Plate LXI - Street of the Mercuries
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Plate LXI is a view of the Street of the Mercuries, taken a little above the door of the atrium of the house of the Dioscuri, which is the first on the left hand. The wall is finely coloured in large red panels, and, on the right of the door, is a fracture in the stucco which, perhaps, deprives us of the name of the owner, or the use of the building. The houses on the right are not yet excavated, but, on one of the piers previous to the fountain of Mercury, is that most curious picture of the funereal procession before-mentioned. Near the fountain of Mercury is the lesser door of the hospitium of the house of the little fountain ; beyond it, the great door of the same house ; further on, that of the first fountain, and still more distant, the entrance of the fullonica. |
At the end of the street is the arch which we have called
that of Caligula, and the distant arch at the entrance of the
forum is seen beyond.
The street is more than thirty-two feet wide, with its
foot-pavement on each side, and must have been the handsomest
quarter of Pompeii. Many skeletons were found here, but at
the height of twelve feet above the pavement.