PORTICUS POMPEI
built in 55 B.C. by Pompeius at the same time as his
THEATRE (q.v.), and adjoining its scaena. The purpose of the porticus
was to afford shelter for the spectators in case of rain (
Vitr. v. 9. 1). It
is represented on the Marble Plan (frgs. 30, 110, and p. 22), and was a
rectangular court, about 180 metres long and 135 wide, in which were
four parallel rows of columns. The central area was laid out as a garden
with shady walks (
Prop. ii. 32. 11-12) and contained various works of
art (Plin.
NH xxxv. 59, 114, 126, 132). Among these was a painting
of Cadmus and Europa by Antiphilus, which is not to be identified with
the representation of Europa which gave its name to the
PORTICUS
EUROPAE (q.v.) described by Martial, which, A. Reinach maintains (
Neapolis
ii. 237 sqq.), was a bronze group made by Pythagoras of Rhegium for
Tarentum (Cic.
Verr. iv. 135; Varro,
LL v. 31). The
CURIA POMPEI
(q.v.) in which Caesar was murdered was probably an exedra in this
porticus (Asc. in Mil. 67; cf.
Gell. xiv. 7. 7:
propterea et in curia Hostilia
et in Pompeia et post in Iulia, cum profana ea loca fuissent, templa esse
per augures constituta ut in iis senatus consulta more maiorum iusta fieri
possent). That the porticus was one of the most popular in the city
is clear from the numerous incidental references (Cic. de fato 8; de off.
ii. 60; Cat. 55.6; Ov.
AA i. 67;
iii. 387;
Prop. iv. 8.75;
Mart. ii. 14. 10;
xi. I. II, 47. 3; Cass.
Dio xliv. 16).
The porticus was burned in the reign of Carinus (Hist. Aug. Car. 19),
and restored by Diocletian (Chron. 148: porticos ii), under the direction
of Aelius Helvius Dionysius, the prefect of the city (
CIL vi. 255, 256),
who called one side of the restored structure porticus Iovia, and the
other porticus Herculea, in honour of the two emperors Diocletian and
Maximian. It may be referred to as the portica Nova, which was ruined
by the earthquake of 442 (Consul. Ital. Chron. min. ed.
Mommsen
i. 30:
terrae motus factus est Romae et ceciderunt statuae et portica
nova; cf.
BC 1917, 11-13). No remains of this building are visible, and
the discoveries on its site have been unimportant (Ann. d.
Inst. 1883,
11-12; M61. 1908, 225-228;
LS iii. 122-124; HJ 531-532;
Gilb. iii.
325-326;
ASRSP 1887, 467;
BC 1892, 146-148; 1917,11-13; 1925,271).
