Pompei: MRA-ITA-Pom005

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Site/monument: Italy (ITA)
Pompei
Scavi archeologici di Pompei
Casa del Larario di Achille

Historical note about the site/monument: The house is located in the Pompeii Archaeological Excavation area. It is named for a small room near the atrium, which contains painted stucco ornaments depicting key moments in the Trojan War. This room has been identified as the family shrine, or lararium (from the Latin lares, denoting domestic guardian spirits; the House of the Vettii provides another example of a Pompeiian lararium). In addition to its namesake stucco cycles, the house contains a large fresco painting of elephants being driven by cupids holding myrtle branches (the tree of Venus) as reins. The House of the Lararium of Achilles was excavated from 1911-1929.