Pompeii Casts. Victim 5, found in March 1868, among a group of seven victims in VII.2.16, the House of Gavius Rufus.

Victim 5 is an adult male aged over 20 years old.

The body was found in the oecus to the left of the atrium in the Casa di m. Gavius Rufus (VII.2.16-17) on the 12th of March 1868.

The body was found at the same time as 6 others, from which it was not possible to obtain casts.

Signs of the clothing are identifiable on the back of the cast.

Only the trunk of the body, part of the left arm and with the legs ending at the knees are now remaining, probably because of the 1943 bombing of the Antiquarium where the body was exhibited.

See Osanna, N., Capurso, A., e Masseroli, S. M., 2021. I Calchi di Pompei da Giuseppe Fiorelli ad oggi: Studi e Ricerche del PAP 46, p. 327-9, Calco n. 5.

Victim 5, (After Ernest Breton, Pompeia, 3rd ed. (1869) p. 272.) Photo courtesy of Eugene Dwyer.

Plaster-cast of victim numbered 5, 1868, and on display in one of the rooms of the Archaeological School (VI.17.27).

According to Breton –

“This unfortunate was discovered lying on his stomach in a room to the left of the atrium in the House of Gavius Rufus (VII.2.16).

Six other skeletons were near him.

This cast came out best of all, with the exception of the left leg, which could not be reproduced, and further that his expression is the most terrifying.

He is the embodiment of despair, driven to his final paroxysm.”

See Breton, Ernest. 1870. Pompeia, Guide de visite a Pompei, 3rd ed. Paris, Guerin., (p.272-73).

Victim 5. 1868. Photograph by Giorgio Sommer no. 1238. Photo courtesy of Eugene Dwyer.

In his description of this plaster-cast in his Guida di Pompei, 1877, Fiorelli described –

“Man, [no.5], face down, with his hands extended. (Reg. VII. II, 16, but wrongly numbered VII.II.18)”.

See Fiorelli, Guida di Pompei, [Rome, 1877,] p.88-89.

VII.2.16 Pompeii. Undated photograph by Amodio, numbered 3002, from an album dated c.1873.

One of the seven skeletons found in the house on 12th March 1868.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

Plaster-cast of victim 5, 1868, Photo: G. Sommer no. 2357.

See Dwyer, E., 2010. Pompeii’s Living Statues. Ann Arbor: Univ of Michigan Press, (p.94).