Mythic, Public and Private Memory: Creation of a Pompeian Identity in the House of Caecilius Iucundus
2014 (English)In: Attitudes towards the Past in Antiquity. Creating Identities: Proceedings of an International Conference held at Stockholm University, 15-17 May 2009 / [ed] Brita Alroth and Charlotte Scheffer, Stockholm: Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, 2014, p. 87-111Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
The aim of this study has been to analyse the decorative programme of the House of Caecilius Iucundus in Pompeii in detail, to reveal how mythic, public and private memory was utilised to create a local identity for the family of the argentarius L. Caecilius Iucundus. In a Roman house, a paterfamilias wished to signal piety towards the gods, to display his literacy and cultural background, as well as the social and genealogical status of the family, to visitors. In this house, the main public axis, visible from the fauces through the atrium, the tablinum and the peristyle, was complemented by private axes, the most important one from the monumental triclinium through the peristyle garden, accessible only for the family members and private guests. There are images, inscriptions and objects placed along these two axes that complement each other, provide similarities and contrasts, as well as associations to the Trojan War, with Homer’s epic, Greek drama and Roman literature, and with the family’s history and the history of Pompeii itself. Important aspects of the Roman culture connected with official life, such as virtus and dignitas, are emphasized in the decoration of the atrium area, the public area of the house. Aspects that can be connected with the private sphere, such as male and female beauty, erotic love and happiness, are instead preferred in the peristyle area, in the private area of the house.That life has two contrasting aspects, otium and negotium, is the main message provided by the decorative programme, and the one that L. Caecilius Iucundus wished to mediate to his clients, friends and family members
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, 2014. p. 87-111
Series
Stockholm studies in classical archaeology, ISSN 0562-1062 ; 14
Series
Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, ISSN 0346-6418
Keywords [en]
Pompeii, identity, memory, myths, Caecilius Iucundus, wall paintings, mosaics, public, private, Greek literature
Keywords [sv]
Pompeji, identitte, minne, myter, Caecilius Iucundus, väggmålningar, mosaiker, offentlig, privat, grekisk litteratur
National Category
Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
Research subject
Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-111050ISBN: 978-91-87235-47-4 (print)ISBN: 978-91-87235-48-1 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-111050DiVA, id: diva2:773994
Projects
Svenska Pompejiprojektet, www.pompejiprojektet.se2014-12-202014-12-202015-01-13Bibliographically approved