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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

As an early rowhouse-style building, the house features a simple atrium layout typical of pre-imperial Roman domestic architecture. The structure is oriented east-west, with rooms on the east side overlooking the garden to the south. The garden itself forms the heart of the property, bordered on the north by the house's south wall. Key architectural elements include a bench running along the house wall within the garden, providing a seating area for relaxation or work, and a large dolium positioned near the north wall for water or storage. In the north-west corner, remnants of a water feature suggest functional plumbing, while the garden's overall design includes an irrigation system with hand-carved channels winding around flower beds and troughs for efficient water distribution.
The garden measures approximately 98 by 98 feet (less than 1,000 square feet), making it compact yet productive. A small temple or shrine (the lararium) housed the Hercules statuette, serving as a focal point for religious practices. Additionally, a shaded alcove in the garden likely functioned as an outdoor dining or triclinium area, enhancing the space's multifunctional role. No elaborate frescoes, mosaics, or other decorations are prominently noted in surviving records, emphasizing the house's utilitarian rather than luxurious character.

The Garden: Features and Plants

The garden was both aesthetically pleasing and economically functional, likely used for cultivating flowers and herbs for perfume production. Ancient plantings included olive trees (evidenced by earthen root holes), vines supported by trellises (preserved as soil impressions), roses, violets, ruscus (a shrub used in ancient perfumery), cherry trees, quince trees (also called cotton apple trees), and possibly other aromatic plants. Perfume was created by pressing flowers with olive oil or grape juice, a process supported by the site's small scale—researchers estimate that around 2,000 roses were needed to produce just 5cc of perfume, which faded quickly, suggesting experimental rather than mass production.

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.