Houses of the wealthy in Pompeii House of

Houses of the wealthy in Pompeii House of the Faun

The House of the Faun • The House of the Faun is considered the finest example of a private house in Pompeii. • Built 2 nd century BC – (300 yrs old at the time of the eruption) • Area – 3000 sq. metres, covering a whole town block

The House of the Faun • Owner – unknown. Possibly to Publius Cornelius Sulla, nephew of famous Sulla, dictator of Rome, who was given the job of organising the colony of Pompeii after the Social Wars. • Architecture & Decoration – lavish. They give us an idea of the owners’ wealth and high status in society.

The House of the Faun • Decorations – elaborate floor mosaics and magnificent wall paintings. • Mosaics made from tiny, cut and coloured stones called tesserae. • One mosaic depicts a Nile River landscape. (Egyptian influence? ) • Famous battle between Alexander the Great & Darius (Persian King).

The House of the Faun • Entrance – grand. Pavement was written in traditional Latin greeting HAVE, which welcomed guests to the house. • Shops at the front and two atria. • Named after the little statue of the dancing faun found in the impluvium of the larger atrium. • Two gardens, one average size and the other half the area of the house. (Image – Front Entrance of the House of the Faun, Pompeii)

The House of the Faun • Large peristyle had a spacious kitchen with high ceilings. Windows released cooking smoke and odours. • Four rooms interpreted as summer and winter dining rooms. • Bath complex and stables also found.