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The House of the Garden Hercules, Pompeii

Location: Regio II

Insula 8

The House of the Garden of Hercules, also known as the House of the Perfumer (Casa del Profumiere) or Casa del Giardino d'Ercole, is an ancient Roman dwelling located in the archaeological site of Pompeii at address II.8.6, in Regio II, Insula 8. This modest structure exemplifies an early "rowhouse" atrium building dating back to the third to second centuries B.C., making it one of the older examples of urban residential architecture in Pompeii. The house gained its primary name from a small marble statuette of the mythological hero Hercules, originally placed in the garden's lararium (a household shrine for protective deities), which was discovered during excavations. It is alternatively called the House of the Perfumer due to evidence suggesting it functioned as a small-scale perfumery, where floral essences were extracted and bottled for ointments or scents. The site was buried under ash and pumice during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E., preserving its features in remarkable detail.
The house replaced as many as five earlier "row house" dwellings around the first century B.C., reflecting urban expansion in Pompeii. After the devastating earthquake of 62 C.E., the owner rebuilt and expanded the property by acquiring adjacent land, transforming it into a more spacious residence with a prominent garden. At the time of the eruption, restoration work on the house was still ongoing, as evidenced by unfinished elements. The entrance bore a humorous Latin inscription, "Cras Credo," translating to "credit will be granted tomorrow," perhaps a witty nod to the perfumer's business practices or a general Pompeiian jest.

History and Excavations

Excavations of the site began in 1953, with further digs in 1954, 1971, 1972, and 1987, followed by initial restoration in 1988. The garden was partially uncovered in the 1950s under the direction of botanist Wilhelmina Jashemski, who pioneered the study of ancient Roman gardens by analyzing pollen, spores, plant fossils, root cavities, and soil contours. Her work revealed that Pompeii was not just a city of stone but a verdant urban landscape with hundreds of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, challenging previous assumptions about the site's barrenness post-eruption. Photographs from the 1970s by Stanley A. Jashemski document the excavation process, showing the garden's north wall, dolium (large clay storage jar), and surrounding features.
The site's significance lies in its representation of everyday Roman life, particularly the integration of commerce and horticulture. Archaeological evidence points to enslaved laborers maintaining the garden, with water delivered through a hole in the wall, highlighting social hierarchies in ancient Pompeii. The garden's location west of the Great Palaestra (a large public gymnasium) places it in a bustling urban context, near other residential and commercial structures.

Architecture and Layout

Dating to the 3rd century BC (Samnite/early Roman period), it belongs to the “rowhouse” or casa a schiera type common in Pompeii’s southeastern insulae (Regio I and II). These were terraced, narrow-fronted dwellings built for denser urban layouts, often in rows sharing party walls. The original structure was modest, with a long, narrow footprint (typical depth far exceeding street frontage) and likely replaced or incorporated earlier similar houses.
Following the AD 62 earthquake, the owner expanded dramatically by purchasing and demolishing up to five neighboring row houses. This created a large open garden (roughly 30m x 30m in scale, though exact measurements vary by source) for commercial flower cultivation. The house was still undergoing repairs at the time of the AD 79 Vesuvius eruption—some rooms contained unused construction materials. The overall style is utilitarian rather than luxurious, with simple 4th-style wall paintings (geometric and figural motifs, including peacocks and birds in one room). No grand peristyle colonnades are present; the garden functions as a productive viridarium rather than a decorative courtyard.
Construction used typical Pompeian techniques: opus incertum or reticulatum masonry for walls, with later repairs in opus latericium or mixed materials post-earthquake. Floors included beaten earth, cocciopesto, or simple mosaics (notably the threshold inscription).

Overall Layout
The house follows a linear, axial plan characteristic of early row houses:
Narrow street frontage on Via di Nocera.
Deep progression: entrance corridor → central atrium → rear garden.

This creates a compact residential core (estimated ~8 rooms originally, plus service areas) opening dramatically into the expansive rear garden. The design maximized light, air, and commercial space in a constrained urban block.

Entrance and Fauces (Vestibule)
The main doorway opens directly onto Via di Nocera.
Inside the fauces (entrance corridor) is a door-stop embedded in the floor and square holes on the north/south sides of the inner doorway (likely for securing a wooden door or gate).
Most famously, a mosaic inscription in small white tesserae on the threshold reads “CRAS CREDO” (“Tomorrow I give credit” or “Credit tomorrow”). This hints at the owner’s commercial role—likely a perfumer or merchant extending credit to customers—positioned as a witty or practical warning to visitors.

Rainwater from the roof drained into large dolia (terracotta storage jars) placed on either side of the doorway.

Atrium and Domestic Rooms
The fauces lead into a modest atrium (central hall), which served as the main reception and light well. Scratched graffiti on its columns and walls recorded the proprietor’s accounts, underscoring the house’s business function.
Flanking the corridor/hallway were cubicula (bedrooms) on either side—a standard row-house arrangement for privacy and efficiency.
Other rooms included a triclinium (dining room) and possible kitchen/service areas. Wall paintings here and elsewhere are simple 4th-style decorations (floral, avian, and geometric motifs).
A room off the corridor features colorful frescoes with a peacock and bird on the north, east, and west walls.

The domestic core was compact and functional, with the atrium providing the primary internal focus before opening southward/eastward to the garden.

The Garden: Features and Plants

The garden, added/expanded post-62 AD, transforms the house into a hybrid residence-workshop. It is one of Pompeii’s few archaeologically documented commercial flower gardens, producing aromatic plants for perfumes, ointments, and garlands. Botanist Wilhelmina F. Jashemski’s 1970s excavations (including pollen, root cavities, and soil analysis) confirmed this use; recent 2025 restoration replanted it philologically with ~800 antique roses, 1,200 violets, 1,000 ruscus plants, grapevines, cherry trees, and quince trees.

Key architectural and horticultural features include:
Layout and Planting Beds: Wide rectangular beds separated by narrow water channels for irrigation and drainage. Excavations revealed preserved soil contours, root cavities (some large, indicating trees like olive; smaller ones for flowers), and planting patterns. Beds were carefully watered via depressions around each plant.
Unique Irrigation System (the only one of its kind fully preserved in Pompeii):
Rainwater collection from house roofs into dolia (one buried in the northeast corner) and a nearby pool/basin (northwest corner).
External supply: An amphora tip (broken end) inserted through the east end of the north wall acted as a funnel for pouring water from the street.
Overflow fed channels along the north, east, and south walls, distributing water evenly to beds. This system supported intensive cultivation in a Mediterranean climate.

Lararium (Household Shrine): Located on the east wall of the garden. It housed a small marble statuette of Hercules (the source of the house’s name), plus an altar/table in front. Terracotta votives (including a winged female figure and draped figure) were found nearby. This integrated domestic cult with the productive space.
Summer Triclinium: An outdoor dining area toward the east wall, complete with postholes for a vine-covered pergola (arboured shade) and root cavities for grapevines. Masonry benches or a long bench along the house wall provided seating. A “dog-kennel” (half an amphora on a low wall) was nearby.
Other Garden Structures:
Dolia and storage jars embedded or placed along walls.
A well or additional water features.
Painted decoration fragments in corners (northwest).
Garden tools (hoe/zappa, weeding tool/martellina) and perfume-related finds (glass vials, terracotta unguentaria) scattered in the lapilli.

The garden’s east boundary included a higher wall associated with the Palaestra, enclosing the space securely while allowing light.

Artifacts and Significance

Key artifacts include numerous small glass and terracotta containers, likely for bottling floral ointments, underscoring the perfumery function. The Hercules statuette, now reproduced in terracotta for display, symbolizes household protection and gives the site its name. The site's significance extends to broader understandings of Roman horticulture, urban greening, and daily commerce, illustrating how gardens were integral to Pompeiian life—not just for beauty but for economic activity. It also contributes to studies of women's roles, as perfumery was often associated with female labor in ancient contexts.

Recent Restoration

In 2025, the Pompeii Archaeological Park undertook a major botanical and archaeological reconstruction, replanting the garden to evoke its pre-eruption state. This included 800 antique roses, 1,200 violets, 1,000 ruscus plants, along with cherry trees, vines, and quince trees. The irrigation system was replicated, and the terracotta Hercules reproduction was placed near the dining alcove. This project, unveiled in June 2025, aims to provide visitors with a sensory immersion into ancient daily life, emphasizing the role of greenery in Roman urban environments. As of 2026, it remains open to the public as part of Pompeii's rotating "House of the Day" exhibits, typically on Tuesdays.