Casa del Moralista, Ancient Roman domus in Pompeii, Italy
Casa del Moralista is a Roman residence in Pompeii made up of two connected buildings organized around a central atrium. The rooms display typical Roman residential layout with characteristic architectural features of its time.
The house was excavated between 1916 and 1917 and belonged to a wine merchant named M. Epidius Hymenaeus. Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying Pompeii and preserving this residence for future generations.
The triclinium walls display Latin inscriptions offering advice about table manners and social conduct. These carved texts show how residents recorded everyday rules of proper behavior within their home.
The walls remain unplastered and show traces of original construction, allowing visitors to examine Roman building techniques and materials up close. Take time to study the structural details and how the walls were built.
Unlike typical Roman houses of the period, this residence lacked an impluvium, the standard system for collecting rainwater in the atrium. This unusual absence of a common household feature offers insight into local building practices.
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