Pompei 12 tracce di vita intorno al denaro

Step 8 - House of the Lararium of Achilles

House of the Lararium of Achilles. Entry. ©SSBAPES

Incised on a frescoed wall of the house of the Lararium of Achilles, an inscription commemorates the sale of vinasses that occurred on the Kalends of June. The date suggests that it was a dried product, perhaps intended as animal feed.

Production and sales

CIL IV 8022

On June 25 Vinacia was sold for 32 asses.

Comment

The inscription recalls the sale of the vinasses or the residue obtained from pressing grapes for the preparation of wine on 25th June.

These operations were likely to have taken place on a small farm located in the countryside belonging to the owner of the house, whose decorations suggests he was somewhat well-to-do.

The date on which this sale took place, well after the usual date of the grape harvest, indicates that it involved grape pomace left to dry which was then used for feeding various animals, according to the writers Varrone and Columella (see above all Col., d. r. r. VI 3, 4).

The process of distillation that gave rise to the production of spirits was not known in the Roman world.

On the other hand, the inscription shows the interest with which revenue was procured, even if small, from the production waste aimed at optimizing the performance deriving from the various agricultural activities.