Economy of Pompeii
Work?
Atrium (VII.1.46)
Types of Economic Activity
AGRICULTURE,Craft and
Commerce, Shops and Markets, Bars
and Inns
Evidence
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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