THE HOUSE OF AULUS UMBRICIUS SCAURUS

Pompeii Region VII, Insula 16, Entrances 12–14

by Guy de la Bédoyère

1. INTRODUCTION

The Umbricii were established at Pompeii by the early first century BC. Aulus Umbricius Scaurus and his son (same name) ran a successful fish-sauce (garum) business in the 60s and 70s AD in the Pompeii region. The product was very popular in the Roman world and was widely exported. Scaurus Senior is not known to have taken part in Pompeii’s politics, but his son became one of Pompeii’s duoviri. He predeceased his father and was honoured by a town council grant of 2000 sesterces to pay for his funeral and an equestrian statue in the Forum. The latter is unknown and was probably recovered after the eruption of 79 by surviving family members or other salvagers.

Left: plan of the house of Umbricius Scaurus (main part coloured pink). The fish-sauce urcei decorated the mosaic floor in the atrium at 2 on the plan. The house is located on Pompeii’s southwest corner.

2. THE HOUSE OF UMBRICIUS SCAURUS SENIOR

The house is part of the prescribed content for the OCR board’s AS paper entitled Cities of Roman Italy (CC6). The board’s suggested scheme of work includes distributing plans of the house to students. In fact a decent plan has been unavailable for a long time. This part of Pompeii is not properly planned and no general textbook on Pompeii includes one. In fact, some parts of plans have been published in academic books (and I am grateful to Dr Jo Berry of Swansea University for tracking one down on my behalf). I created one for my book Cities of Roman Italy but I am very grateful to Jackie and Bob Dunn of www.pompeiiinpictures.com for permission now to use here a much better one which they created in 2010. You can find it on their site at http://pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/R7/7%2016%2013%20plan.htm and

http://pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/R7/7%2 016%2015%20plan.htm

The house of Scaurus stands at Pompeii’s extreme west in what is sometimes known as the Insula Occidentalis or Insula XVI (16) in Region VII, entrances 12–15. It is very close to both the Forum and the Basilica and would have been a convenient place in an impressive location for Scaurus junior to entertain would-be voters and supporters who might further his political career, and a handy base from where he could have made it to most of the city’s public buildings and temples in seconds. It also overlooked the Suburban Baths which were just a few yards away down the slope outside the Marine Gate, perhaps another potential meeting place.

Equally, its proximity to the coast and the road leading up from the sea may have assisted the administration of his father’s garum trade. One should not overlook the fact though that the house’s position must have been immensely attractive compared to that of houses in cramped inner-city locations like that of the magistrate Lucius Ceius Secundus (his house backed on to the Fullery of Stephanus); merely possessing a position like this must have been a statement about the success of the Umbricii in Pompeii.

Left: looking south-west across the atrium. The depression to lower right is all that’s left of the impluvium. The shattered wall marks the site of the chambers around the south side of the atrium. To the right the house disappears into the collapsed lower levels. Voids underneath the floor where the picture was taken make the site extremely dangerous. Photographed February 2009.

The house is accessed up a narrow street leading off the road that comes up through the Marine Gate or by one coming down from the Forum. However, the house is now completely closed to visitors and will remain so indefinitely. The house was built on two levels (upper – white on plan, lower – grey on plan). Most of the upper level has now collapsed into the lower level making the building extremely dangerous. I was only able to access it thanks to a helpful custodian – there would be no question of school parties being allowed near it. By February 2011 the structure was undergoing major repair work to underpin the lower levels and stabilize it before more collapses.

Left: the House of Scaurus looking up from the road leading to the Marine Gate. Below are the Suburban Baths. The scaffolding is all part of the repair work. 25 February 2011.

More pictures of the house can be viewed on the Pompeii in Pictures site

3. FISH SAUCE MOSAICS

Aulus Umbricius Scaurus Senior employed his freedmen to manage his various workshops, e.g. Umbricius Abascantus. Unusually for a Pompeian, his house has been identified because he had his own urcei promotional slogans reproduced on his atrium mosaic at the corners of the impluvium. (marked on the plan above) Even his name was part of the promotion. Scaurus was a common enough name, but the word scarus means the wrasse, a kind of fish which the Romans cultivated and caught in huge quantities off Italy. The name may have been acquired in early life because of his trade, perhaps given to an ancestor who started in the business. Scaurus may also be the man of the same name who appears as a character at Trimalchio’s cena in Petronius’ Satyricon, though this is uncertain.

‘The finest mackerel sauce of Scaurus. From Scaurus’ workshop. Finest fish purée. Finest mackerel sauce of Scaurus. Best fish purée from the workshop of Scaurus.’

LEFT: one of the atrium black-and-white mosaic panels advertising Scaurus’ produce.

4. THE TOMB OF AULUS UMBRICIUS SCAURUS JUNIOR

Outside Pompeii’s north-west gate (the Herculaneum Gate) is a street of tombs, including that of Aulus Umbricius Scaurus the younger. This man reached the position of duumvir (one of the two annually elected senior magistrates) but died shortly afterwards. The council awarded him the usual 2000 sesterces to fund his funeral, and voted for an equestrian statue of the deceased to be erected in the forum. His father erected the tomb and its commemorative inscription. It is possible the father had been a freedman, and had thus been excluded from office himself. The text can be translated as follows:

‘To Aulus Umbricius Scaurus, son of Aulus, of the Menenian tribe, duumvir [one of the two governing magistrates] with judicial power. The town councillors voted him a site for his monument, 2000 sesterces for his funeral, and an equestrian statue to be set up in the Forum. His father Scaurus dedicated this to his son.’

Left: the tomb inscription as it is today (photographed February 2009). There is some debate about whether the inscription has been restored to the correct original tomb. It was found shattered in the street nearby. It undoubtedly appears to be too big for the tomb it is now attached to. Unfortunately the tomb’s position means that it is almost always back-lit and is very difficult to photograph.

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