Economy of Pompeii

Work?

Atrium (VII.1.46)

Types of Economic Activity

AGRICULTURE,Craft and Commerce, Shops and Markets, Bars

and Inns

Evidence

• Preserved buildings and their contents

• Inscriptions

• Images

• Ancient Literary sources

• Analogies with later societies

Port

• Nola, Nuceria and Acherrae have as their port Pompeii on the River Sarno, which transports goods in both directions.

(Strabo, Geography 5.4.8)

River or Sea?

North of Marine Gate (Mooring blocks for ships???)

Fertility of Campania

• Of everything, not just in Italy, but in the whole world, the region of Campania is the most beautiful. Nothing more temperate than its climate: indeed, its spring flowers blossom twice. Nothing is more fertile than its land: consequently there is said to be a competition between Liber and Ceres.

• (Florus, Epitome 1.16)

Farming

• 140+ villas

Missing evidence- grain cultivation on small farms/

Vesuvius

Wine

• For around Vesuvius is the Murgentine vine, a very strong species from Sicily which some call Pompeian, productive only in fertile soil, like the Horconian variety, which is grown only in Campania.

(Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 14.35)

Villa Pisanella (Boscoreale) (1876-99) 130x 82 ft.

Boscoreale ( Villa Pisanella)

• 72 +Dolia (12 for other uses)

• Cella vinaria

• Fermentation=9 days

to many years.

Paintings

Boscoreale Treasure

• 108 silver vessels and 1,037 gold coins

62 acres /24,000 gallons

Villa Regina at Boscoreale (1978-80)

2.5-5 acres/2,600 gallons

80 species of plants(olive,almond, fig, apricot,

cherry, walnut)

Villa of the Mysteries

Villa of the Mysteries

Villa of the Mysteries

Wine Press

Torcularium

Amphorae

• Spain, Italy, Gaul, Switzerland, Germany, England, Tunisia (Holconii/Eumachii)

Olive oil

Wilhemina Jashemsky

• 10% of town=cultivation

Agriculture Within the town

• Reg. II.5 ( Forum Boarium?)

• 2,014 vine root cavities/ 58 trees/ wine press

• Triclinia

Flowers (Regions I and II)Orchard ( Region I)

House of the Ship Europa, (I.15.3)Market Garden

• 90x 180 ft.

• Vines,

• Fruit and nut trees

Kitchen garden

House of the Sarno Lararium

• Onions