5.3 Scenes in a Pompeii Tavern

The lives of the less exalted appear infrequently in the art of Pompeii, but the images in Source 5.3 provide some entrée into their world. These are frescoes painted on the wall of a caupona, an inn or tavern catering to the lower classes. The first image shows Myrtale, a prostitute, kissing a man, while the caption above reads: “I don’t want to, with Myrtale.” In the second image, a female barmaid serves two customers with a large jug and a cup, while they compete for her attention. In the third image, two men playing dice are arguing.

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Source 5.3 Scenes in a Pompeii Tavern Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples, Italy/Photos: Fotografica Foglia/Scala/Art Resource, NY