A new archaeological discovery in Pompeii has unveiled a bath complex inside a private domus, accompanied by a banquet hall. This find stands as a clear example of how Roman architecture not only addressed functional needs but also served as a stage to showcase the social and cultural status of its owners. The discovery took place in Insula 10 of Regio IX.

The domus, located in the southern part of the insula, was a true emblem of its owner’s power and sophistication. The mural decorations in the Second and Third Styles reveal a history of prestige dating back to the final years of the city’s life, before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

This space functioned not only as a residence but also as a strategic venue for social and political activities, as evidenced by the direct connection between the thermal baths and the grand banquet hall, known as the “black hall”.

Large bath complex Pompeii
View of the frigidarium of the bath complex.The apoditerium of the large bath complex discovered in Pompeii. Credit: Parco archeologico di Pompeii

Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel emphasizes that these areas were not merely private leisure spaces. On the contrary, banquets were used to solidify political alliances, promote candidacies, or reaffirm the host’s social status.

In the director’s words, the domus functioned as a stage where the owner presented themselves as the protagonist of a cultural and political spectacle designed to impress their guests.

The bath complex, one of the largest discovered in Pompeii to date, includes the traditional rooms of a Roman bath: the calidarium (hot room), the tepidarium (warm room), the frigidarium (cold room), and the apodyterium (changing room). The latter featured benches capable of accommodating up to 30 people, suggesting the domus’s capacity to host a large number of guests.

Large bath complex Pompeii
The frigidarium of the bath complex. Credit: Parco archeologico di Pompeii

The cold room, of particular significance, consists of a peristyle—a 10 x 10-meter colonnaded courtyard—with an imposing pool at its center. This layout evokes the atmosphere of a Greek gymnasium, reinforcing the cultural and scholarly ambiance the owner sought to project.

The design of the domus draws parallels with Petronius’s Satyricon, where the character Trimalchio, an enriched freedman, hosts lavish dinners in a villa located in a Campanian city. Before the banquets, guests would gather in the baths, highlighting the importance of these spaces as a prelude to social and political gatherings.

This literary context not only helps to understand the purpose of the baths and banquet hall but also situates the Pompeian domus within a broader cultural framework.

Large bath complex Pompeii
Remains of the prefurnium of the bath complex. Credit: Parco archeologico di Pompeii

The archaeological work carried out in the peristyle, led by Anna Onesti, is noteworthy for its innovative approach. A temporary support structure was used to excavate without dismantling unstable architectural elements of the colonnato. This technique not only preserves the original structures but also facilitates future restoration projects.

The domus’s decorations provide a glimpse into the luxury of the era. In the peristyle, scenes of athletes and paintings inspired by the Trojan War enhanced the Greek atmosphere the owner sought to convey.

Additionally, the still-life compositions in the Corinthian oecus reflect the importance of banquets as moments of culinary and artistic display.



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