The House of Julia Felix

Name

Clare Ellsmore

I have chosen the House of Julia Felix. The house is named after its wealthy owner, a businesswoman named Julia Felix. Jud in by the name, her family were most li!ely freedmen. "fter the earth#ua!e of ".$. %&, a notice 'ainted on a fence nearby tells us that she rented out her 'ro'erty to richer dis'laced (om'eians. )he also made her bathin com'lex into a small, 'rivately run business in order to earn money.

*here Is It+
The House is located in ,e ion --, on the southern side of the )treet of "bundance and next to the .ineyard. It is close to the )amus /ate, and north of the (alaestra and "m'hitheatre. It is interestin to note that the house is located rather far away from the Forum, but close to the entertainment side of town. This may su est that the Felix family was interested in 'hysical activity, rather than 'olitics, reli ion and trade.

0a1or features
"s well as bein one of the lar est excavated houses in (om'eii, the House shows an interestin layout. The atrium, reached throu h a fauces, is not flan!ed by a tablinium or alaes, but instead leads strai ht to the bath com'lex and down a lon 'ortico to a lar e central arden. Towards the street was a tabernae, or taven, and two storey sho's. These were 'robably rented out to other (om'eians in order for Julia to ma!e money. The House could also be accessed from the street throu h the furnace room, or 'raefurnium. This was the side of the house that the bathin com'lex could be reached from the street by uests, throu h a rand vestibulum. The si n that tells us that Julia was rentin out 'arts of her 'ro'erty read2 In Praedis Julle Sp F. Felicis Locantur Balneum Venerium Et Nongentum Tabern Pergul !nacula E" Idibus #ug Primis In Idus #ug. Se"tas #nnos ontinuos $uin%ue S. $. &. L. E. N. .' This translates as 3(n t)e estate o* Julia Feli"+ daug)ter o* Spurius+ are to be let a bat)+ a ,enereum+ nine )undred s)ops+ -it) boot)s and garrets+ *or a term o* *i,e continuous .ears+ *rom t)e *irst to t)e si"t) o* t)e Ides o* #ugust.' The letters S. $. &. L. E. N. . is thou h to stand for 3i %uis domi lenocinium e"erceat ne conducito'. In other words, 3let no one a''ly who !ee's a brothel4, which demonstrates the wealthier members of society5s views on this industry.

$ecoration
The House is reatly decorated, si nifyin Julia5s immense wealth. In the atrium a lon hori6ontal frie6e de'icts everyday life in the Forum, and the rest of the room was decorated in Fourth )tyle and 'ainted in reds and yellows. "lso decorated in fourth style are the biclinium, tablinium, a'odyterium and the vestibulum leadin to the baths. The 'ortico leadin to the central arden was framed by stuccoed columns and had a lon water feature, which is thou ht to re'resent the Cano'us Canal in E y't. The summer triclinium, located in the centre of the 'ortico, is lined with marble.

Excavation
The House was first excavated between -789:87, alon with the rest of (om'eii under the orders of Charles III, ;in of )'ain. This excavation revealed the tabernae, baths and tricliniums. $ue to 'oor techni#ue on behalf of the excavators, the House was reburied after much dama e was done. Eventually, it was re:excavated and then restored in -<8&:8=, 'robably by "medeo 0aiuri, who excavated ,e ions I and II after **II. In -<<>:-<<< it was further excavated, and archaeolo ists found a trench behind the caldarium, which 'ossibly dates to the "u ustan 'eriod. " nym'haeum and a triclinium, built after the ".$. %& earth#ua!e, were also unearthed. Excavators have ta!en some of the frescoes, 'aintin s and scul'tures from the house. 0ost can be viewed in the National "rchaeolo ical 0useum of Na'les.

The House of Julia Felix

Clare Ellsmore

The vestibulum leadin to the baths ?to' left@, a fresco in the Culina ?to' ri ht@, the Thermo'olia ?middle left@, frie6e in the tablinium ?middle ri ht@, the Forum Frie6e ?bottom left@ and the atrium ?bottom ri ht@.