Glossary:

• Atrium: forecourt, hall, or principal room; used for front hall with central opening in roof
• Exedra: hall
• Impluvium: the sunken part of an atrium designed to carry away rain water
• Nuceria Tufa: unusual geological formation of Calcite rock from an area south of Pompeii
• Peristyle: open court surrounded by colonnade that may contain a garden
• Socium: an ally
• Tetrastyle: having four columns
• Travertine: a sedimentary rock

Annotated Bibliography:

Amery, Colin and Brian Curran Jr. The Lost World of Pompeii (2002), Los Angeles.

This book examines Ancient Pompeii and has many excellent pictures to support the discussion, which ranges from excavation to the local artwork.

Dwyer, Eugene. "The Unified Plan of the House of the Faun." The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 60 (Sep., 2001): 328-343. JSTOR.

This article explains the plan and possible building strategies of the House of the Faun. It also highlights the architectural elements and certain rooms.

Grant, Michael. Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum (1971).

This book is concerned with Pompeii and Herculaneum; it details what the towns were like, including private houses and public spaces, and provides an idea of the society.

Meyboom, P. G. P. The Nile Mosaic of Palestrina: Early Evidence of Egyptian Religion in Italy. Brill, 1995. Google Scholar. 30 Mar. 2008 <http://books.google.com/books?id=jyTFEJ56iTUC>.

This book examines the artifacts and inscriptions found in the house that lead to different conclusions concerning the original owners and inhabitants of the house.

"Pompeii: Description of the Remains." The Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 31 Mar. 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-5861/Pompeii#275321.hook>.

This article introduces the House of the Faun by briefly describing certain rooms and architectural elements.

Soprintendenza Archiologica Di Pompeii: the Official Site. 1 Apr. 2008 <http://www2.pompeiisites.org/database/pompei/Pompei2.nsf>.

A helpful site for information on Pompeii as well as the House of the Faun. It provides pictures and descriptions of some of the rooms. It also has a section dedicated to the mosaic of Alexander the Great from the exedra.

 

Helpful Links:

Wikipedia: The House of the Faun

Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei: The Official Site