Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-14
HOUSE OF GOLDEN cUpIDs.
Interesting Discovery in Buried City
of Pompeii.
|ssDMD0DERoT;'

From the Springfield Republican.
The plan OF Prof Waldsten for the ex-
cavation of Herculaneum at interna tional
expense has unfortunately failed. owing
to the objections of the Italian govern.
ment. But it is to be remembered that
no. all OF Ponpeii has yet been uncovered
and that excavations are now going on
In that city from which so many trea sures
of antiquity have already been recov-
cred. 1t is possible that any day there
NAV be heralded the discovery of some
new treasure which Will either give d
new sample of ancient art or a new key
to ancient history and Roman life sine
Pompeii was thoroughly Romanized. a
remarkably interesting discovery was
made when the so-caled House of the
Golden Cupids was uncovered.
The house of the Golden Cupids. or
the New House." u.s. as the guide viii
tell you, the most recent excavation al
Pompeii, and was opened in 1906 If
memory is not at fault, it is located in
section 16 of region Il, near the corner
where the Vicolo di Mercurio intersects
the street from the unexcavated region
at the northeast corner of the city
BY studying the crumbling bank left by
the Workmen at this point. this traveller
readily discerns the vari-colored layers OF
material that spread a mantle over the
Roman city beginning with and subse-
quent to the great eruption of 20. That
the excavation is a recent one is evid emit
frol,l the fact that Baedeker of 1904 make 6
no mention of the New House." and a
lcals appearing since that year failed to
bring to light any writings bearing
upon it.
The New House" does not differ ma
terially, save in size, perhaps, from the
homes Of other wealthy Pompeiians al
foxlv IN, tI,a
permits OF only hurried inspection. and
unless the visitor is conscious of the
Importance OF some particular excavation
as he was not in this MISREPRESENTATION
from memory is apt to err. Passing in
from the street the visitor at once ente RS
the peristyle, which has a loggia running
around its four sides, and off which open
doors leading to the living and sleeping
rooms of the house. \ large portion of
the peristyle is inclosed with a wire
fence to protect the flower garden grow
ing there, as perhaps 1T did 1000 years
ago. Along the two sides OF the garden
in straight lines are several marble heads
and busts on pedeStals; broken statues
and marbles. on the ground, and in the
center marble basin, probably the re-
mains of a fountain. The north loggia
is reached from the peristyle through the
center arch by means of four stone steps
or by two steps from the side loggias,
and it will be observed that suspended
ter medallion fanked by two asks Be
yond this are rooms having remnants of
mosaic floors and wall paintings in a fair
state of preservation.
The golden cupids, from which the
house takes its name, are in a room on
the right or east side of the peristyle,
and are the most carefully guarded treas
ures of the New House." The chamber
had evidently been used az a sleeping
apartment-possibly for children-and on
three sides of it are indentations of per-
haps an inch in the plaster, four or five
inches in diameter, resembling a ship S
portfolio. and are covered with glass. At
the back of each is a beautiful cupid in
gold leaf. Only one, however-that on
the left of the entrance-is In perfect
condition. The one opposite is without
its lower half, and the one at the end
of the room is almost totally destroyed.
With the wall paintings. traces of which
still remain, these dainty results of some
artists handiwork must have delighted
the eyes of little Pompeians as they
sparkled in the brilliant sunlight before
that dark day so many centuries ago
when the little Roman city was blotte d
teut The iron gate leading to this room
Is always locked, and only those accom-
panied by recognized authorities on Pom
pei, whose standing gives them entry
everywhere, are permitted to enter.