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The
samnite house was built in the second century BC. the Interesting
part of this house is that in the upper part of the atrium there is
a closed gallery with ionic columns lined with artificial stucco
marble. Center of atrium is occupied by an impluvium (small pool)
for collecting rainwater.
The samnite House of Herculaneum
was built in the 2nd century BC. This is one of the oldest
residences in the city. During the first century ad, the house
underwent changes and reconstruction. The samnite house originally
occupied the entire southern part of Insula V and included a
three-sided peristyle, possibly with a Hortus, which once stood on
the site of a later House
with a Great Portal. During the first century ad, the house was
divided and the upper floor was rented out. Its inhabitants had
their own smaller entrance to the left of the main entrance.
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In
addition, the Eastern part of the property, including the area
around the peristyle, was sold, possibly for financial reasons. This
rearrangement allowed the new owners of The house with a large
entrance to build a new house on the site of the former peristal.
The samnite house was therefore cut off from the rest of the former
estate. all that remained was a huge atrium with only a few small
rooms around it.
The short entrance hall (a) is decorated with frescoes in the first
style, imitating multicolored marble and surrounded by an entrance
with tufa columns with Corinthian capitals. The hallway floor is
covered with a mosaic of dark red and white tiles in a geometric
pattern. The entrance hall opens into an impressive atrium (b),
which is decorated with frescoes in the fourth style, with a Central
marble impluvium. The atrium has a gallery with ionic columns closed
by a lattice and open to the East. When the house was divided, the
openwork screen was partially closed so that the upper level was
fenced off as a separate corridor.
To the right of the
entrance is a cubicle (C) with green monochrome frescoes decorated
with architectural motifs, curtains. In the very center, a small
panel illustrating the myth of the Abduction of Europa. The room has
a red and white mosaic floor, the samakomnata is illuminated by a
small window in its southern wall. Room (d) on the North side of the
entrance has lost most of its decoration except for the red frescoes
on its East wall. The room, which has a mosaic floor with a
black-and-white geometric pattern, is lit by a small window in its
Western wall. The adjacent cubicle (e) with a similar decoration has
lost most of its mural decoration. In the Northwest corner of the
room, the wall was moved to accommodate a bed.
In the middle
of the North side of the atrium is a doorway leading to a small room
(f), which gave access to the servants ' room and from here led a
steep staircase to the upper floor. Room (g) in the northeast corner
of the atrium is decorated in the fourth style, with large blue /
black panels with a Central image of the Edicule. The decoration of
the upper zone consists of architectural themes on a white
background. Daylight fell into the room through a large window in
the partition between the room and the adjacent Tablinum (h).
A corridor on the South side of the Tablinum led to the
peristyle square at the back of the house, which consisted of a
colonnade and courtyard. The elegant decoration of the first floor
is very different from the decorations on the upper floor, where the
door number 2 led. Many interesting artifacts were found in the
Samnite house, including a statue of Venus and a table with legs
made in the form of dogs.