Games, banquets, handouts, and the population of Pompeii as deduced from a new tomb inscription

Abstract

A monumental tomb has been discovered at Pompeii in the Stabian Gate area during renovation work on a public building, constructed in the early 19th c., that currently houses the offices of the Archaeological Park. The tomb is part of a necropolis that developed alongside an important gate in the S sector of the city walls. In this area, 19th-c. investigations brought to light the gate as well as a section of paved road and two schola tombs in grey tuff, set directly on the left side of those leaving the city, on public ground and therefore authorised by the ordo decurionum (fig, 1). The first of the tombs is that of Marcus Tullius, a prominent figure in Pompeian society known for the dedication of the Temple of Fortuna Augusta; the second belongs to the duumvir Marcus Alleius Minius. Research was first conducted here by A. Maiuri, then again in the period 2001-2 when an additional stretch of paved road and two tombs on its right side were brought to light. The new, ongoing excavation, launched in 2016 to consolidate the foundations of the 19th-c. building but complicated by that building's looming presence, led to the rediscovery of a monumental tomb which had actually been found, partially excavated and robbed at the moment of the construction of the 19th-c. building.