Lares and Larariums
Analysis
These are images of Larariums that have been discovered in the houses of Pompeii. Larariums are household shrines to Lares. Lares are household gods that were believed to be the guardians and protectors of the house. Many of the wall paintings found in Pompeii depicted the Lares as youthful people engaged in dance. Lares were often painted in pairs surrounding the genius, which was the spirit of the head of the house. The Lares were the guardians of the house and the genius was the guardian of the family. Larariums were mainly found in the atrium of the house, and many rich homes had extravagant larariums in the form of miniature temples, while more simple larariums were merely wall paintings.
Developed Conclusions
The discovery of larariums are unique because they can only be found in Pompeii, this is because they have been preserved for centuries due to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. This means that the larariums have been protected from damage and decay over time and also from the emergence of Christianity in the modern world, which would have resulted in the larariums being removed from the households and any knowledge of the Roman religion of Lares would have been lost. Larariums found in Pompeii are significant to the understanding of aspects of Roman religion, Larariums were frequently found in each of the houses excavated in Pompeii, and their importance is immense due to the Roman’s belief that the house is a sacred place. “The most sacred, the most hallowed place on earth is the home of each and every citizen. There are his sacred hearth and his household gods, there the very centre of his worship, religion, and domestic ritual.” (Cicero, De Domo Sua 41, 109). Larariums were often celebrated, an example of this is when a son of the family comes of age, the rite of passage takes place at the Lararium where the boy removes his amulet and hangs it on the Lararium[1]. Offerings to the Lares were also a frequent occurrence in the household; this is enforced by the wall painting that depicts the genius making an offering to the Lares as if he was making a sacrifice. The shelf or ledge of the lararium was a place where figurines of other deities have been found; this gives insight on the Roman gods that were favoured by the people of Pompeii[2], the most common were Aphrodite, Mercury and Apollo. Excavators also observed the evidence of sacrifices as well as offerings of food such as fruit[3]. This is unique because had it not been preserved under the layers of ash and pumice, this evidence of offerings and sacrifices would have been cleared away or decayed.
[1] Pompeii: Public Architecture, Domestic Architecture
[2] The Fires of Vesuvius
[3] The Fires of Vesuvius
These are images of Larariums that have been discovered in the houses of Pompeii. Larariums are household shrines to Lares. Lares are household gods that were believed to be the guardians and protectors of the house. Many of the wall paintings found in Pompeii depicted the Lares as youthful people engaged in dance. Lares were often painted in pairs surrounding the genius, which was the spirit of the head of the house. The Lares were the guardians of the house and the genius was the guardian of the family. Larariums were mainly found in the atrium of the house, and many rich homes had extravagant larariums in the form of miniature temples, while more simple larariums were merely wall paintings.
Developed Conclusions
The discovery of larariums are unique because they can only be found in Pompeii, this is because they have been preserved for centuries due to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. This means that the larariums have been protected from damage and decay over time and also from the emergence of Christianity in the modern world, which would have resulted in the larariums being removed from the households and any knowledge of the Roman religion of Lares would have been lost. Larariums found in Pompeii are significant to the understanding of aspects of Roman religion, Larariums were frequently found in each of the houses excavated in Pompeii, and their importance is immense due to the Roman’s belief that the house is a sacred place. “The most sacred, the most hallowed place on earth is the home of each and every citizen. There are his sacred hearth and his household gods, there the very centre of his worship, religion, and domestic ritual.” (Cicero, De Domo Sua 41, 109). Larariums were often celebrated, an example of this is when a son of the family comes of age, the rite of passage takes place at the Lararium where the boy removes his amulet and hangs it on the Lararium[1]. Offerings to the Lares were also a frequent occurrence in the household; this is enforced by the wall painting that depicts the genius making an offering to the Lares as if he was making a sacrifice. The shelf or ledge of the lararium was a place where figurines of other deities have been found; this gives insight on the Roman gods that were favoured by the people of Pompeii[2], the most common were Aphrodite, Mercury and Apollo. Excavators also observed the evidence of sacrifices as well as offerings of food such as fruit[3]. This is unique because had it not been preserved under the layers of ash and pumice, this evidence of offerings and sacrifices would have been cleared away or decayed.
[1] Pompeii: Public Architecture, Domestic Architecture
[2] The Fires of Vesuvius
[3] The Fires of Vesuvius