23. Boscotrecase, Villa di Lucius Arellius Successus.

Excavated 23rd December 1898 to 10th March 1899 by Vincenzo De Prisco.

Located on the fondo of sig. Nicola Vitelli, in contrada Setari at Boscotrecase.

According to the plan in CTP, this Villa was in the area on the slopes of Vesuvius on the north-west side of Boscoreale, between it and Boscotrecase. 

See Van der Poel, H. B., 1981. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part V. Austin: University of Texas. (plan opposite p.22).

According to Parco Archeologico di Pompei website,

Villa di Lucius Arellius Successus, Boscotrecase. Scavata solo parzialmente nel 1898-99, presentava alcuni ambienti decorati con pitture forse di I stile ed una serie di ambienti rustici tra cui un torchio vinario e una cucina con forno e grande macina, attualmente esposta nell'Antiquarium di Boscoreale. Ricoperta dopo lo scavo.

(Villa of Lucius Arellius Successus, Boscotrecase. Only partially excavated in 1898-99, had some quarters decorated with paintings perhaps of the First style, and a series of rustic areas including a wine press and a kitchen with an oven and a large grindstone, currently on display in the Antiquarium of Boscoreale. Re-covered after the excavation.)

Not fully excavated: Non completamente scavato

According to Garcia y Garcia, the almost immediate suspension of the excavation left so many parts of the villa unexcavated and so many unresolved issues.

Secondo Garcia y Garcia, la sospensione quasi immediata dello scavo lasciò così tante parti della villa non scavate e tanti problemi irrisolti.

See Garcia y Garcia L., 2017. Scavi Privati nel Territorio di Pompei. Roma: Arbor Sapientiae, N.30, p. 192-3.

Bibliography

Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1899. pp. 297ff.

Carrington, R., 1931. Studies in the Campanian Villae Rusticae: Journal of Roman Studies, 21, pp. 111 (n. 23),113 and note.

Casale A., Bianco A., Primo contributo alla topografia del suburbio pompeiano: Supplemento al n. 15 di ANTIQUA ottobre-dicembre 1979, 33, p. 36, fig. 13.

Day, J., 1932. Agriculture in the life of Pompeii: Yale Classical Studies, 3, p. 186, tav. B, C, n, 23.

Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino, p. 450.

Della Corte, M., 1913. Sui Monumenti scoperti fuori la Porta del Vesuvio. Brevi note di Epigrafia Pompeiana: Memorie Accademia Archeol. Lett. B. Arti di Napoli, 2, pp. 191ff. (famiglia Arellia).

Epigraphic Database Roma, Schedae numerus: EDR169905.

Garcia y Garcia L., 2017. Scavi Privati nel Territorio di Pompei. Roma: Arbor Sapientiae, N.30, p. 190-3.

Oettel A., 1991. Bronzen aus Boscoreale in Berlin. Antikenmuseum Berlin.

Rostovzev, M., 1973. Storia economica e sociale dell’Impero Romano, Firenze, 5° ediz., p. 34, note 26, n. 23.

Van der Poel, H. B., 1981. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part V. Austin: University of Texas, n. 23, p. 27, plan, p. 22.

Plan

Boscotrecase, Villa di L. Arellius Successus. Plan of villa.

See Casale A., Bianco A., Primo contributo alla topografia del suburbio pompeiano: Supplemento al n. 15 di ANTIQUA ottobre-dicembre 1979, 33, p. 36, fig. 13.

Notizie degli Scavi, 1899, p.297

BOSCOTRECASE — Ancient building discovered in contrada “Setari”.

Vincenzo de Prisco obtained the licence to make archaeological explorations in the fondo owned by sig. Nicola Vitelli. The excavation started on 23rd December 1898 and closed on 10th March this year, brought temporarily back to light as seen in the plan shown here.

Boscotrecase, Villa di L. Arellius Successus. Plan of villa by Sogliano.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1899, p.297.

Small interest was shown to the description of the areas uncovered, either because almost all were rustic, or because the narrowness of the excavation did not allow to form an idea of the building or buildings, to which this small total of buildings belonged.

We only could say that the rooms “A-H” appeared to be separate from the others at “K-N”, and that not having excavated the entrance to the area, we were not in a position to decide if this would have joined to the first or, as is less likely, to the second. Without doubt we find ourselves here before the ruins of one of the many roman villas scattered on the slopes of Vesuvius, and properly before that part of it that was intended for rustic business.

In fact the area "B" was a bakery with oven, and the other room “O” was a torcularium (press) with a brick-paste floor.

The only area which was noted for its decoration was room “N”, which was in the First style. In this, on the south wall, next to the entrance doorway, you could read traced on the zoccolo (plaster “di arena”) in red cursive letters, almost faded:

Boscotrecase, Villa di L. Arellius Successus. Inscription traced on the zoccolo in red cursive letters, almost faded.

FAUSTUS XI

PHILO XVII

According to Garcia y Garcia this is CIL IV 5431.

See Garcia y Garcia L., 2017. Scavi Privati nel Territorio di Pompei. Roma: Arbor Sapientiae, N.30, p. 190-3.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1899, p.298.

Found in the bakery "B" on January 15th, 1899, was a mill (mola) whose catillus exhibited in its lower part, on the one side the sign “E” in red, and on the other side also in red AC/////.

Also found on the same day, a circular piece of iron, which was certainly used to bake the loaves.

List of finds

Added here was a list of finds in date order: (see page 298-299)

25th January.

Bronze, glass, terracotta, iron, bone and organic items.

10th February

A bronze rectangular seal, with wording in raised letters.

Boscotrecase, Villa di L. Arellius Successus. Bronze rectangular seal of L. Arelli Successi, ring side.

On the handle of the ring, is a recessed pot/vase.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 125094.

Boscotrecase, Villa di L. Arellius Successus. Bronze rectangular seal of L. Arelli Successi, face side.

Face with wording

L ARELLI

SVCCESSI

L(uci) Arelli
Successi.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 125094.

(The “Arelli” occur in some Pompeian inscriptions). 

Other bronze objects were also found.

In terracotta, a cooking pot, a lamp to a light and two amphorae, one of which broken at the top, read in red letters –

Amphora with inscription L A S (which Sogliano says was:  L(uci) A(relli) S(uccessi).

According to Garcia y Garcia this was CIL IV 5778 and this and the seal found would suggest the name of the owner was Lucius Arellius Successus.

See Garcia y Garcia L., 2017. Scavi Privati nel Territorio di Pompei. Roma: Arbor Sapientiae, N.30, p. 192.

According to Umberto Soldovieri, the same person wanted to recognize himself in the initials L.A.S., painted on an amphora found in the same context (see CIL IV 5778), something that would restrict the dating of the seal to the last years of the villa's life.

See Epigraphic Database Roma, Schedae numerus: EDR169905.

13th February

Modern coins from the past century in bronze;

in terracotta, bottom of a cup with the mark in the shape of the human foot:

Boscotrecase, Villa di L. Arellius Successus. Terracotta bottom of a cup with the mark in the shape of the human foot

In CIL X, no.8055,34, the mark was reported L. PVB with the annotation: a d. ad s.

Sogliano thought it was one and the same mark.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1899, p.299.

See Garcia y Garcia L., 2017. Scavi Privati nel Territorio di Pompei. Roma: Arbor Sapientiae, N.30, p. 192.

Fragments of tiles with well-known marks.

Boscotrecase, Villa di L. Arellius Successus. Tile marks of C Antesti, L Eumachi, N Sillius N.

18th February

A bronze ring, circle or earring.

20th February

Found in bakery “B” was an iron hoe.

21st February

Bronze tweezers and three rings, in terracotta, a lamp with two lights and with a cupid in relief. 

25th February

In terracotta, an amphora with the number IX traced in charcoal.

28th February

Found in area “N” in bronze, various fragments of a chain, with broken ring;

In iron, a grating in various pieces;

In terracotta, a fragment of terracotta tile with illegible makers mark.

1st March

In bone a spindle.

10th March

A bronze casserole;

Fragment of iron large box bolt and a considerable quantity of nails, pins and ties in fragments, with wood scraps adhering to the oxide;

Some fragments of lead ties;

Small stone mortar;

Terracotta tile with the mark:

Boscotrecase, Villa di L. Arellius Successus. Tile mark of L Eumachi.

And a vase totally damaged.

(signed A. Sogliano)

Other bronze finds

According to Garcia y Garcia a number of bronze items from this villa, which are not mentioned by Sogliano, are conserved in the Antikenmuseum Berlin.

At least eight bronze containers, a large crater on a square base of alt 0.64m, three jugs, two large the other much smaller, two more trilobate jugs, a hip flask and a round vase with spout to pour are now in the Antikenmuseum in Berlin and have been described by Oettel.

Secondo Garcia y Garcia un certo numero di oggetti in bronzo di questa villa, che non sono menzionati da Sogliano, sono conservati nell'Antikenmuseum di Berlino.

Almeno otto contenitori di bronzo, un grande cratere su base quadrata alt 0.64m, tre brocche, due grandi l’altra molto più piccola, altre due brocche trilobate, una fiaschetta e un vaso rotondo con beccuccio per versare sono ora nell’Antikenmuseum di Berlino e sono stati descritti dall’Oettel.

See Garcia y Garcia L., 2017. Scavi Privati nel Territorio di Pompei. Roma: Arbor Sapientiae, N.30, p. 192.