Sea God, see God | Visiting the House of Neptune in Herculaneum

The very end of the house features an open-topped courtyard with an artificial grotto and a fountain, or Nymphaeum. The entire courtyard features garden paintings. Later, when an aqueduct was introduced, they redirected it to a cistern in the courtyard. This cistern was also decorated with blue mosaic chips. The courtyard is positioned in such a way that a visitor has a clear and direct view of it even before entering the house. The owner wanted to give the impression of a courtyard-cum garden in the limited space available, so there are frescoes within that depict flowering plants and fountains.

The most striking feature of the House of Neptune is undoubtedly the brilliant blue mosaic of the god Neptune and his wife Amphitrite. Neptune is pictured posing with a trident, whereas his wife stands beside him holding a long staff. Of note is her flowing dress that’s multi-colored. The mosaic is made up of little blue glass pieces, possibly imported from Alexandria in Egypt. The decoration above the figures is also shell-patterned, maintaining consistency with the ocean theme.

The courtyard also served as a summer dining room. The word triclinium was derived from the 3-sided couch that surrounds the dining table. In the House of Neptune, the triclinium comprises a stone bench that still survives. Here, you can see still lifes of cherries and roosters, a spread of fruit, etc. consistent with the xenia theme of impressing guests with the lavish spread available at home.

On the left of the Neptune mosaic are a series of three niches, with the largest occupying the center. The two smaller niches on either side of the central niche were believed to hold lamps, whereas the central niche was likely occupied by a statue. Above the niches are a series of masks, some comic and some tragic. The tragic mask still has some coloring left over from its time of creation.