The House of the Faun
The House of the Faun was built sometime in the 2nd century BC (sometime during the Samnite period 200-80BC), and was one of the largest in Pompeii. The name of the house comes from the little faun statue that stands in the middle of the houses impluvian (although is originally sat on the edge. ). It was excavated in 1830 by the German archaeological institute. The eruption of Pompeii quite obviously rendered the house unusable, but the ash preserved the abandoned artwork and mosaics that otherwise would have decayed over time. Architecturally, it showcases both Hellenistic and Italian elements. The House of the Faun is one of the largest and most extravagant houses in Pompeii and took up an entire block, or insula. It is estimated to cover approximately 3,000 square metres.
One of the most famous mosaics from the House of the Faun was the Alexander Mosaic. This mosaic depicts the Battle of Issus between Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia. It measures approximately 2.72m by 5.13m and is thought to have been a mosaic replica of a painting depicting the same scene. This mosaic shows the dedication the people of Pompeii had to the arts, a mosaic of this size and detail would have taken a fair amount of time. The house also had many intricate, tessellated floor mosaics as well as painted frescos. The doorstep has an mosaic 'welcome mat' that spells 'have.' This essentially means 'Hail to you!' in Latin, despite the local languages being Oscan and Samnian. This shows us that the owners were in some way related to Rome or that this was added later, after the Roman's took over.
The house was also significant because of it sheer size and grandeur. It was easily one of the largest in Pompeii. It had two separate areas in the house. This included two atriums (the larger of which contained the colonnaded impluvian with the statue of the faun), two colonnaded peristyliums. It is thought that one area of the house, the one including the larger atrium and the faun, was used for distinguished guests in an effort to show their wealth. The smaller, less extravagant area of the house was more likely used by the owners and family and friends who they weren't necessarily trying to impress as much. The guest area also contained quite a large lararium, or shrine to the Greek/Roman Gods. This tells us that in Pompeii it was important to show your wealth and piety, and this was their way of showing it, in their houses.
One of the most famous mosaics from the House of the Faun was the Alexander Mosaic. This mosaic depicts the Battle of Issus between Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia. It measures approximately 2.72m by 5.13m and is thought to have been a mosaic replica of a painting depicting the same scene. This mosaic shows the dedication the people of Pompeii had to the arts, a mosaic of this size and detail would have taken a fair amount of time. The house also had many intricate, tessellated floor mosaics as well as painted frescos. The doorstep has an mosaic 'welcome mat' that spells 'have.' This essentially means 'Hail to you!' in Latin, despite the local languages being Oscan and Samnian. This shows us that the owners were in some way related to Rome or that this was added later, after the Roman's took over.
The house was also significant because of it sheer size and grandeur. It was easily one of the largest in Pompeii. It had two separate areas in the house. This included two atriums (the larger of which contained the colonnaded impluvian with the statue of the faun), two colonnaded peristyliums. It is thought that one area of the house, the one including the larger atrium and the faun, was used for distinguished guests in an effort to show their wealth. The smaller, less extravagant area of the house was more likely used by the owners and family and friends who they weren't necessarily trying to impress as much. The guest area also contained quite a large lararium, or shrine to the Greek/Roman Gods. This tells us that in Pompeii it was important to show your wealth and piety, and this was their way of showing it, in their houses.