Pompeii.
Porta di Stabia or Stabian Gate.
East side of gate
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south-east towards Gate, from Via Stabiana. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking towards agger on east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking west towards east side of gate, with I.1/I.5, on right. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking west to east side of gate at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking south-west towards north end of gate with steps on east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Steps against east wall of north end of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Steps against east wall of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010.
Steps, looking south along east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
East side of Stabian Gate. September 2010. Steps leading up to top of city walls on east side of gate.
Looking south onto city wall. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking towards east side of gate, at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from east side of gate at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Plaster remaining on east wall of gate at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Detail of wall decoration on east wall of gate at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking north-east to east wall under vault at north end of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010.
Plaster on east wall at north end of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Detail of plaster from east wall at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Detail from north end of east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from east wall near gate at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. East wall of gate at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. East wall at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. January 2023.
Looking north along east side through gate towards Via Stabiana. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Porta Stabia Pompeii. June 2019. Looking north
along east wall towards Gate. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Porta Stabia Pompeii. June 2019. Looking north
along east wall, inset with two niches. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. January 2023. Looking south along east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. January 2023.
Looking
towards two niches set into east wall. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Porta Stabia Pompeii. June
2019.
Looking
towards two niches set into east wall. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. East side, wall with two niches. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“Minerva was also present at the Porta Stabia (see Fig.8.2).
The gate still carries two small niches carved into the eastern wall of the court, meant to evoke a deity protecting the walls as well as travellers traversing the liminal space (Note 9).
At the time of their discovery, the upper niche retained traces of plaster coating with a graffito on the back wall that read PATRVA, a reference to Minerva Patrua (Note 10). ………………………
The lower niche belonged to a shrine in the first version of the gate, which saw the addition of an altar in the second phase.
In a third phase, workers partially buried the altar after raising the sidewalk in the late second or early first century BCE (Note 11).
A new sidewalk laid in the first century BCE completely buried the altar.
It was at that time that workers must have cut the second larger and higher niche, in an effort to maintain a continuity of cult.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.207).
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. East side, wall with two niches. Graffito PATRVA (Patrua) as shown in CIL.
See Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum Vol. IV, Supp 2, Part 2, 1909. Berlin: Reimer, p. 596, CIL IV 5384.
According to Fiorelli:
In later times, a niche was hollowed out in the wall to right of the entrance hall, and lined internally with stucco, had in the background graffiti in large letters PATRVA, the name of Minerva whose image was undoubtedly placed here to protect the Gate.
See Fiorelli, G., 1875. Descrizione di Pompei. Napoli, p. 29.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. East wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“The partial burial of the altar in the late second century BCE included a ritual deposition placed along its south side.
Among the votive deposits were small votive cups, burnt remains of a sheep/goat vertebra and a pig mandible, and three broken parts of a small terracotta figure (See Fig. 8.3). ………………….
The lack of defining attributes makes any further identification difficult, but her frontal pose is strikingly similar to a statue of Minerva recovered at the Porta Marina, as well as votive figurines related to a regional cult (Note 13).
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.207).
Pompeii Stabian Gate. September 2010. Two niches on east side. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. Photograph c. 1936 by Tatiana Warscher. Two niches on east side.
According to Warscher the niche was originally covered in plaster.
It had the graffito PATRIA in large letters, another name for Minerva.
See Warscher T., 1936. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus Regio I.1, I.5. Rome: DAIR. No. 9.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Niche set into east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Detail of niche. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Interior of niche, east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Interior of niche, east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Interior of niche, east wall at south end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. March 2009. Upper niche on east side.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Two niches on east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Lower niche. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff-
“The Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia (PARP:PS), run by the University of Cincinnati, has excavated at the Porta Stabia as part of a wider investigation into the adjacent urban district (see Fig. 1.3). ………………………
The excavations also discovered an altar buried beneath two niches carved in the eastern passageway.
The lowest niche and the altar are associated with the first two phases of the gate.
In a later phase, around 100 BCE, workers built the opus incertum vault in conjunction with the towers.
In a final phase, engineers built the causeway, repaved the road, and added a drain in the Augustan period or soon thereafter (Note 85).”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of
Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.20).
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Lower niche. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Detail of lower niche. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. March 2009. Detail of lower niche on east side
![Pompeii Porta di Stabia or Stabian Gate. 1898. Looking south through gate.
On the right is the tablet with the Oscan inscription, which appears fully visible.
Photo courtesy of British School at Rome Digital Collections. Peter Paul Mackey collection: PPM[PHP]-07-0754.
See Photo on BSR Digital Collections](Gate%20Stabian%20p3_files/image049.jpg)
Pompeii Porta di Stabia or Stabian Gate. 1898. Looking south through gate.
On the right is the tablet with the Oscan inscription, which appears fully visible.
Photo courtesy of British School at Rome Digital Collections. Peter Paul Mackey collection: PPM[PHP]-07-0754.
See Photo on BSR Digital Collections
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking south-east towards east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. East wall at south end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking south along east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. May 2010.
East wall of gate on south-east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail of east wall of gate on south-east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. September 2010. Looking north to Via Stabiana from south side. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking north through gate, with bastion walls, on left and right. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“The bastions, composed of solid horizontal ashlar masonry, indicated the most powerful exterior line of the fortifications (see Fig. 3.3).
This must have been a formidable sight. The roadway that first passed through the gate sat a metre lower than today, thereby imparting a tall cavernous appearance to the gate (Note 38). Two closing mechanisms recovered on either side of the gate probably belonged to a double-leafed door closing both thresholds (Note 39). The twin gateways on either end functioned to further mark the entry and exit into the passageway.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.53).
Via Stabiana, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking north through gate from south end, site of bastions. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“The twin bastions at each opening were powerful bulwarks of solid masonry protecting the outer edge of the gates.
Each is composed of travertine ashlars with distinct grooves either facing the inner corners, such as Porta Vesuvio and Stabia, or looking outward, as at Porta Nola. They once accommodated the doors of a simple two-leafed wooden gate that closed the opening. A further gate also marked the threshold on the city side of the gate (Note 33). The overall layout is simple, designed to allow passage through the deep embankment of the agger. It also carried a defensive advantage to trap any attackers in the court of the gate, allowing troops to pelt the enemy from higher ground.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of
Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.51).
Looking north through vault of gate towards Via Stabiana, whilst Fellows of American School of Classical Studies sit.
Photo by Esther Boise Van Deman © American Academy in Rome.
VD_Archive_Ph_229.
![Pompeii Porta di Stabia or Stabian Gate. 1898. Looking north through gate from outside the city.
Looking north past the Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus.
Photo courtesy of British School at Rome Digital Collections. Peter Paul Mackey Collection: PPM[PHP]-07-0753.
See Photo on BSR Digital Collections](Gate%20Stabian%20p3_files/image061.jpg)
Pompeii Porta di Stabia or Stabian Gate. 1898. Looking north through gate from outside the city.
Looking north past the Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus.
Photo courtesy of British School at Rome Digital Collections. Peter Paul Mackey Collection: PPM[PHP]-07-0753.
See Photo on BSR Digital Collections
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. January 2023. South-east side of gate.
Looking north to Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. May 2006. South-east side. Looking north to Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. Photograph c. 1936 by Tatiana Warscher.
Looking north past the Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus to the Porta Stabia.
See Warscher T., 1936. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus Regio I.1, I.5. Rome: DAIR. No. 1.
Pompeii Porta di Stabia or Stabian Gate. About 1900. Looking north through gate from outside the city.
The north end of the schola tomb of Marcus Tullius can be seen on the right. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. 1932. Looking north through the gate. Photo by Erich Pernice.
DAIR 32.1312. Photo
© Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.
Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. Gate looking north showing the cippus and the lion spout on south side, on right.
D-DAI-Z-NL-RZW-2495.
Photo © Deutsches
Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.
Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Stabia. Early 20th century.
Looking north to Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus, with lion spout perched on wall above. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
Porta di Stabia. May 2024. Looking north through gate. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. March 2009. South-east side. Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. January 2023.
Looking towards Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus on south side of gate.
Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
The Cippus at the Stabian Gate has the following inscription: -
L - AVIANVS - L - F - MEN
FLACCVS - PONTIANVS
Q - SPEDIVS - Q - F - MEN
FIRMVS -
II - VIR - I - D - VIAM
A - MILLIARIO - A
- D - GISIARIOS
QVA - TERRITORIVM
- EST
POMPEIANORVM -
SVA
PEC - MVNIERVNT
The Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby (See www.manfredclauss.de) lists this as
L(ucius) Avianius
L(uci) f(ilius) Men(enia) / Flaccus Pontianus / Q(uintus) Spedius Q(uinti)
f(ilius) Men(enia) / Firmus IIvir(i) i(ure) d(icundo) viam / a milliario ad
cisiarios / qua territorium est / Pompeianorum sua / pec(unia) munierunt [CIL X 1064]
Lucius Avianius Flaccus Pontianus, son of Lucius, of the Menenian tribe and Quintus Spedius Firmus, son of Quintus, of the Menenian tribe, duumvirs with judicial power, paved the road at their own expense from the milestone to the station of the carriage drivers, where it is in Pompeii’s territory.
See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge. p. 127, F86. (CIL X 1064 – ILS 5382)
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011.
Detail from Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus against south wall on east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“At the Porta Stabia the renovations conducted by the duumviri L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus included the construction of a raised causeway in front of the gate to ease cart traffic from the bustling river port nearby (Note 64).
The new roadway compromised the natural drainage of rainwater through the passageway, eventually leading to the construction of a sewer through the western agger that demolished the stairs leading up to the wall-walk (note 65).
The causeway also bridged the defensive ditch in front of the gate, thereby significantly reducing its military effectiveness.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of
Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.126).
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011.
Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus against south wall on east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. September 2010.
Looking north to Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. May 2006. South-east side. Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus.
Pompeii Stabian Gate. Photograph c. 1936 by Tatiana Warscher.
Cippus of L. Avianius Flaccus and Q. Spedius Firmus.
See Warscher T., 1936. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus Regio I.1, I.5. Rome: DAIR. No. 2.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. 1931. Looking towards east wall, with
lion spout perched on wall, on right. Photo by Hofmann.
DAIR 31.2817. Photo
© Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.
Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. 1932. Lion spout. Photo by Erich Pernice.
DAIR 32.1313. Photo
© Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Abteilung Rom, Arkiv.
Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“Starting in 1874 through the end of the century, excavations resumed to expose the area in front of the gate.
In addition to various tombs, excavators recovered a spout fashioned from a tuff block carved in the shape of a lion’s head.
At first, they identified it as the keystone to the gate vault, until August Mau recognized it as a spout that he believed was one of many that functioned to drain the wall-walk (Note 57).
Simpler versions of such spouts are indeed still present in the fortifications, but the lion head was a unique example that has since vanished (Note 58).
It may have functioned as a distinctive marker for the gate.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of
Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.16).
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. South-east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. Detail of south wall on east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff-
“The Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia (PARP:PS), run by the University of Cincinnati, has excavated at the Porta Stabia as part of a wider investigation into the adjacent urban district (see Fig. 1.3). ………………………
The study campaign revised one important element in the construction sequence of the gate.
A comparison between period photographs dating to the turn of the twentieth century against a detailed drawing from Giuseppe Fiorelli published in 1873 attest that a restoration of the gate occurred somewhere between the 1890’s and the 1920’s (Note 86).
The reconstruction included the addition of at least two courses on both bastions, as well as the placing of the spout carved in the shape of a lion head that workers had found nearby. It had vanished by the time Maiuri began his work in the late 1920’s. As a reminder of the reconstruction, the restored courses are composed of a brown tuff stone to serve as a contrast to the lower courses in yellow travertine.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.20).
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. Detail of south wall on east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking north-west towards south wall on east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“The masonry adjacent to the gate is slightly rougher.
It may represent a refurbishment or damage of the wall face associated with the tomb construction or a later partial collapse (Note 25).
At its foot, this section of wall displays a well-finished surface that must have accommodated a lost plaster veneer.” …………….
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.115).
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking east along lower south wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Stabia, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking east along south wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“……. East of the pier, the masonry includes clear horizontal construction seams that mark the sequential deposition of the concrete during the construction process.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.115).