Blogging Pompeii

Mosaic of an unswept floor from Pompeii

We are searching for a floor mosaic from Pompeii showing the floor of a room badly cleaned after a meal, with the debris of the food left on the floor. This type of mosaic is known as Asarotos Oikos/Asavotos Oicos/Asaroton Oecus.

Photo of floor from Vigna Lupi, Rome (similar to the one meant to be from Pompeii).

Can anyone help, as we have no access to PPM here in the “wilds” of Australia, could someone look at PPM for the house at Ins.Occ. VI.17.32-36, to see if there is any mention of this mosaic, and send us the information from those pages, as we are interested in this house anyway.

The house was found by the Bourbon excavators (around 1759), then partly excavated around 1808 and 1818.  Having searched through all the PAH entries (Spanish and Italian) we don’t think we have found any mention of it.

In our books, the earliest we have found it is in Mazois of 1824, when talking about the House of Polibio (VI.17.32-36), he describes the house, and then it seems talks generally about mosaics including the “asavotos oicos”. (Mazois II, 1824, pages 52-53)

We have been told the mosaic was found in Pompeii, but it was not known from where, and is now in the Naples Museum.  Our expert on the Naples Museum does not know of it.

A real mystery, please can you help. 

Jackie and Bob