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A small, ornately decorated house has been uncovered in Pompeii during ongoing excavations of the Insula of the Chaste Lovers, in the centre of the ancient city. Archaeological investigations of this newly discovered residence are still under way, but it is believed to cover an area of just c.120m2. Despite its size, the house’s wall paintings rival those of larger homes like the adjacent House of the Painters at Work.
The frescoes revealed so far, in a room at the rear of the house, feature several mythological scenes, including one depicting Hippolytus and Phaedra (shown here), which has given the building the provisional name ‘the House of Phaedra’. Others comprise an embrace between a nymph and a satyr; a divine couple possibly representing Venus and Adonis; and a damaged painting that may depict the Judgement of Paris. In a little courtyard next to the painted room, archaeologists have also unearthed a small lararium (domestic altar) decorated with plant and animal motifs.
The House of Phaedra is interesting not just for its decoration but also for its layout, most notably, the absence of an atrium. This can be explained partly by the limited space available, but it was not a question of practicality alone. The decision reflects a change that was occurring in Roman domestic architecture in the 1st century AD, when the atrium, which had been a central part of Roman houses for 600 years, started to disappear. We see early evidence of this shift at several houses in Pompeii; the House of Phaedra represents a valuable addition to this group.
It is hoped that further research will reveal more about this spectacular little house, as well as the wider cultural and social implications of changing architecture in this period.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Image: courtesy of the MIC – Archaeological Park of Pompeii
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