Picture No | 11076147 |
Date | |
Description | In the Street of Abundance at Pompeii by Matania |
Details |
A special reconstruction series of ancient Pompeii by Fortunino Matania for The Sphere. Here, in the Via Dell' Abbondanza, a wealthy street in the city, is a sacrificial shrine, where anyone, accompanied by a priest and an aruspice (the man who knew how to read the prediction in the burning flesh), could offer up a sacrifice to the twelve divinities. In Matania's reconstruction, we see the worshipper pouring wine onto the hind legs of a lamb so as to send a pleasant perfume to the gods, whilst the priest recites the necessary incantations. These shrine is painted with figures of the twelve divinities, under which there is a frieze of gladiators and the lower part of the wall is decorated with the familiar snake device, indicating the near existence of a chemist's shop.
|
Source | Illustration by Fortunino Matania in 'The Sphere', 16 February 1924, page 175 |
Credit | © Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans |
Restrictions |
|
Thank you for visiting our website. If you are interested in licensing this image please email us at pictures@maryevans.com or telephone us on +44(0)20 8318 0034. If you are already registered to use this website, you can log in here. |