Herculaneum IV.18. House linked to IV.17 the Taberna di Priapo.

According to Wallace-Hadrill, this main entrance doorway led along a corridor to a columned courtyard (tetrastyle atrium) surrounded by ten rooms. Stairs to upper floor by doorway and at back. Possible hospitium.

See Wallace-Hadrill, A., 1994. Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. New Jersey: Princeton U.P. (p.201).

Maiuri wrote, this house, like the preceding ones, was quite spacious but simple, almost rustic.  At one side there was a shop (IV.17), with a communicating door between it and the actual dwelling house. It was a dwelling of the commercial class, but it would seem the business was less prosperous than that of the great corner shop and therefore it had a more modest air.

The house had a long corridor divided by a slight partition wall (perhaps for the construction of the staircase leading to the upper floor) then it opened into a little tetrastyle atrium closed by a pluteus or parapet, with a windowed gallery above, upon which opened almost all of the rooms on the first floor, so that the atrium fulfilled the function of a lightwell. The rooms, ruined by the underground tunnels, retain very few of the original decoration.  The triclinium which opened upon the east side of the atrium with little paintings of fish and marine animals on the walls was worthy of note, it was preceded by a small anteroom.

See Maiuri, Amedeo, (1977). Herculaneum. 7th English ed, of Guide books to the Museums Galleries and Monuments of Italy, No.53 (p.59-60).

A cache of eleven wax tablets were found piled on top of each other in a room on the upper floor.

See Cooley, A.E. and Cooley, M.G. 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum; a sourcebook. U.K. Abingdon, Routledge, 2nd ed.  (p.212)

Herculaneum IV.17-18. Plan of Taberna di Priapo, or Bar of Priapus and linked dwelling.

IV.18, Herculaneum, September 2015.

Looking towards entrance doorway on west side of Cardo V, Inferiore. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

Cardo V, Inferiore, west side, Herculaneum. May 2004.

Looking north-west towards entrances of IV.18, and IV.17. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, June 2012. Looking west towards entrance doorway, on left. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.

The room behind the exterior wall (centre) would be the triclinium (room 10).

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2004. Entrance doorway to dwelling. Looking west from entrance along corridor.

The small doorway on the left in the corridor is to room 1.

The room to the left with the painted wall and triangular roof portion is room 2 of IV.19.

Room 2, 2nd room on left of corridor

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005.

Room 2 with doorway, on right side of separating western wall. Looking towards north wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, June 2005. Room 2, detail of upper north-west wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

Room 3, at rear on left of atrium

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 3 on left of separating wall, room 2 on right with doorway.

Looking towards north wall, with holes for support beams of an upper floor. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005.

Room 3, detail of north wall and holes for support beams of an upper floor. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 3, west wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

Room 4 at rear on left of atrium

(not photographed)

Room 5, room on west side of atrium in south-west corner

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 5, looking towards east wall and doorway from atrium, on right. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 5, looking towards south-west corner, and west wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 5, detail from west wall in south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 5, detail of upper north wall in north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

Room 6, room on west side of atrium in north-west corner

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2004.

General view, taken from IV.13, with room 6 visible on the right, looking south. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 6, threshold. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 6, detail from threshold. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 6, looking towards west wall in south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2003. Room 6, detail from west wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2003.

Room 6, looking towards west wall in south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 6, looking towards upper west wall in south-west corner. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2003. Room 6, looking towards upper west wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 6, detail from upper west wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2003. Room 6, west wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

Room 7, north of atrium (but not photographed)

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2004.

General view taken from IV.13, with room 7 visible in the lower centre with doorway to the atrium, looking south.

Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

Room 8, north of atrium

IV.18 Herculaneum, May 2004.

General view, taken from IV.13, with room 8 visible centre left, looking south-east. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

Room 9. Vestibule/anteroom preceding triclinium, on east side of atrium, and on west side of bar at IV.17

IV.18, Herculaneum, May 2005.

Room 9, looking east towards south-east corner, and doorway to triclinium 10, on left. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, July 2001.

Room 9, south side of doorway in east wall leading into triclinium 10. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, July 2001.

Room 9, east wall at north end, with doorway and small window leading into bar-room of IV.17.

Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.17/18, Herculaneum, September 2015. Room 9, north wall of vestibule, taken through doorway from IV.17.

IV.17/18, Herculaneum, September 2015. Room 9, west wall of vestibule, taken through doorway from IV.17.

IV.17/18, Herculaneum, September 2015. Room 9, looking towards south-west corner of vestibule.

On the left is a doorway into the triclinium 10, and on the right is the doorway into the small tetrastyle atrium 11.

Photograph taken through doorway from IV.17.

IV.18, Herculaneum, May 2004. Room 9, south-east corner, detail of flooring. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, May 2004. Detail of flooring at south end of room 9. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, May 2004. Room 9 floor and base of south wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, July 2001.

Room 9, south end of doorway in west wall, leading into atrium, room 11. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

Room 10, triclinium

(not photographed)

Room 11, atrium

IV.18, Herculaneum, April 2002. Room 11, looking east across the tetrastyle atrium closed by a pluteus or parapet.

The doorway to the vestibule/anteroom of the triclinium is centre left, looking through into the triclinium.

The entrance corridor is on the right.  Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, May 2005.

Room 11, atrium, upper south wall, with doorway into room 2, on left. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, May 2005.

Room 11, atrium, upper south wall, with window above room 3, on right. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, May 2005.

Room 11, atrium, upper west wall, with doorway from room 4, on left, and room 5, on right. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.

IV.18, Herculaneum, May 2005. Room 11, atrium, upper west wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.