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Regio I - Insula IX - Caseggiato del Larario (I,IX,3)
(House of the Lararium)

The House of the Lararium was built in brick around 120 AD. The ground floor is largely taken up by shops. These could be entered from the street and from a courtyard. Vestibules are present in the south and west facade. The lay-out has been compared to the oriental bazaar.

The courtyard has several noteworthy features. In the northwest part is a staircase. Somewhat to the right is a polychrome niche, called lararium by the excavators, a shrine of the household gods, the Lares Familiares. However, in this niche must have been one, fairly large statue of a deity. It is not an intimate shrine of the kind that is found so often in Pompeii. The niche could not be placed exactly opposite the southern entrance to the building, but it is as close to the axis as possible. It functions as a religious welcome to those who entered the shopping centre. A religious tie was created between those working in the building and their customers. The building furthermore stands out because of the very extensive use of small travertine blocks in the walls.

The vestibules and the courtyard had a black-and-white mosaic, later repaired with marble slabs. In front of the niche is a keyhole-shaped basin. In the northeast corner of the courtyard is a well. In the years 1802-1804 a marble well-head (puteal) was found on top (now in the Vatican).

On the rim is the inscription:

MONITV SANCTISSIMAE CERERIS ET NYMPHARVM HIC PVTEVS FACTVS OMNI SVMPTV

On the front is an inscription dated August 23, 197 AD:

C(ai) CAECILI ONESIMI
PATRO(ni) ET Q(uin)Q(uennalis) P(er)P(etui) C(orporis) M(ensorum) ADIVTOR(um)
ET L(uci) HORTENSI GALLI
Q(uin)Q(uennalis) NAVTICARIORVM
ET N(umeri) TREBONI EVTYCHETIS
Q(uin)Q(uennalis) II ACCEPTORVM
DED(icatum) X KAL(endas) SEPT(embres) LATERANO ET RVFINO
CO(n)S(ulibus)

A well with the well-head was made after an admonition by Ceres and the Nymphs (presumably in a dream). It was financed by the presidents of the three subdivisions of the guild of the grain measurers, the adiutores, nauticarii and acceptores of the mensores frumentarii (the "helpers", "loaders", and "receivers"). August 23 was a feast-day on which various deities were worshipped who protected against fires, such as Vulcanus and the Nymphs. Ceres is obviously related to the grain that was handled by the measurers.

The well-head may have been re-used in the building. If not, what could have been the relation between the grain measurers and the House of the Lararium? Possibly organizational aspects or the grain trade were dealt with here ("Where is the grain I ordered and when can it be shipped?"). The cult niche shows a great similarity with niches in the well-guarded Horrea Epagathiana. Perhaps the money of the grain transactions was stored there.

Plan of the caseggiato

Plan of the caseggiato. After SO I.

Photos



The main entrance of the building, seen from the Decumanus Maximus.
Photo: Daniel González Acuña.



The courtyard seen from the south-east.
Photo: Daniel González Acuña.



Detail of the niche. Photo: Klaus Heese.


One of the shops. Note the travertine consoles that supported a floor.
On the masonry steps rested a ladder. Photo: Daniel González Acuña.



A doorjamb with a locking device. Photo: Daniel González Acuña.


Photo of the well-head. Vatican Museums.


Drawing of the well-head. Guattani 1805, Tav. IX.

Drawing of the remains, seen from the south-east.
From Scocca 1994, fig. 3.


Cross-section, seen from the south-east.
Drawing by M.A. Ricciardi.


[jthb - 24-Apr-2022]