divisa in quattro parti: una zona nord, sud, ovest e est. Nella parte nord è presente un ampio giardino nel quale sono state rinvenute diverse sculture in marmo ed è stato possibile ricostruire i calchi delle radici di grandi alberi, ossia degli ulivi, anche se fino a poco tempo fa si credeva potessero essere o dei melograni o degli oleandri. Nella zona sud invece si trova un altro giardino circondato da un colonnato sui tre lati: sono stati oggi piantati alberi di alloro, che si pensa fossero anche presenti al momento dell’eruzione.

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

Affresco di un cestino di frutta

Nella parte ovest è presente l’atrio con un compluvium che raccoglieva l’acqua piovana nell’impluvium: le decorazioni della sala sono in secondo stile ed è molto utilizzata la tecnica del trompe l’oeil per raffigurare ambientazioni architettoniche e colonnati. La cucina presenta un banco in muratura con un ripiano sovrastante adibito a piano cottura, mentre nella parte sottostante piccoli vani con forma a semicerchio probabilmente contenevano legna da ardere; una vasca era probabilmente utilizzata per lo scarico di liquidi. Il triclinium, nella zona in cui si trovava probabilmente la mensa, è adornato con un mosaico con figure romboidali mentre nel resto della sala si riscontrano affreschi in secondo stile raffiguranti colonne dorate decorate con rampicanti: tra le decorazioni, una graziosa natura morta rappresentante un cestino con fichi. Seguono due saloni: uno aperto verso il mare con un’unica parete affrescata con rappresentazioni di un santuario di Apollo, pavoni e maschere teatrali, mentre nel secondo salone, più grande, sono rappresentati un cestino di frutta coperto da un velo semitrasparente, una coppa di vetro contenente melograni, una torta poggiata su un supporto e una maschera teatrale. La villa era dotata anche di un quartiere termale: il calidarium ha pareti affrescate in terzo stile, dove l’opera principale è il mito di Ercole nel giardino dell’Esperidi; gli affreschi del tepidarium sono a fondo nero o rosso scuro, secondo quanto indicato dal quarto stile pompeiano. Nella zona ovest è inoltre presente un cubicolo dove è stato possibile ottenere i calchi della porta in legno e della finestra ed un piccolo peristilio le cui pareti sono decorate con fasce grigie e nere e dove è presente il larario decorato in quarto stile e con la trave di sostegno originale posta sopra la nicchia seppur carbonizzata.

Nella parte est della villa sono presenti due sale poste in modo speculare una all’altra: nella prima non ci sono dipinti ma solo una zoccolatura in marmo ed una pavimentazione incompleta con alcune piastrelle in marmo, segno che la villa era in ristrutturazione; la seconda sala presenta decorazioni in quarto stile. Segue una sala priva di affreschi con le pareti in bianco, rosso, giallo e nero riservata agli ospiti, un piccolo viridario con decorazioni in secondo stile raffiguranti piante, fontane ed uccelli e due saloni speculari: il primo che presenta una nicchia semicircolare nella quale era alloggiata una scultura mentre il secondo è identico al precedente con la presenza di marmi alle pareti. Nella villa è infine presente una grande piscina di 61 metri di lunghezza e 17 di larghezza, pavimentata in cocciopesto e risultava adornata ai bordi con statue di marmo, copie di epoca romana di originali greci: attorno sorgeva un prato con platani, oleandri e limoni.

Villa di Lucius Crassius Tertius

Giacobbe Giusti, Oplontis, ancient Roman archaeological site: Villa Poppaea

Uccello che mangia i fichi

La villa di Lucius Crassius Tertius risale al II secolo a.C. e deve il suo nome ad un sigillo in bronzo rinvenuto nell’area della costruzione, che reca proprio questo nome: scoperta nel 1974 a seguito dei lavori di costruzione di una scuola, si ritiene che sia una villa rustica, sia per il tipo di struttura che per i reperti ritrovati^[2]. Lo scavo della villa non è ancora terminato e non è visitabile.

La villa si sviluppa intorno ad un peristiliocostituito da un porticato con due ordini di colonne doriche in tufo grigio: intorno al peristilio si aprono delle stanze adibite a magazzini, dove al loro interno sono state ritrovate suppellettili, pelli, ceramica, paglia carbonizzata ed una grande quantità di melograni utilizzati per la concia delle pelli^[2]. Inoltre è stato rinvenuto anche un fornello in pietra con una pentola contenente resine di conifere, utilizzata per la manutenzione delle anfore: infatti circa 400 anfore si trovavano nella villa al momento dello scavo e con molto probabilità venivano utilizzate per la lavorazione dei prodotti agricoli e il trasporto del vino. La villa era abitata al momento dell’eruzione; infatti nelle stanze adiacenti, caratterizzate da soffitto a volta, sono stati trovati i corpi di 54 individui e nelle loro vicinanze anche gioielli e monete, sia in oro che in argento.

Il piano superiore della villa invece era invece la zona residenziale della domus: gli ambienti sono decorati sia in IV stile pompeiano sia in II stile con la tecnica schematizzata, risalente all’età repubblicana. Dal piano superiore proviene anche una scatoletta in legno contenente gioielli in oro ed argento, 170 monete, unguentari, stecche in osso e diversi monili^[2]: tra i gioielli si riconoscono orecchini di tipo a spicchio di sfera, a canestro con quarzi incastonati oppure pendenti con perle, collane molto lunghe con grani in oro e smeraldo, bracciali di tipo tubolare decorati con gemme e smeraldi ed anelli con gemme lisce o incise con figure di animali o divinità.

A nord della villa sono presenti alcuni edifici a due piani: si tratta probabilmente di soluzioni indipendenti dalla villa, che si affacciano direttamente sulla strada. Con molta probabilità queste costruzioni venivano usate come botteghe con abitazione al piano superiore^[2].

Villa di Caio Siculi

Imponente villa, scoperta durante lo scavo della trincea per la costruzione della strada ferrata in prosecuzione da Portici verso Torre Annunziata, è quella di Caio Siculi. Fu riseppellita e troncata in due per detta strada ferrata e i reperti rinvenuti furono trasportati al Museo archeologico nazionale di Napoli. Noto l’affresco raffigurante il mito di Narciso ed Eco con lo sfondo del monte Parnaso.

Terme

Le Terme del console Marco Crasso Frugi risalgono al 64 d.C. ed i ruderi sono visibili lungo la via litoranea Marconi e all’interno delle attuali Terme Vesuviane, complesso termale fondato dal generale Vito Nunziante nel 1831 sul luogo delle antiche terme.

Note

1. ^ Dati dei visitatori nei siti vesuviani per l’anno 2016, su pompeiisites.org. URL consultato il 17 gennaio 2017.
2. ^ ^{Salta a:a b c d} Descrizione della Villa di Lucio Crasso Tertius, su pompeiisites.org. URL consultato il 29 ottobre 2009.

Bibliografia

• Lorenzo Fergola e Mario Pagano, Oplontis – Le splendide ville romane di Torre Annunziata, Reggio Emilia, T&M 1998. ISBN 88-87150-02-8

Voci correlate

• Oplontis
• Torre Annunziata

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scavi_archeologici_di_Oplonti

http://www.giacobbegiusti.com

Giacobbe Giusti, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

Giacobbe Giusti, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

 

Giacobbe Giusti, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

 

Giacobbe Giusti, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

 

Giacobbe Giusti, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

 

Giacobbe Giusti, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

 

Giacobbe Giusti, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

 

Map of Pompeii. House of the Vettii highlighted in red.

The House of the Vettii is a domus located in the Roman town, Pompeii, which was preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. The house is named for its owners, two successful freedmen: Aulus Vettius Conviva, an Augustalis, and Aulus Vettius Restitutus.^[1] Its careful excavation^[2] has preserved almost all of the wall frescos, which were completed following the earthquake of 62 AD, in the manner art historians term the Pompeiian Fourth Style. The House of Vetti is located in region VI, near the Vesuvian Gate, bordered by the Vicolo di Mercurio and the Vicolo dei Vettii. The house is one of the largest domus in Pompeii, spanning the entire southern section of block 15.^[3] The plan is fashioned in a typical Roman domus with the exception of a tablinum, which is not included. There are twelve mythological scenes across four triclinium and one cubiculum.

Plan

The plan of the House of the Vettii is commonly divided into five major sections: the large atrium, the small atrium, the large peristyle, the small peristyle, and the shop.^[4] The house features a large garden as well as main living quarters and servant quarters.The service areas are centered around the smaller atrium while the main occupants remained around the larger atrium. There are two entrances to the main sections of the house, the main entrance is located on the east facade, entered from the Vicolo dei Vettii, and the second is entered from the Vicoli di Mercurio on the southern facade. In addition, there are five small windows on the east facade,^[5] two narrow vertical windows on the south facade,^[6]and a single small window on the west facade.^[7]

The small atrium and small peristyle are located on the north section of the house.^[8] The large atrium is surrounded by four cubicula(bedrooms), which belonged most likely to the main occupants of the house. There are also two alae and a winter triclinium surrounding the atrium. To enter the atrium from the main entrance, one has to pass through the fauces and vestibulum. The small atrium is surrounded by four rooms which are believed to have been used by servants and as storage rooms. A kitchen is also located near the small atrium along with a cubiculum meant to house the cook and an impluvium, which was designed to catch rainwater from an opening in the roof A staircase was found in the southeast corner of the small atrium but the second floor no longer remains.^[9]

There are two service areas in the house, the first being centered around the small atrium. The second was accessible from the main atrium of the house as well as the second entrance from the Vicolo di Mercurio on the south facade. Here a large gate opened into the shop or otherwise known as the tabernae. Draft animals were moved through this gate and stabled in the shop.^[10] Besides the shop is an additional chamber and latrine.

When looking through the main entrance and large atrium, it is possible to view the rear garden, surrounded by the large peristyle. Onlooking the peristyle are two triclinia, an oecus, and two storage rooms. Most of the rooms in the house open to either the front hall or rear garden. The small peristyle is located to the north of the house. Beside the small peristyle are a triclinium and a cubiculum.

Unique to the House of the Vettii, a tablinum is not included in the plan.

Paintings

Giacobbe Giusti, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

A Victorian rendering of paintings in the Ixion room

The House of the Vettii features a large assortment of fresco paintings in the Pompeian Fourth style. There are twelve surviving panels, which depict mythological scenes. We know that it is the Fourth style by its combination of the previous three styles. At the bottom of the wall we see a ring of faux colored marble, which is indicative of the First Pompeian style. Secondly, there is an interest in creating illusionistic scenes, evident in the top ring and besides the mythological scenes, that is borrowed from the Second style. Lastly, the unrealistically thin columns supporting the upper ring of the wall frescoes is taken from the Third style. New to the style is the mythological scenes, of which there are twelve remaining in the House of the Vettii.^[11] It is believed that the scenes are copied from Greek models, but no Greek paintings have survived to compare the frescoes to.^[12] The twelve panels are located in the two triclinia positioned off of the peristyle garden and the triclinium next to the small peristyle. The remaining are in the triclinium and the cubiculum to the left of the main entrance.^[13] The paintings combine to create a theme of divine reward and punishment, one particularly showing off the power of Jupiter (Zeus) and his sons as the enforcers of world order.^[14]

Beyond the twelve mythological paintings, many more artworks are displayed in the House of the Vettii. Most famously are the two depictions of Priapus, the god of fertility. The first image of Priapus is a fresco in the doorway. The painting depicts Priapus weighing his phallic member on a set of scales. The second image mirrors the first but in marble.

Punishment of Ixion

Close up of the Punishment of Ixion in the House of the Vettii in Pompeii

This mythological scene is located on the east wall of the north triclinium, which is located next to the large peristyle. This mythological scene shows the moment of Ixion, the Lapith King, being punished for betraying Zeus. After being welcomed into Olympus by the god, Ixion grew to lust after Zeus’s wife, Hera. After attempting to seduce her, Zeus creates the cloud goddess Nephele in the image of Hera. Ixion lays with Nephele and their union creates the centaurs. As punishment, Zeus banishes Ixion from Olympus and orders Hermes to tie Ixion to a winged fiery wheel, which is to spin for eternity.

In this scene, Ixion is bound to the wheel and Hermes stands in the forefront, identifiable by his winged sandals and caduceus. Hephaestus stands behind the wheel, one hand resting on the wheel to set it into motion. Hermes, however, also has one hand on the wheel keeping it still as he looks to Hera. Hera is enthroned to the right, holding a long golden scepter and wearing a golden crown. Beside her is her messenger, Iris, extending her arm to present to Hera Ixion’s punishment. Hera pulls aside her thin veil to watch the scene. A young woman sits next to Hermes with one hand up. She is identified by scholars as either Ixion’s mother or Nephele.^[15]

Daedalus and Pasiphae

Daedalus and Pasiphae in the House of the Vettii in Pompeii.

The mythological scene, Daedalus and Pasiphae is located on the north wall of the same triclinium where the Punishment of Ixion is depicted. This scene depicts King Minos’s wife, Pasiphae, and the craftsman Daedalus, whom Pasiphae ordered to construct a cow so she could sleep with her husbands treasured bull. Her lust towards the bull was a consequence of King Minos refusing to sacrifice the bull to Poseidon, angering the god who punished King Minos by making Pasiphae lust after the bull. Pasiphae later becomes pregnant with the Minotaur. Daedalus and his son Icarus were punished through imprisonment by King Minos for his assistance, leading into the famous myth of a winged escape from Crete.

Depicted in this scene is Daedalus presenting to Pasiphae the wooden cow. Daedalus is positioned in the middle of the painting with his back turned. He places one hand on the wooden cow and gestures with his other hand, explaining the cow to Pasiphae and her entourage. Pasiphae is seated to the left with two attendants behind her. all three figures look past Daedalus, focusing on an area above the cow. One attendant points to the opening in the cow’s back. A young boy sits to the left of Daedalus, either an apprentice or Icarus. The boy raises a hammer in his right hand and holds a chisel in his left, placed against the wooden beam.^[16]

Dionysus discovering Ariadne[edit]

The final mythological scene in the north triclinium is Dionysus discovering Ariadne on the south wall. The scene of Dionysisdiscovering Ariadne was a popular theme in Greek vase paining. It depicts the moment Dionysus discovers Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos and Pasiphae. After being abandoned by Theseus, the slayer of the Minotaur, Dionysus finds her sleeping on the island of Naxos and weds her.^[17]

In this scene Ariadne lays on a large leopard skin, with her back to the viewer. She wears gold armlets and anklets, tiny blue flowers in her hair, and a yellow mantle with a light-blue border. The mantle is wrapped around her legs and pulled up towards her front. Her back and bottom are nude. She leans against a white pillow with her right elbow and her left arm rests on top of her head, her fingers touching her upper right arm. The god of sleep, Hypnos, stands to the right of the image, besides Ariadne’s pillow. He holds a branch over Ariadne to sprinkle water from a small gold dish in his left hand, inducing sleep. Hypnos is winged and garbed in a green undergarment with long sleeves, a light-blue band around his head, and brown boots with a gold lion on the upper edge. To the left of the image, Dionysus stands in poor condition. From what is able to be deduced, Dionysis stands at a slight three-quarter view, wearing ivy leaves in his hair and a long red mantle that leaves his front exposed. He gazes down at Ariadne, a tall thyrsos in his left hand. The thyrsos has a circular cluster of leaves and a gold eagle with outsretched wings. Next to Dionysus are three satyrs, two to his right and one to his left. Two maenads are possibly depicted in the painting. One is depicted to the right of Dionysus, wearing a long green garment and leaves in the hair. he maenad looks towards Ariadne. The other is to the right of Ariadne, looking over her shoulder. In the center a satyr lifts an edge of Ariadne’s mantle and gestures to her exposed body. Cupid is depicted in the lower right corner with his hands clasped around his right leg as he gazes at Ariadne. In the left hand corner are a red and blue tambourine and two small gold cymbals. A seascape is depicted in the background.^[18]

Death of Pentheus

Death of Pentheus

The Death of Pentheus scene is located in the southern triclinium, surrounding the large peristyle, and painted on the east wall. The scene depicts Pentheus, the legendary King of Thebes, being killed by the female followers of Dionysus. When Dionysus returned to Thebes, Pentheus refused to believe Dionysus divinity as a god and imprisoned him, banning his worship. Dionysus escaped and enchanted Pentheus to go to Mt. Cithairon, disguised as a maenad. There he observed the celebration of the cult of Dionysus by the women of Thebes. In attendance was Pentheus’ mother Agave and her sisters Ino and Autonoe. The women discovered Pentheus, hidden behind a pine tree, but mistook him as a lion. The women then attacked Pentheus, tearing him to pieces.

In the scene depicted, Pentheus’ mother and her sisters have discovered Pentheus and have begun to tear him apart. In the front is Pentheus who has fallen to one knee. His left hand is raised to his head and his right is stretched outwards with his palm facing up. To his right he stares at a maenead who has her foot on his left knee and grasps his hair with her left hand. She raises a thyrsos in her right hand to strike him with. To his left is another maenaed who grabs his left arm with both hands and leans back to pull him back. Below Pentheus is a spear. Behind him are three other females. The center maenaed holds a stone above her head, about to hurl it at Pentheus. Two erinys are in each upper hand corner. The erinys in the left corner raises a whip to strike Pentheus.^[19]

Punishment of Dirce

Punishment of Dirce

The second mythological scene in the southern triclinium is the Punishment of Dirce, which is located on the south wall. This scene depicts Dirce, wife of Lykos, being punished by Amphion and Zethus. Amphion and Zethus were twins bore by Antiope, niece of Lykos, after being seduced by Zeus. After the twins were born, Lykos exposed them on Mt. Cithairon, but they were found by a shepherd who took them in. As punishment, Lykos imprisoned Antiope and allowed his wife, Dirce, to treat her cruelly. Eventually Antiope escaped and reunited with her now adult sons but was recaptured by Dirce, who ordered that Antiope be put to death by being dragged by a bull. Amphion and Zethus saved their mother and killed Dirce in the same manner she was going to have their mother put to death.

In the center of the scene is the bull, which ultimately kills Dirce. The bull rears up and lunges forward. Dirce lies below the bull with her arms raised on either side of the bull. A rope circles the bulls body and is tied to Dirce’s right wrist. A thyrsos lies to the left of Dirce. On either side of the bull are Amphion and Zethus preparing to release the bull. The brother on the right holds the rope looped around the bull’s neck. The brother on the left stands in profile, grasping the rope that circles the bull’s body with his right hand and grasping Dirce’s right arm with his left.^[20]

Infant Herakles strangling the snakes

Infant Herakles strangling the snakes

The final mythological scene in the southern triclinium is the Infant Herakles strangling the snakes, located on the north wall. This scene depicts Herakles as a child strangling the snakes sent by Herato kill him. Herakles is the son of Alkmena and Zeus, Hera’s husband. Hera become jealous of this relationship and sets out to kill the product of her husband’s affair. She sends two snakes into Herakles crib, but the child easily averts her efforts by killing the snakes.

This scenes depicts the story inside. A portico roof and white ionic columns can be seen in the distance. A large altar is depicted in the background on the left. On top of the altar a fire burns by a gold hood. A green garland is placed in front of the fire. On the right of the altar is the eagle of Zeus. Herakles is in the center of the foreground composition. His right knee is bent and resting on the floor while his left is extended. The snakes twist around Herakles arms and legs. The snakes heads are grasped in Herakles hands. A small wooden club is leaned against a small stone in front of Herakles. On the right is Amphitryon, Alkmena’s husband, seated in a throne. Amphitryon’s right foot is drawn back and rests on a gold footstool. His left foot rests on the floor. In his left hand he holds a long gold scepter while his right touches his chin as he looks puzzled at Herakles. Behind Amphitryon, Alkmena runs to the right of the scene, terrified. Her arms are extended and her head is turned back to look at Herakles. On the left, a young man, possibly a servant, turns his back to the viewer. He holds a long stick, which leans on his left shoulder. He raises his right hand in astonishment.^[21]

Wrestling match between Pan and Eros

The mythological scene, Wrestling match between Pan and Eros is located in the south-east triclinium, surrounding the large atrium, on the south wall.

Pan and Eros are not yet fighting in this scene. They stare at each other, in profile. Eros stretches out his arms towards Pan. He is bent over and his legs are spread. Pan poses similarly but only with his right arm raised towards Eros. His left hand is placed behind is back in a handicap. Between Pan and Eros is a large stone. Dionysuswatches the two figures at the left of the scene. He is seated in the front, on a rock, leaning with his left arm. In his left hand he holds a thyrsos. His right hand rests on his thigh and holds a gold wreath for the winner. Dionysus wears only a dark-red mantle covering his legs, high brown boots, and ivy leaves in his hair. A kantharos is next to Dionysus’ right foot. Behind Dionysus, slightly elevated, is Ariadne. She also watches the contest. She is seated in a three-quarter view. Her right leg is extended and her left is bent and her knee is raised. Ariadne wears a long white garment beneath a light-blue mantle with her breasts and right shoulder and arm exposed. A thyrsos rests between her legs, supported by her left hand. Her right hand rests on Dionysus’ shoulder. A satyr stands behind Dionysus, obscured by a stone. The satyr wears a pine wreath and a garment fastened at its right shoulder. On the right side of the scene Silenus holds a pine branch in his left hand and extends his right arm with his palm facing the viewer and Pan and Eros. Silenus is nude except for a red cloth wrapped around his waist and ivy leaves in his hair.^[22]

Cyparissus

The final mythological scene in the south-east triclinium is Cyparissus on the north wall. It depicts Cyparissus, Apollo‘s lover, who was turned into a cypress tree after killing Apollo’s beloved stag.

Cyparissus sits in the middle of the scene, seated on a large stone and gazing to the right. His left hand supports his body on the stone while his right rests on his leg and holds a gold scepter. His right leg is bent and his foot drawn back. The only clothing he wears is a purple mantle which covers his right knee and drapes across his left thigh. From his head a Cypress cone raises up. To the right of Cyparissus Apollo’s gilded tripod is supported on a stone. At the base of the tripod, the omphalos is covered with a net. In front of the stone lays the stag of Apollo with a broken spear protruding from its side. In the background, in the upper left corner, is the upper body of a nymph, watching Cyparissus. She leans her body on a boulder, her right elbow resting on the boulder and her hand supporting her head. In her left hand she holds two branches.^[23]

Achilles on Skyros

Close up of Achilles on Skyros in the House of the Vettii

The final mythological scene in the south-east triclinium is Achilles on Skyros, painted on the east wall. This scene depicts Achilles stay on the island of Skyros. After learning that Achilles would die during the Trojan War, his mother, Thetis, sent him to live on the island of Skyros. Achilles was disguised as a maiden among Lykomedes daughters. While living on Skyros, Deidameia bore Achilles a son. Odysseus discovers Achilles’ concealment and comes to Skyros to reveal Achilles. Odysseus displays gifts in front of the King’s daughter, including arms and armor. When a trumpet sounds, Achilles grabs the weapons, revealing his true nature.

The scene depicted is the moment upon which Achilles hears the trumpet and reaches for the weapons, notifying the others who he truly is. Achilles stands in the center of the composition. His upper body is completely lost. Achilles legs are spread wide and the left is bent slightly, seemingly lunging to the right. To the right of the scene Odysseus runs to the left. In his left hand he holds a spear and a sword is strapped to his left side. He wears a white pileus on his head. On the right a female figure, possibly Deidameia, runs to the left with her back to the viewer. She is in the nude except for yellow shoes, gold anklets, and a dark grey mantle that covers her legs. A second female figure stands behind Achilles. Most of her upper body is lost. From what we can see, she runs to the left of the scene. Her right arm is raised with an open palm. A third female figure stands behind Odysseus, she also runs to the left, glancing back at the scene as she runs. In the female’s right hand she carries a cylindrical basket and her left hand is raised in alarm. In the background, on the left, a figure wearing a cuirass decorated with a Gorgoneion and blowing a trumpet is able to be seen. The King is depicted behind Achilles.^[24]

Herakles and Auge

The only surviving mythological scene in the triclinium next to the small peristyle is Herakles and Auge, painted on south wall. This scene depicts the myth of the rape of Auge, who was the daughter of the King of Taega and the priestess of Athena, by a drunken Herakles. The union resulted in the conception of Telephus.

Auge crouches on one knee on the bank of a stream in the center of the scene. She lifts the sacred peplos of Athena from the water with a lowered right hand. Her left arm is extended to repeal the obviously drunk Herakles. Herakles leans to the left and his right leg is bent back to indicate him stumbling. He attempts to support himself with his club in hes left hand. Herakles wears only a lion skin wrapped around his right arm and draped across his back. With his right hand he grabs an edge of Auge’s mantle, which only covers her legs and back. Herakles bow and quiver hang from a strap on his left wrist. A female companion stands to the left of Auge. She holds an edge of the peplos with her right hand and uses her left hand to ward off Herakles. Behind the three figures are two females. One wears green leaves in her hair and long green garment ornamented with a Gorgoneion. She looks to Auge’s companion and raises a kantharos above Auge’s head, tilted slightly to be poured. in her left palm she holds a shallow dish or crown. The second figure has large, green, outspread wings and a blue nimbus behind her head. The figure grasps the female companion’s outstretched left arm.^[25]

Ariadne abandoned by Theseus

In the cubiculum next to the large atrium, Ariadne abandoned by Theseus is painted on the north wall. This scene shows Ariadneabandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos after their flight from Crete due to Theseus killing the Minotaur. The scene Dionysus discovering Ariadne results after this scene.

Ariadne lays on a large red cloth spread on the ground. Her legs are extended to the left and her torso twists towards the viewer. Her left hand touches the red cloth while her right hand is raised to her mouth as she gazes at the retreating ship to the left. Cupid stands behind Ariadne and places his left hand on her left shoulder, pointing with his right hand towards the shop in the left hand section of the scene. The ship is manned by three figures. The first the helmsman and he is seated at the stern, leaning forward slightly, with the rudder in his right hand. This figure is possibly Theseus. Two smaller figures sit on either side of the mast. One holds the oar and the other adjust the sail. A fisherman stands in the lower left corner.^[26]

Hero and Leander

On the south wall in the cubiculum is the painting Hero and Leander. This painting depicts the lovers Hero and Leander who lived on opposite shores of the Hellespont. Leander wished to be with his lover so he swam the strait each night, guided by torches Hero placed in a tower on the beach. One night a storm extinguishes the light, causing Leander to drown. Distraught, Hero throws herself into the sea after him.

Leander is depicted in the water, wearing only a wreath of yellow leaves. He swims to the right with his left arm extended towards the circular tower occupying the right section of the painting. Hero leans out of a window of the tower wearing a yellow garment and holding in her right hand, a torch for Leander. On the left hand side of the Hellespont, Leander’s servant is seated on a rock. He extends his left arm toward Leander and holds a lantern, which is resting on the rock beside him. A dark garment is draped over a rock to the left of the servant, most likely Leander’s clothes. At the base of the scene a ladder is leaned against a rock near the servant. To the right are horizontal planks creating a bridge, leading to the second step of the tower platform. Three dolphins swim above Leander in the composition.^[27]

The Owners

An ancient Fourth-Pompeian-StyleRoman wall painting depicting a scene of sacrifice in honor of the goddess Diana; she is seen here accompanied by a deer. The fresco was discovered in the triclinium of House of the Vettii in Pompeii, Italy.

It has been determined by scholars that the House of the Vettii was owned by Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus, former slaves or freedman. Scholars have come to this conclusion after finding the names on two bronze seals located in the front hall. One of the seals was engraved with ‘A. Vetti Restituti’ or ‘of Aulus Vettius Restitutus’. On the other ‘A. Vetti Convivaes [sic]’ orr ‘of Aulus Vettius Conviva’ was carved into the seal. Additionally, a ring was found with the initials A. V. C.^[28] Further evidence supports the identification of the owners through wax tablets and notices pasted on the outside of the house. Preserved business tablets of Lucius Caecillius list A. Vettius Conviva as witness. The tablet identifies Conviva as a free man. Other proofs of Conviva’s position in Roman society, and incidentally his ownership of the House of the Vettii, are found in the form of graffiti. On the southern facade of the house he is identified as an Augustalis, a type of priest, which is mirrored in fragments of a seal ring that was abbreviated with ‘Aug’ following his name. Scholars, however, have noted that it cannot be stated with certainty that the Vettii are the owners, despite most believing that they were, do to the limited epigraphical (engraved) evidence. The Vetti family is believed to have been freedman of the aristocratic family. This belief is rooted in the cognomina, or third given name, Conviva and Restitutus being associated with servitude as well as the richness of the decorations in the House of the Vettii. Furthermore, the position of Augustalis was often held by former slaves. The name ‘Restitutus’ was also commonly a slave name. Scholars have debated on the relationship of the two men, many believing they were brothers or fellow slaves. Other theories suggest that Conviva owned the home and Restitutus was a son, brother or freedman, or other important member of the household that inherited the house upon Conviva’s passing.^[29]

Notes

1. Jump up^ Their identity was preserved in campaign-slogan graffiti on the street front of the house. Two inscribed signet rings were also found.
2. Jump up^ The House of the Vettii was not one of the eighteenth-century discoveries, which were rifled for their museum-worthy objects. It was excavated between September 1894 and January 1896. There is evidence that the house was disturbed, perhaps looted, shortly after the eruption.
3. Jump up^ Beth, Severy-Hoven (November 2012). « Master Narratives and the Wall Painting of the House of the Vettii ». Gender & History. 24 (no. 3): 540–580.
4. Jump up^ Archer, William. The Paintings of the Casa Dei Vettii in Pompeii. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. p. 6.
5. Jump up^ Archer, William. The Paintings of the Casa Dei Vettii in Pompeii. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. p. 434.
6. Jump up^ Archer, William. The Paintings of Casa Dei Vettii in Pompeii. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. p. 14.
7. Jump up^ Archer, William. The Paintings of the Casa Dei Vettii in Pompeii. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. p. 17.
8. Jump up^ Severy-Hoven, Beth (November 2012). « Master Narratives and the Wall Painting of the House of the Vettii ». Gender & History. 24 (no. 3): 544.
9. Jump up^ Archer, William. The Paintings of the Casa Dei Vettii in Pompeii. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. p. 6.
10. Jump up^ Severy-Hoven, Beth (November 2012). « Master Narratives and the Wall Painting of the House of the Vettii ». Gender & History. 24 (no. 3): 544.
11. Jump up^ « Khan Academy ». Khan Academy. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
12. Jump up^ Archer, William Carthon (1981). The Paintings of the Casa Dei Vettii in Pompeii. University of Virginia, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. p. 395.
13. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa Dei Vettii in Pompeii. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. p. 394.
14. Jump up^ Severy-Hoven, Beth (November 2012). « Master Narratives and the Wall Painting of the House of the Vettii ». Gender & History. 24 (no. 3): 554.
15. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa Dei Vettii in Pompei. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. pp. 400–401.
16. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vettii in Pompeii. pp. 413–414.
17. Jump up^ Severy-Hoven, Beth (November 2012). « Master Narratives and the Wall Painting of the House of the Vettii, Pompei ». Gender & History. 24 (no. 3): 549.
18. Jump up^ William, Archer (1981). The Paintings of the Casa Dei Vettii in Pompeii. Pro Quest Dissertations and Theses. p. 434.
19. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vetti in Pompeii. p. 434.
20. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vetti in Pompeii. p. 465.
21. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vetti in Pompeii. pp. 475–476.
22. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Painting of the Casa dei Vettii in Pompeii. pp. 494–495.
23. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vetii in Pompeii. pp. 505–506.
24. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vetti in Pompeii. pp. 512–513.
25. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vetti in Pompeii. pp. 529–530.
26. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vetti in Pompeii. pp. 540–541.
27. Jump up^ Archer, William (1981). The Paintings of the Casa dei Vetti in Pompeii. pp. 548–549.
28. Jump up^ Severy-Hoven, Beth (November 2012). « Master Narratives and the Wall Painting of the House of the Vetti, Pompei ». Gender & History. 24: 545.
29. Jump up^ Archer, William. The Paintings of the Casa dei Vettii in Pompeii. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. p. 4.

References

• Butterworth, Alex and Ray Laurence. Pompeii: The Living City.New York, St. Martin’s Press, 2005.
• (Stoa.org) On-line companion to Penelope Mary Allison, Pompeian Households: House of the Vettii
• John R. Clarke, Andrew Otwell, David Richard, Denise Ketcham, * Heather Matthews « The House of the Vettii at Pompeii: An Interactive Exploration of Roman Art in the Domestic Sphere »(currently inactive)
• Rowland, Ingrid D. (2014). From Pompeii : The Afterlife of a Roman Town. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

See also[edit]

• House of Sallust
• House of the Faun

Further reading[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to House of the Vettii (Pompeii).

• R. Etienne, Pompeii. The Day a City Died (London 1986; 3rd ed. 1994)
• R. Laurence, Roman Pompeii: Space and Society (London, 1994)
• A. Wallace-Hadrill, Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (Princeton, 1994)
• Rowland, Ingrid D. (2014). From Pompeii : The Afterlife of a Roman Town. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

hide v t e Pompeii
History	Pompei Mount Vesuvius 62 Pompeii earthquake Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79
Villas of Pompeii‎	Villa of the Mysteries
Domus of Pompeii‎	House of the Faun House of Sallust House of the Centenary House of Julia Felix House of Loreius Tiburtinus House of Menander House of the surgeon House of the Silver Wedding House of the Tragic Poet House of the Vettii Lupanar
Public buildings of Pompeii‎	Aqua Augusta Macellum of Pompeii
Recreational buildings of Pompeii‎	Amphitheatre Suburban Baths
Temples of Pompeii	Temple of Apollo Temple of Isis Temple of Jupiter
Other sites destroyed in the 79 Eruption	Herculaneum Villa of the Papyri Oplontis Villa Poppaea Stabiae Villa Boscoreale
Archaeological Museum	Naples National Archaeological Museum
Art in Pompeii	Achilles and Briseis Alexander Mosaic Portrait of Paquius Proculo Erotic art in Pompeii and Herculaneum Pompeian Styles Conservation issues of Pompeii and Herculaneum Pompeii in popular culture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Vettii

http://www.giacobbegiusti.com

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

The Roman Villa of Positano, on the Amalfi coast, houses archaeological finds of inestimable value like a series of frescoes of the first century AD.

 

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

 

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

 

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

 

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

 

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

Giacobbe Giusti, Ancient Roman villa in Positano finally opens to the public

In Roman times many villas were built by emperors and wealthy aristocrats along the coastline of the Campania felix: from the Sorrento peninsula to Paestum, including the Amalfi Coast and Capri. They were the so called « villae maritimae », accessible only by the sea, place of otium and exclusive retreat for the most important exponents of the Roman policy and aristocracy.

During the works in both Piazza Flavio Gioia and the crypt of the Church dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta in Positano, have been brought to light the walls and the collapsed roofs of a maritime villa (dating back from the I century BC and the I century AD), damaged before by the earthquake of 62AD and, then, swamped by ash and pumice of the Vesuvius eruption in 79AD. Part of the villa as well as of the sculptural decoration were already discovered in the XVII century and, later, in the second half of the XVIII century by Carlo Weber, the Swiss architect who followed the excavations at Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae by order of Charles of Bourbon. In the twenties of the ‘900 a local butcher, during the works in his shop near the church, brought to life other portions of the villa.

As happened in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, the eruptive materials allowed a perfect preservation of the porches, peristyle, various rooms, frescoes and stucco. In particular we can see a wall in opus reticulatum, decorated by a stucco frame and beautiful polychrome frescoes in Pompeian style, depicting a seahorse, an eagle, a Pegasus and two cupids. The depictions are framed by fine architectural backgrounds as a coffered ceiling and a classical architrave.

According to Della Corte’s opinion the Roman villa in Positano belonged to the gladiator Posides Claudi Caesaris libertus (a freedman to whom the emperor Claudius donated the pure lance, as a reward for the conquests against the Britons. If this theory was true, the name of Positano could derive from Posides, as the villa would be considered the « praedium posidetanum » (Posides’s property).

 

https://www.amalficoast.com/p/campania-4/amalfi-coast-1/positano-8/the-roman-villa-in-positano-the-past-that-emerges-2372

http://oltre-la-notte.blogspot.com/2017/04/la-straordinaria-villa-romana-di.html

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2018/07/roman-villa-of-positano-finally-to-open.html#CqCrcH4TQtql07CR.99

http://www.giacobbegiusti.com

 

 

 

Giacobbe Giusti, CALCHAS, fresque sur plâtre de Pompéi, , Musée archéologique national de Naples

Giacobbe Giusti, CALCHAS, fresque sur plâtre de Pompéi, , Musée archéologique national de Naples

Calchas (droite) conduisant Iphigénie au sacrifice, fresque sur plâtre de Pompéi, après 62, Musée archéologique national de Naples

Giacobbe Giusti, CALCHAS, fresque sur plâtre de Pompéi, , Musée archéologique national de Naples

Calchas (droite) conduisant Iphigénie au sacrifice, fresque sur plâtre de Pompéi, après 62, Musée archéologique national de Naples

Dans la mythologie grecque, Calchas (en grec ancien Κάλχας / Kálkhas), est un devin grec qui apparaît dans les récits de la guerre de Troie, en particulier dans l’Iliade. Fils de Thestor, il est décrit dans cette épopée comme « de beaucoup le meilleur des devins, qui connaît le futur, le présent, le passé¹ ». Il tient son don de vision d’Apollon.

Mythologie

Avant le départ de l’expédition grecque, il prédit qu’Achille serait nécessaire aux Grecs et que la guerre durerait dix ans. Pendant le voyage vers Troie, il indique à Agamemnon pourquoi Artémis a immobilisé les navires grecs en Aulide, et comment l’apaiser en sacrifiant sa fille Iphigénie. Quand Apollon décime les rangs grecs devant Troie, il explique que c’est parce que Agamemnona refusé de rendre Chryséis, fille du prêtre troyen d’Apollon. Enfin, c’est lui qui contribue au stratagème du cheval de Troie.

En rentrant de la guerre, Calchas préfère un parcours par voie de terre, car il prévoit un retour difficile à cause du courroux d’Athéna. Il rencontre ainsi le devin Mopsos, petit-fils de Tirésias et, après avoir perdu contre lui dans un concours d’art divinatoire, il meurt de dépit². Il ressuscite après vingt années de mort grâce au dieu souterrain Hadès.

Évocations artistiques

Offenbach en fit un des protagonistes de son opéra-bouffe La Belle Hélène.

Il est également cité dans la tragédie de Racine, Iphigénie, bien que ne faisant pas partie des personnages de la pièce³.

Bibliographie

• Fernand Robert, La religion grecque, vol. 105, Paris, PUF, coll. « Que sais-je ? », 1981(réimpr. 1967) (1^re éd. 1949), 127 p.(ISBN 2130446728). 
• Luc Brisson (dir.) et Platon, Apologie de Socrate : Platon, Œuvres complètes, Éditions Flammarion, 2008 (1^re éd. 2006), 2204 p.(ISBN 978-2081218109). 
• (fr)Iliade (trad. du grec ancien par Robert Flacelière), Éditions Gallimard , 1993 (1^re éd.1955) (ISBN 2-07-010261-0). 

Notes

1. ↑ Chant I, v. 69-70
2. ↑ Robert 1981, p. 47
3. ↑ « « Racine. Iphigénie » — Propos de théâtre. Troisième Série » [archive], sur obvil.paris-sorbonne.fr (consulté le 19 septembre 2016)

Voir aussi

Sur les autres projets Wikimedia :

• Calchas, sur Wikimedia Commons

[masquer] v · m Personnages de l’Iliade
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In Greek mythology, Calchas(/ˈkælkəs/; Ancient Greek: ΚάλχαςKalkhas, possibly meaning « bronze-man »), son of Thestor, was an Argiveseer, with a gift for interpreting the flight of birds that he received of Apollo: « as an augur, Calchas had no rival in the camp ».^[1] He also interpreted the entrails of the enemy during the tide of battle.^[2]

Career

It was Calchas who prophesied that in order to gain a favourable wind to deploy the Greek ships mustered in Aulis on their way to Troy, Agamemnonwould need to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigeneia, to appease Artemis, whom Agamemnon had offended. The episode was related at length in the lost Cypria, of the Epic Cycle. He also states that Troy will be sacked on the tenth year of the war.^[3]

In the Iliad, Calchas tells the Greeks that the captive Chryseis must be returned to her father Chryses in order to get Apollo to stop the plague he has sent as a punishment: this triggered the quarrel of Achilles and Agamemnon, the main theme of the Iliad. Later in the story, Poseidon assumes the form of Calchas in order to rouse and empower the Greek forces while Zeus is not observing the battle.

In Sophocles’ Ajax, Calchas delivers a prophecy to Teucer suggesting that the protagonist will die if he leaves his tent before the day is out.

Calchas also plays a role in Quintus of Smyrna’s Posthomerica. Calchas said that if they were brief, they could convince Achilles to fight. It is he rather than Helenus (as suggested in Sophocles’ Philoctetes) that predicts that Troy will only fall once the Argives are able to recruit Philoctetes.^[4] It is by his advice that they halt the battle, even though Neoptolemus is slaughtering the Trojans. He also tells the Argives that the city is more easily taken by strategy than by force. He endorses Odysseus‘ suggestion that the Trojan Horse will effectively infiltrate the Trojans. He also foresees that Aeneas will survive the battle and found the city, and tells the Argives that they will not kill him. He did not join the Argives when they boarded the ships, as he foresaw the impending doom of the Kapherean Rocks.^[5]

Death

Calchas died of shame at Colophon in Asia Minor shortly after the Trojan War (as told in the Cyclic Nostoi and Melampodia): the prophet Mopsus beat him in a contest of soothsaying, although Strabo^[6] placed an oracle of Calchas on Monte Gargano in Magna Graecia. It is also said that Calchas died of laughter when he thought another seer had incorrectly predicted his death. This seer had foretold Calchas would never drink from the wine produced from vines he had planted himself; Calchas made the wine, but holding the cup he died of laughter, before he could inform them they had drunk it the previous night.^[7]

In medieval and later versions of the myth, Calchas is portrayed as a Trojan defector and the father of Chryseis, now called Cressida.

References

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Calchas.

Calchas.

1. Jump up^ Homer. Iliad, Book I (E.V. Rieutranslation).
2. Jump up^ Quintus of Smyrna. Posthomerica, Book IX (Alan James translation).
3. Jump up^ Quintus of Smyrna. Posthomerica, Book VIII (Alan James translation).
4. Jump up^ Quintus of Smyrna. Posthomerica, Book IX (Alan James translation).
5. Jump up^ Quintus of Smyrna. Posthomerica, Book XIV (Alan James translation).
6. Jump up^ Strabo. Geography, 6.3.9.
7. Jump up^ Maurus Servius Honoratus, Commentary on the Eclogues of Vergil 6.72

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calchas

http://www.giacobbegiusti.com

Giacobbe Giusti, POMPEII: Amazing new discovery made

Giacobbe Giusti, POMPEII: Amazing new discovery made

 

Giacobbe Giusti, POMPEII: Amazing new discovery made

 

Giacobbe Giusti, POMPEII: Amazing new discovery made

A detail of a fresco that was found during excavation works in the archaeological site of Pompeii, Thursday, May 17, 2018. Archaeologists excavating an unexplored part of Pompeii have discovered a street of houses with intact balconies that were buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. ANSA via AP Ciro Fusco

Giacobbe Giusti, POMPEII: Amazing new discovery made

A man points at a detail of a fresco that was found during excavation works in the archaeological site of Pompeii, Thursday, May 17, 2018. Archaeologists excavating an unexplored part of Pompeii have discovered a street of houses with intact balconies that were buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. ANSA via AP Ciro Fusco

16 Mag 2018

Erano cinque giovani che cercavano disperatamente di scampare alla forza ineluttabile dell’eruzione che nel 79 d.C. devastò le città di Pompei, Ercolano e Stabia.

Continuano a regalare sorprese gli scavi archeologici di Pompei, che oltre a questi nuovi resti umani, hanno restituito delle zappe, forse usate dai giovani per scavare un cunicolo tra le ceneri e i lapilli, ma anche tre monete d’oro, un pendente di collana e alcuni vasi da mensa, mescolati alla rinfusa dopo i saccheggi degli scavatori clandestini che dopo l’eruzione del 79 d.C. si avventurarono nella città alla ricerca di tesori sepolti sotto la cenere.

Le scoperte sono state effettuate nella zona di Porta Ercolano, ed esplorando l’area, dopo una tomba femminile scoperta già nove mesi fa, gli archeologi hanno rinvenuto una nuova sepoltura a cassa integra, appartenente ad un uomo adulto, uno dei primi Sanniti arrivati a Pompei, sepolto con sei vasi a vernice nera, tutti in ottimo stato di conservazione, legati al rito del banchetto e al vino, risalente a quattrocento anni prima della tragica eruzione.

Poco distanti dall’area funeraria, gli archeologi si sono imbattuti in uno strato non intaccato dagli scavatori ottocenteschi e hanno appunto rinvenuto gli scheletri dei cinque fuggiaschi, che avevano trovato rifugio un una bottega.

L’ufficializzazione dei ritrovamenti è arrivata nel corso di una conferenza stampa cui hanno preso parte le organizzazioni che hanno preso parte al ritrovamento di questi importanti pezzi di storia: la Soprintendenza di Pompei, l’Ecole Francaise de Rome, le Centre Jean Berard e il Cnrs.

Gli esperti non escludono che, proseguendo nelle ricerche, possano emergere nuove tombe della fase pre-romana di Pompei, ancora non pienamente conosciuta, confermando come il sito archeologico sia ancora una miniera ricca di sorprese dal valore storico e culturale impareggiabile, che aspettano solo di venire alla luce.

 

Archaeologists find street of balconies in Italy’s Pompeii

The Associated Press

May 17, 2018 01:59 PM

 

ROME 

Archaeologists excavating an unexplored part of Italy’s volcanic ash-covered city of Pompeii have discovered a street of houses with intact balconies that were buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Some of the balconies even had amphorae — the conical-shaped terra cotta vases that were used to hold wine and oil in ancient Roman times.

The culture ministry’s Pompeii authority announced the discovery Thursday. It said the balconies were a « complete novelty » for this part of the buried city, which hasn’t yet been fully excavated. A statement said the balconies will be restored and the area included in a tour open to the public.

 

Scavi di Pompei. La schola Armatorarum, dal crollo alle nuove scoperte

Un deposito di anfore emerge negli ambienti retrostanti l’edificio simbolo della rinascita

Ancora nuove scoperte agli Scavi di Pompei, precisamente presso la Schola Armaturarum, ormai simbolo di rinascita della città, dove è in corso il restauro degli affreschi originali salvatisi dal bombardamento del 1943 e dove, dallo scorso luglio, è stato avviato anche lo scavo degli ambienti retrostanti, mai prima d’ora indagati.

Un deposito di anfore, al momento formato da quattordici reperti immersi nel lapillo, è stato riportato alla luce. Le anfore, rinvenute intatte, dovevano contenere olio, vino e salse di pesce: una di esse presenta iscrizioni dipinte in cui si leggono numeri a indicare i quantitativi, e, verosimilmente, il prodotto contenuto. L’uso come deposito dell’ambiente è confermato dai graffiti visibili su una delle pareti dell’ambiente, che ribadiscono l’attività di stoccaggio.

Al termine dello scavo, previsto per il mese di dicembre, le anfore saranno ricollocate in situ nell’ambito del più ampio progetto di valorizzazione del “museo diffuso” che il Parco Archeologico sta adottando in più aree degli scavi per ri-contestualizzare i reperti nei luoghi di provenienza.

Fino ad ora l’unico ambiente, portato alla luce nel 1915 da Vittorio Spinazzola, era stato quello ben conosciuto che affacciava su via dell’Abbondanza. Il suo carattere pubblico militare fu fin dall’inizio chiaro per via delle grandi dimensioni e della sua decorazione (i trofei all’ingresso e le figure alate e armate che decorano le pareti). Tuttavia, la sua esatta destinazione, deposito di armi o scuola di formazione della gioventù pompeiana, continua a non essere certa. Lo scavo di questi altri  ambienti, che rientra nel cantiere « Scavi e Ricerche »,  ha come obiettivo proprio quello di  chiarire tali aspetti.

L’esplorazione della struttura completa della Schola non è il solo intervento del genere previsto a Pompei. In corso è anche il grande cantiere di scavo nella Regio V, il cosiddetto “cuneo” (un’area di oltre 1000m2 nella zona posta tra la casa delle Nozze d’Argento e gli edifici alla sinistra del vicolo di Lucrezio Frontone), dal quale ci si aspetta di portare in luce  ulteriori strutture e reperti di ambienti privati e pubblici. In quest’area (sul pianoro delle regiones IV e V), inoltre, sarà previsto l’allestimento di un laboratorio di studio archeologico dei reperti che verranno alla luce e un deposito per la loro conservazione temporanea.

“Siamo contenti delle scoperte che stanno emergendo. – dichiara Massimo Osanna, Direttore del Parco archeologico – Pompei ha iniziato una nuova stagione, quella di una ricerca archeologica intensa e del prosieguo della conoscenza del sito. Dopo il suo recupero, attraverso le messe in sicurezza di tutte le sue regiones, l’apertura di nuove domus restaurate, la restituzione alla fruizione di interi quartieri finora inaccessibili, grazie al recupero della percorribilità di quasi tutte le vie urbane, ci si può dedicare  anche  ad attività di scavo, che si affiancano alla manutenzione programmata e che consentiranno  di fornire nuove ipotesi alla storia della vita quotidiana degli antichi, in alcuni casi dando risposta a quesiti  irrisolti, come potrebbe essere per la Schola armatorarum”

 

https://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/celebrities/article211352769.html

https://amalfinotizie.it/scavi-pompei-riservano-nuove-sorprese-emersi-resti-giovani-fuga-eruzione/

http://www.ecampania.it/napoli/news/scavi-pompei-schola-armatorarum-dal-crollo-alle-nuove-scoperte

http://www.giacobbegiusti.com