T2 Pompeii. Tower II.
According to Van der Graaff –
“Today, the twelve towers built into the Pompeian circuit are in ruins, their tall structures toppled during the earthquake of the 60s CE and the eruption of Vesuvius…………………..
Each tower consisted of three floors supported by barrel vaults and interconnected by means of rear internal stairways. A door in the back provided access to the city side, and one on either flank opened on the wall-walk. A small postern in the ground floor usually opened onto the exterior side of the defences.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.71/2). (See p.71-81 – The Towers).
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. December 2005. South-east corner of tower, and city wall on east side.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. April 2019. Looking north to south side. Photo
courtesy of Rick Bauer.
Tower II Pompeii, on south side of City. May 2011. Looking north. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“Tower II viewed from below.
Note that the terrain around the tower has been lowered significantly since antiquity.
One can access the postern only on the left by walking on unexcavated volcanic material.
The small vault on the right was covered with a stairway leading to the second floor.”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (see Figure 3.14, on p.75)
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. June 2012. Looking north. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. May 2011. South side. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. December 2005. South side, and city wall.
T2 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking east from tower along city walls towards Porta Nocera.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. December 2005. South side.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. December 2005. South side, looking inside tower.
Tower II Pompeii, on south side of City. May 2011.
Looking north-west on west side of upper base of Tower on south side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II Pompeii, on south side of City. May 2011.
Looking north-east on east side of upper base of Tower on south side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. December 2005. Looking north-east on west side of tower.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. April 2019.
Looking north-east on west side of tower. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. May 2010. Looking north-east.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking south-east from upper floor. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking east towards west side and along south side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“Tower II on the south side of the city displays radical alterations to its original structure.
Today, only the lower chamber remains which, judging from the clear seams in the masonry, includes some modern restorations in the upper portion. Enough of the ancient masonry survives to confirm that the tower featured brickwork laid in regularly spaced toothed quoins, in a technique adopted and perfected in the first century BCE. (Note 96). Unless the tower was built later than previously assumed, the masonry indicates that the building was heavily restored after the siege. The unusual floating postern on its western flank – sitting some 2 metres above the level of 79 CE – points to a drastic lowering of the surrounding terrain in antiquity. Equally unusual are the rectangular openings in the façade and back wall of the main chamber. Assuming that the modern reconstruction is largely correct, the colonial restorations of the tower radically changed its function. (See separate discussion in Chapter 6).”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.132) and See Note 96
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. December 2005. Looking east along south side.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. May 2010. Inside tower, looking east.
T2 Pompeii. Tower II. December 2005. Inside tower, looking east.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking east through doorway on west side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking east towards south-east corner and steps to narrow room/stairway. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking north in narrow room/stairway with upper floor. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking north across flooring. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail of upper floor visible in north wall of narrow room/stairway. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking south along narrow room/stairway towards south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
South wall of main vaulted room with rectangular opening/doorway. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2011. Detail from doorway. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2011. West wall in south-west corner of vaulted room. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Looking north along west wall of main vaulted room towards north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
West wall of main vaulted room, looking towards north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010. West wall of main vaulted room, looking towards north-west corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking towards north-west corner and north wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
North wall and barrel-vaulted ceiling of main room. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Looking towards rectangular opening in lower north wall of main vaulted room. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking west through rectangular opening in north wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking down through rectangular opening in north wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking east through rectangular opening in north wall of main room. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking east through rectangular opening in north wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking east and down through rectangular opening in north wall of main room. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking towards north-east corner of main vaulted room. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2010. North-east corner of main vaulted room. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2011. Structure in north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2011. Structure against east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south at structure against east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Tower II, Pompeii. May 2011. South end of east wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
![Pompeii Tower I or Tower II (*see note below).
Marble sepulchral tablet found during the removal of the eruptive material in the chamber (June 4, 1952).
This records the names of Publius Tintirius, his daughter Tintiriae Festae, and his wife Pontiae Hedymaeleni.
Now in PAP deposit, inventory number 17130.
According to the Epigraphic Database Roma this reads
P(ublius) Tintirius P(ubli) l(ibertus) Ad`i´utor et
Tintiriae Festae,
filiae suae - v(i)`x´(it) an(nis) VII -,
et sibi et Pontiae He=
dymaeleni, uxso=
ri suae, et suis. [EDR171965]
According to Van der Graaf, an “aggressive” translation may read as follows –
Publius Tintirius Audiutor, son of Publius [made this]
for his daughter Tintiria…….esta [beginning of name apparently lost] (she lived
7 years)
and for himself
and Pontia Hedyma, his gentle wife
and their [family?]
(* NOTE: Excavation notebooks report the discovery of an epitaph in the main chamber of the tower in the 1950’s. …….
The notebook tells us its dimensions, 42 x 28 x 4.5 centimetres.)
Van der Graaf’s note no.54 reads –
“Excavation diary entry June 4, 1952. The excavation reports are vague, describing the recovery of the epitaph in what the excavators designate Tower I. Assuming continuity in excavation nomenclature, this associates the report with Tower II since Maiuri later describes the tower as I: see Maiuri 1959, 82-83.”)
(NOTE 55: “With thanks to Professor A. Riggsby for his invaluable translation of the text”.)
See Van der Graaf, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.154) & Notes 54 and 55 on p.171.](Towers%20T2_files/image070.jpg)
Pompeii Tower I or Tower II (*see note below).
Marble sepulchral tablet found during the removal of the eruptive
material in the chamber (June 4, 1952).
This records the names of Publius Tintirius, his daughter Tintiriae Festae, and his wife Pontiae Hedymaeleni.
Now in PAP deposit, inventory number 17130.
According to the Epigraphic
Database Roma this reads
P(ublius) Tintirius P(ubli) l(ibertus) Ad`i´utor
et
Tintiriae Festae,
filiae suae - v(i)`x´(it) an(nis) VII -,
et sibi et Pontiae He=
dymaeleni, uxso=
ri suae, et suis. [EDR171965]
According to Van der Graaff, an “aggressive” translation may read as follows –
Publius Tintirius Audiutor, son of Publius [made this]
for his daughter Tintiria…….esta [beginning of name apparently lost] (she lived
7 years)
and for himself
and Pontia Hedyma, his gentle wife
and their [family?]
(* NOTE: Excavation notebooks report the discovery of an epitaph in the main chamber of the tower in the 1950’s. …….
The notebook tells us its dimensions, 42 x 28 x 4.5 centimetres.)
Van der Graaff’s
note no.54 reads –
“Excavation diary entry June 4, 1952. The excavation reports are vague, describing the recovery of the epitaph in what the excavators designate Tower I. Assuming continuity in excavation nomenclature, this associates the report with Tower II since Maiuri later describes the tower as I: see Maiuri 1959, 82-83.”)
(Note 55: “With thanks to Professor A. Riggsby for his invaluable translation of the text”.)
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.154) & Notes 54 and 55 on p.171.