Macellum from Pompeii
The Macellum of Pompeii was located at the forum and, as the food market hall ( Macellum ) of the ancient city, was a central place in Pompeii . The building was built in several phases. In the earthquake in AD 62, which destroyed large parts of Pompeii, the Macellum was also affected. During the modern excavations, the researchers found a building that had not yet been fully restored.
Of particular interest for research is the area on the west side, which is ascribed to the imperial cult. It shows how deeply the Roman Empire was anchored in the life of the Romans as early as the first century. The other rooms on the west side are also interesting as examples of the connection between business and public life. In addition, the market is eloquent testimony to everyday culture, which is illustrated by finds such as leftovers of food, goods of daily use and necessities through to examples of Roman wall paintings.
location
The Macellum of Pompeii is at the extreme northeast corner of the forum. As the city continued to grow, it was necessary to relieve the burden on the forum. When it was discovered, the excavators initially thought it was a kind of pantheon , a building dedicated to several gods, because of the twelve pedestals in the middle . However, when later excavations found grain and fruit in the rooms on the north side as well as fish bones and fish scales in the middle of the courtyard, it was recognized that it was a market.
The Macellum had three entrances, two main entrances and a side entrance. The first main entrance was in the middle of the west side, on the forum, the second main entrance in the middle of the north side, on Via degli Augustali . A side entrance was in the southeast. It could only be reached via a small flight of stairs.
The orientation of the Macellum differs from that of the Forum. It is determined by the course of Via degli Augustali and Vico del Balcone Pensile in the south. To compensate for this deviation, the size of the shops on the west side of the Forum decreases from north to south.
Structural features
Entrance area and west side
In front of the facade there are still three heavily restored marble columns from the portico of the forum with Corinthian capitals . In the lower third, two of the pillars are decorated with a round bar, the upper part is not fluted . Part of the entablature still rests on the capitals. The vestibule of the Macellum was particularly closely fused with the portico of the forum. On two steps, two rows of columns rose above one another without an intermediate floor. So the portico looked more like a facade.
The bases for the statues of honor that stood behind each column are still in place. But they lack their original marble cladding. Further bases for statues of honor were located in front of the corner pillars of the tabernae (the shops) at the front of the building. These rooms, made of opus incertum (a stone masonry), were probably exchange offices . Another portico is said to have stood in the Macellum itself, but no columns have survived. All that can be seen is a gully and the traces of the columns in it.
The main entrance was divided into two passages by a two- pillar aedicula for a statue with two elegant Corinthian columns. There was probably a statue of the emperor here. It can therefore be assumed that the imperial cult began with the entry into the Macellum. Both Corinthian columns are decorated with chimeras that were not originally part of the macellum. They actually belonged to one of the great graves, to the Tomba delle Ghirlande (garland grave) on Via del Sepolchri (grave road) in front of the Herculan Gate. They were probably not made in Pompeii, but probably come from a workshop in Greece . It is possible that they were made in a Neo-Attic workshop in Naples or Puteoli .
In addition, an example of a decoration of the fourth style of Roman (so-called Pompeian) wall painting has been preserved on the west side . It apparently dates from after AD 62. Above the base, black fields bordered with red are painted. In the middle there are pictures with mythological scenes. On them you can see Penelope as she recognizes Odysseus , Io , who is guarded by Argos , and Medea, who ponders the death of her children . Between the individual wall panels there are architectural views against a white background, with green and pale red buildings in perspective.
The delicate architectural elements tower above the black wall fields and subdivide the upper zone into fields on which individual figures are painted against a blue background. One recognizes a girl with sacrificial implements and a satyr blowing aulos . Above it, still lifes with birds, poultry, wine jugs, fruits, flowers, baskets and fish are painted on large wall panels in a style close to folk art. These representations make it easier to identify the building as a macellum. Another picture shows a donkey that is garlanded by erotes. You can also see millstones. This painting probably symbolizes the festival of Vesta , when the donkeys were freed from their work.
Inner courtyard, north and south side
From the entrances you enter a spacious courtyard. No remains were found of the portico that was supposed to be here. Most likely, after the earthquake of '62, the reconstruction work was not yet complete. During subsequent excavations, the travertine- made stands (the stylobate ) for the row of columns on the north side and for a small piece on the west side were actually found . The pillars of the portico had probably not yet been erected. It is not the only place where the work of the reconstruction could be seen. The inner surrounding walls and the rooms in the south and east also go back to the restorations after 62. They consist of opus incertum . Only the corner pillars are made of bricks and small tuff blocks in opus listatum (masonry in which bricks and narrow blocks of wall alternate).
There were twelve grocery stores on either side of the side entrance. They were on the north side so that their goods were protected from the strong sunlight and kept fresh. Figs, grapes, chestnuts, legumes, bread, cakes, amphorae and fruit in jars were found here (today in the Museum of Naples). The tabernae were only open to Via degli Augustali and had no connection with the interior of the Macellum. The east wall and western parts of the north wall are made of opus incertum up to a height of 1.35 m , above which they were made of limestone and tuff. Attic roofs are said to have been located above the shops , in which butchers and other staff lived. A wooden gallery ran along in front of the attic. Since no stairs were found inside the macellum, access must have been made from outside.
The third entrance is on the south side, right next to the meat and fish hall on Via del Balcone Pensile . The Via del Balcone Pensile became a dead end after the Laren Shrine was built . The outer wall on this side was made of opus reticulatum (masonry made of square stones arranged in a network ) up to the height of the Laren sanctuary (approx. 13 m) . This masonry consists of tuff stones of different colors, arranged in rows, which are framed by pilasters made of bricks. A stucco coating was unnecessary because of this fine color. According to some archaeologists, this is probably the most beautiful example of a wall from the last construction phase of Pompeii. This is followed by a wall made of opus incertum (significantly older masonry, probably from an older construction phase). Inside the Macellum there are twelve shops on the south side. They are all roughly the same size and structure. They were intended for the sale of food, probably meat and fish.
Mittelbau
In the middle of the macellum are the twelve bases already mentioned. At first it was thought that they were the remains of a rotunda or a tholos . It should have been a basin and a well. It was assumed that the rotunda was modeled on other Macella, such as the great East Greek and African or Roman ones such as in Puteoli . By contrast, Amedeo Maiuri's excavations revealed the task of the base and the twelve- sided surface. As the numerous fish bones and fish scales found in the sewer leading to the middle prove, the place was intended for the sale of fish. They were scraped off and cleaned here.
The bases held twelve wooden posts that were stuck in the ground and anchored to the base. These piles supported a wooden roof. In the middle of the dodecagon there was probably a well, but there was no basin. The bases were restored in the 19th century after they were found in very poor condition. They are made of tuff and are arranged in a polygon . The inner area is bordered by a low marble ledge . This little ledge was supposed to prevent the water from flowing out of the central district. The floor consists of a mixture of crushed stone bricks, travertine , marble and mortar . When this area was excavated under Giuseppe Fiorelli , it was still considered a kind of pantheon and was initially called that.
Imperial cult room
There were three more rooms on the east side. They are increased compared to the rest of the macellum. The room in the middle was a room dedicated to the imperial family, the imperial cult room . In some books this space is called the sacellum (chapel). You enter it via a five-step staircase. Compared to the rest of the furnishings, this room is quite simply designed. The entrance was decorated with a stick pattern. There is a base on the back wall and two niches are set into the side walls on both sides.
In the niches on the right there are plaster casts (bad copies according to some archaeologists) of the two statues that were found here. The originals are now in the National Museum of Naples. They were mistaken for portraits of Marcellus and Octavia . Marcellus was the patron of Pompeii, so this was an obvious assumption. Agrippina and Nero were suspected to be in the other niche . Today it is believed that there must be two other, as yet unidentified members of the imperial family. An arm was also found here with a globe in its hand. Perhaps it was part of the imperial statue.
According to Heinrich Nissen , the back wall of the room was broken through during an excavation in antiquity. Three of the five statues were recovered. In addition, there are only two possible combinations of statues:
- In the central position there is a statue of Augustus as Jupiter with a globe in his hand, in the right niches Livia and Drusus and in the left niches Tiberius and Germanicus .
- It is more likely, however, that there is a statue of Jupiter in the center of the back wall on the base, with Livia and Augustus in the niches on the left and Drusus and Tiberius on the right. Augustus never allowed himself to be represented as Jupiter with the globe during his lifetime.
The two surviving statues are, according to Nissen, Livia and Drusus. He wanted to prove that under the statue of the alleged Livia there was possibly the inscription:
AVGVSTAE.IVLIAe
DRVSI.F
DIVI.AVGVSTI
DD
More than a hundred years later, Paul Zanker was of the opinion that Augustus could be represented in the Jupiter type and that in the right niche there were notables of the city who had made a contribution to the market. The man, who had probably already died at the time the statue was erected, was depicted heroically exaggerated, following the example of the emperor, with a hip coat and a bare upper body. The woman is depicted as a priestess with a wreath and an incense box. It was perhaps the sacerdos publica , which played a major role as a donor.
The walls here are made of opus listatum and opus incertum . The walls on the sides of the stairs are made of opus latericium (brickwork). Unfortunately, only a few remains of the original stucco coating have survived.
College and meat sales room
The room adjoining the imperial cult room on the left was presumably used for sacrificial feasts by the college, which was responsible for the imperial cult, for religious celebrations. In view of the surroundings, it cannot be assumed that gods other than the emperor's genius were honored here. According to other, older theories, it was the banquet room of a commercial cooperation, or the market court had its seat here. Immediately to the left of the entrance, over 1000 coins were found. It could have been the college or the daily income of a merchant. Other sources report that the treasure was found directly at the north entrance or in the meat sales room. Sheep skeletons, ox skulls and bones were found in front of the college room. Presumably there was a shed for sacrificial animals or a cage for animals for sale.
Inside, an altar moved to the right can still be seen . It consists of two marble steps and a basalt slab on top . The plate has a raised rim and a hole in one corner, which suggests that the altar was used for libations . The importance of the marble-clad podium on the south wall is still unclear today. It is believed that it served as a stand , like the large side niches on the building of the Eumachia , the praecones and the argentarii . However, this hypothesis is contradicted by the religious significance of the room. Two small wall paintings with erots were also found here. In one picture you can see them drinking wine and playing lyre , in the other they are depicted performing sacrifices. Nissen speculated that the podium could have served as a location for the laren portraits.
In the room to the right of the imperial cult room, fish and meat were sold. There is a counter on three sides (north, east, south). This is interrupted once in the middle of the east wall, and the table ends on the south wall after about three quarters of the way. The left half of the counter is provided with a special device that was used to collect the water and lead it to a small sewer on the south side. This half was probably intended for the sale of the fish. The entire table is inclined slightly so that liquids could drain off.
Building history
The architectural history research of the Macellum goes back to Amedeo Maiuri. The building visible today is dated 130–120 BC. Dated BC, but it had a previous building of similar dimensions in the same place. However, this did not have a circular building in the middle. On the north and south sides, the course of the original portico corresponded to that of the later, but it was more spacious on the east and west sides. On the south side there were a number of tabernae , which were less deep and differently divided. On the east side were some rooms with a beautiful wall decoration of the first style and with a second row of columns at the front.
The facade did not correspond to the later condition. It was further ahead, closer to the forum. The open market place was covered with a carefully smoothed and neatly pounded stone pavement. The tabernae had a floor made of stone chips and a layer of mortar. In the rooms on the east side, the mortar was mixed with crushed bricks (so-called opus signinum ). In the uncovered square, the flooring was used until AD 62 and gradually replaced by opus signinum in the covered spaces .
During the Julio-Claudian era, the site was rearranged and given its final shape. The original colonnades made of tuff were initially retained, but cut through on the west side in order to build a sacred aedicula made of opus incertum, which was soon forgotten . The tabernae on the west and north sides also belong to this construction phase . Most of the building, however, dates back to after the earthquake of AD 62, which then led to the complete removal of the tuff colonnades.
Only the lower floor has survived, but there was also a second floor, presumably in the attic apartments for the servants of the Macellum. Access to the upper floor was via a wooden staircase that led to a wooden gallery through which one could get to the rooms.
literature
- Heinrich Nissen : Pompeian studies . Leipzig 1877.
- Claire de Ruyt: Macellum. Marché alimentaire des Romains . Louvain-La-Neuve 1983.
- Eugenio La Rocca, Mariette de Vos Raajimakers, Arnold de Vos: Pompeji. Archaeological guide . Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1993, ISBN 3-404-64121-3 , pp. 180-184.
- Liselotte Eschebach (Ed.): Directory of buildings and city map of the ancient city of Pompeii. Böhlau, Cologne / Weimar / Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-412-03791-5 .
- Robert Étienne : Pompeii. Life in an ancient city. Reclam, Stuttgart 1974. (5th edition. 1998, ISBN 3-15-010370-3 )
- Kurt Wallat: The east side of the forum of Pompeii . Lang, Frankfurt am Main 1997, ISBN 3-631-31190-7 .
- Paul Zanker : Pompeii . von Zabern, Mainz 1988, ISBN 3-8053-1685-2 .
Web links
supporting documents
- ↑ Nissen: Pompeian Studies, p. 278, 283.
- ↑ For the structure and dimensions see La Rocca, de Vos: Pompeji, pp. 180–185.
- ↑ a b La Rocca, de Vos: Pompeii. P. 181.
- ↑ La Rocca, de Vos: Pompeii. P. 183.
- ↑ Nissen: Pompeian Studies, p. 281.
- ↑ La Rocca, de Vos: Pompeii. P. 184.
- ↑ Warscher: Pompeji, p. 17.
- ↑ a b So in T. Warscher: Pompeji - A guide through the ruins. Berlin - Leipzig 1925.
- ↑ a b La Rocca, de Vos: Pompeii. P. 282.
- ↑ So in T. Warscher: MR Srgejenko: Pompeji. Leipzig 1953, p. 118.
- ↑ Nissen: Pompeian Studies, p. 282.
- ↑ CIL 10, 799 ; Nissen, Pompeianische Studien p. 283: Donated as a gift for Empress Julia and Drusus, son of the deified Augustus. The macellum was excavated in one of the early stages of the excavation. Possible inscriptions may have been destroyed.
- ↑ Zanker: Pompeii. P. 28.
- ↑ Michael Grant : Pompeii, Herculaneum. Fall and resurrection of the cities on Vesuvius. Gondrom, Bindlach 1988 (original title: Cities of Vesuvius , 1971), p. 199.
- ↑ a b Warscher: Pompeii. P. 19.
- ↑ a b Nissen: Pompeian Studies p. 283.
- ^ La Rocca, de Voss: Pompeji, p. 183.
- ↑ For the building history see La Rocca, de Voss: Pompeji, pp. 180–185.
Coordinates: 40 ° 45 ′ 0.3 ″ N , 14 ° 29 ′ 5 ″ E
