The House of the Vettii is a domus located in the Roman town Pompeii, which was preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The house is named for its owners, two successful freedmen: Aulus Vettius Conviva, an Augustalis, and Aulus Vettius Restitutus.Their identity was preserved in campaign-slogan graffiti on the street front of the house. Two inscribed signet rings were also found. Its careful excavationThe 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. 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 the Vettii 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. The plan is fashioned after a typical Roman domus, with the exception of an omitted tablinum. There are twelve mythological scenes across four cubicula and one triclinium. The house was reopened to tourists in January 2023 after two decades of restoration.
Plan
The plan of the House of the Vettii is commonly divided into five major sections: the large atrium (c), the small atrium (v), the large peristyle (l-m), the small peristyle, and the shop. 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 remain 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 Vicolo di Mercurio on the southern facade. In addition, there are five small windows on the east facade, two narrow vertical windows on the south facade, and a single small window on the west facade.
The small atrium and small peristyle are both located on the north section of the house. 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.
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, also known as the taberna. Draft animals were moved through this gate and stabled in the shop. Beside 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. Overlooking 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
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. The Fourth Style is identified 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 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 are the mythological scenes, of which there are twelve remaining in the House of the Vettii. It is believed that the scenes are copied from Greek models, but no Greek paintings have survived to compare the frescoes to. 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 panels are in the triclinium and the cubiculum to the left of the main entrance. The paintings combine to create a theme of divine reward and punishment, with one particularly showing the power of Jupiter (Zeus) and his sons as the enforcers of world order.
Beyond the twelve mythological paintings, many more artworks are displayed in the House of the Vettii. Most famous 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
This mythological scene is located on the east wall of the north triclinium, which is located next to the large peristyle. It 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 Ixion attempts to seduce her, Zeus creates the cloud goddess Nephele in the image of Hera. Ixion lies 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 often identified by scholars as either Ixion's mother or Nephele.
Daedalus and Pasiphae
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 husband's Dionysus 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.
Dionysus discovering Ariadne
The final mythological scene in the north triclinium is Dionysus discovering Ariadne on the south wall. The scene of Dionysus discovering Ariadne was a popular theme in Greek vase painting. 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.
In this scene Ariadne lies 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, Dionysus 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 outstretched 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. The 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.
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's 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 Autonoë. 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 maenad 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 maenad 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.
Punishment of Dirce