Table Of Content

Pompeian Peristyle Gardens This book examines how Pompeian peristyle gardens were utilized to represent the socioeconomic status of Roman homeowners, introducing fresh perspectives on how these spaces were designed, used, and perceived. Pompeian Peristyle Gardens provides a novel understanding of how the domus was planned, utilized, and experienced through a critical examination of all Pompeian peristyles – not just by selecting a few well-known examples. This study critiques common scholarly assumptions of ancient domestic space, such as the top-down movement of ideas and the relationship between wealth and socio- political power, though these possibilities are not excluded. In addition, this book provides a welcome contribution to exploring the largely unexamined middle class, an integral part of ancient Roman society. Pompeian Peristyle Gardens is of interest to students and scholars in art history, classics, archaeology, social history, and other related fields. Dr Samuli Simelius is a teacher of ancient cultures at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and a post-doctoral researcher in the project Law, Governance and Space: Questioning the Foundations of the Republican Tradition (funded by the European Research Council). He wrote his doctoral dissertation on Pompeian peristyle gardens. Studies in Roman Space and Urbanism Series editor: Ray Laurence, Macquarie University, Australia Over the course of the last two decades the study of urban space in the Roman world has progressed rapidly with new analytical techniques, many drawn from other disciplines such as architecture and urban studies, being applied in the archaeological and literary study of Roman cities. These dynamically interdisciplinary approaches are at the centre of this series. The series includes both micro-level analyses of interior spaces as well as macro-level studies of Roman cities (and potentially also wider spatial landscapes outside the city walls). The series encourages collaboration and debate between specialists from a wide range of study beyond the core disciplines of ancient history, archaeology and Classics such as art history and architecture, geography and landscape studies, and urban studies. Ultimately the series provides a forum for scholars to explore new ideas about space in the Roman city. Food Provisions for Ancient Rome A Supply Chain Approach Paul James Urbanisation in Roman Spain and Portugal Civitates Hispaniae of the Early Empire Pieter Houten Space, Movement and the Economy in Roman Cities in Italy and Beyond Edited by Frank Vermeulen and Arjan Zuiderhoek Greek Cities and Roman Governors Placing Power in Imperial Asia Minor Garrett Ryan Rethinking the Roman City The Spatial Turn and the Archaeology of Roman Italy Edited by Dunia Filippi Pompeian Peristyle Gardens Samuli Simelius For further information about this series please visit https://www .routledge. com / classicalstudies/ series /SRSU Pompeian Peristyle Gardens Samuli Simelius First published 2022 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 Samuli Simelius The right of Samuli Simelius to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN: 978-0-367-64995-1 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-65000-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-12734-5 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003127345 Typeset in Times New Roman by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India Access the Support Material: https://www .routledge. com /9780367649951 To my father Contents List of figures x List of tables xiii Acknowledgments xv 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Roman house and status display 1 1.2 Top-down model? 4 1.3 Middle class, middling group, middle group, sub-elites? 6 2 Pompeian peristyle gardens 13 2.1 Reconstructing the Pompeian peristyles 13 2.2 What is a peristyle garden? 15 2.3 Creating the basis of the quantitative analysis 20 3 Why were peristyles built in Pompeian houses? 38 3.1 The courtyard architecture of a Mediterranean house 38 3.2 The multifunctionality of the Roman house and peristyle 40 3.2.1 Water supply as the function of the peristyle 43 3.2.2 Cult activity in the peristyles 51 3.2.3 Business activity in the peristyles 54 3.3 The audience of the socioeconomic display 58 4 The parameters of socioeconomic display 77 4.1 Sources of socioeconomic display: What can and cannot be analyzed? 77 4.1.1 Plants and plantings: too poorly documented for a comprehensive analysis 78 4.1.2 Quality of building: too similar 81 viii Contents 4.2 The architecture of display 82 4.2.1 Size of the peristyle: area 82 4.2.2 Porticoes 87 4.3 Decorative features 91 4.3.1 Pools and decorative basins 91 4.3.2 Fountains 92 4.3.3 Sculpture 94 4.3.4 Wall paintings 96 4.3.5 Floor decoration 103 5 Classification of peristyles according to their means of economic display 113 5.1 Grouping the peristyles according to their use for display 113 5.2 Opulent peristyles 114 5.3 Large full peristyles 116 5.4 Ornamental peristyles 121 5.5 Large painting peristyles 123 5.6 Imitation peristyles 124 5.7 Minor decoration peristyles 126 5.8 Architectural peristyles 128 6 The economic display functions of peristyles: The social influence and trends in peristyles 138 6.1 Peristyle groups and socioeconomic standing 138 6.2 Architecture and the size of built space as representations of wealth in the opulent and large full peristyles 141 6.3 The importance of the quantity and size of decorations: the means of display in the ornamental and large painting peristyles 144 6.4 The idea of the full peristyle: imitating the top peristyles of Pompeii 150 6.5 The peristyles without a specifically planned display function 153 6.6 The role of the peristyles in the architectural functions of the house 155 6.7 Other purposes of the peristyles 160 7 The social status of Pompeian peristyle owners 170 7.1 Evidence of social status in the domestic sphere 170 7.2 Possible peristyle owners and their social statuses 178 Contents ix 7.2.1 Opulent peristyles 178 7.2.2 Large full peristyles 181 7.2.3 Ornamental peristyles 184 7.2.4 Large painting peristyles 186 7.2.5 Imitation peristyles 189 7.2.6 Minor decoration and architectural peristyles 191 7.2.7 Political activity and the peristyle owners 193 7.3 Business uses of houses with peristyles 195 8 Conclusion 214 Bibliography 223 Index 243