Patrons, houses and viewers in Pompeii: Reconsidering the House of the Gilded Cupids (Italy)

This dissertation explores the creation and reception of the decorative assemblages displayed in Roman houses. My research contributes both to the ongoing re-analysis of material from early excavations at Pompeii and to an improved understanding of how Roman domestic space was shaped and experienced. The dissertation centers on a case study of the House of the Gilded Cupids, a large house in Pompeii that was occupied from the late third century BC to the destruction of the city in AD 79. A thorough examination of the original excavation documents and the finds from this house underlies my recontextualization of its wall paintings, floor pavements, sculpture collection and household objects within their architectural setting. I examine a range of factors---financial, spatial, legal and aesthetic---that affected owners' decisions in shaping the layout and decoration of their homes. I also consider the variations in background and education that informed ancient visitors' experiences in the House of the Gilded Cupids in order to show the potential for multiple coexisting and conflicting interpretations of its decorative ensemble. In addition, I discuss patrons' conscious use of exotic and imported materials and of multiple artistic styles to decorate their houses.; One major theme of this dissertation is that upper-class houses in Pompeii do not follow any single model in their layout and decoration: examining variations from recognized patterns reveals the concerns of individual households. Comparisons between the House of the Gilded Cupids and other residences in Campania reveal the range of architectural and decorative possibilities employed by homeowners in this region. I also emphasize the long occupation period of houses in Pompeii and the impact of the gradual accumulation of features over several centuries on their final appearance. The city's homeowners' practice of incorporating some elements planned by their predecessors into their houses, but removing others, sheds light on their own priorities and goals. While contemporary textual sources indicate the values associated with houses and their decor by a narrow group of elite Romans, my research shows that Pompeii's homeowners and their guests likely had other priorities and responses beyond those recorded in surviving literature.