Pompei 12 tracce di vita intorno al denaro

Step 11 - Thermopolium of Vetutius Placidus

Thermopolium of Vetuzius Placidus. Entrance. ©SSBAPES

The circulation of bronze currency in Pompeii in 79 AD is well documented by discoveries such as the one in Vetuzio Placido's Thermopolium. Inside the tavern located along Via dell'Abbondanza were found its takings: 1,385 bronze coins amounting to about 585 sesterces.

The tavern takings

Naples, National Archaeological Museum, Coin Cabinet, As of L.Sulla, mint-moving with L.Sulla, 82 B.C. ©SSBAPES.

Laureate head of Janus; above, I
Prow r.; above, L. SVL[A]; below, IMPE
RRC 368/1; Inv. 6942/107; g 20,21; mm 33. RRC 368/1

Comment

The complex located along Via dell'Abbondanza, made up of a shop, back room and adjoining house, occupies the north-east corner of the eighth insula; the owners were most likely L. Vetutius Placidus and his partner Ascula, names recorded several times on the inscriptions of the house and, in particular, that of Vetutius, was copied on lots of electoral programmes and on wine amphoras found inside.

The thermopolium, one of the best preserved and representative of the trading concerns dedicated to food service that were spread along the main roads of Pompeii, preserves, in addition to the lararium aedicule with the depiction of Mercury, Dionysus and the serpents, the sales counter with the upper surface covered in multi-coloured marble chips and tiles and complete with dolia set inside the wall structure. In one of these an extremely interesting storage place was found made up of 1285 bronze coins of a value of around 585 sestertii, perhaps the shop's takings of several days.

Again from the same thermopolium, in addition to some sporadic finds brought to light during the first stage of the archaeological survey of 1912 and other discoveries made in different places to the house or the back room, there are other small interesting groups of coins, again in bronze found both in the other dolia and on the sales counter that, not dissimilar in size to those found in other food service establishments of the same type, most likely represent the daily takings.

The huge hoard composed entirely of coins of the time allows us to make some observations, even if only partially, on the circulation of the bronze coin in Pompeii in AD 79: the most popular coin seems to have been the as (63.3% of the total), the series attested by a greater number of examples are those of the Flavian era (47.6%), chronologically closer to the date of the eruption, following by issues of the Julio-Claudians (42.1%) and those of Galba (7.6 %). Present, even if only in a very small percentage, were both the most ancient coins, issued by Greek Mints (0.1%) and Republican issues (1.6%).

Along the main roads of the Vesuvian city there were lots of shops, particularly many places for overnight stays, the hospitia, and for meals, the cauponae, some with their own vineyard for the production and sale of wine, and the thermopolia aimed at the sale of food and hot drinks, a sort of modern inn where, as the epigraphic sources indicate, a measure of house wine cost 1 as, Falerno wine cost 4 asses and a bowl of flour and spelt soup cost 1 as.

In Pompeii, in the part which has been excavated, 89 thermopolia, have been identified, many of which were located close to popular public places (the amphitheatre, theatres, gymnasiums, baths) or close to the gates of the city where those who had travelled from the hinterland and the nearby centres arrived.

In these trading places, bronze coins were prevalently found as they were more commonly used in the activities of a minor and daily nature. In particular the as was the most commonly adopted coin.