Thermopolia and Tabernae

1. Thermopolia and Tabernae www.misterconnor.org

2. Etymology • A thermopolium (plural thermopolia), from Greek θερμοπώλιον (thermopōlion), i.e. cook-shop. • Literally "a place where (something) hot is sold“. • A taberna (plural tabernae) was a single room shop covered by a vault within great indoor markets.

3. The lay-out • They consist of terracotta containers (dolia) sunk into a masonry counter (sometimes covered with polychrome marble) that are believed to have contained hot food that was sold to customers. • Some thermopolia have decorated back rooms, which may have functioned as dining-rooms.

4. Roaring Trade • In one thermopolium, the remains of a cloth bag were discovered in one of the dolia, along with over a thousand coins • These are thought to be the day's takings and demonstrate the popularity of the establishment. • Lararia (domestic shrines) are a fairly common feature of thermopolia, and sometimes depict Mercury and Dionysus, the gods of commerce and wine respectively. • These cafes were necessary, especially for the poor who did not have facilities to cook at home.

5. The Thermopolium of VetutiusPlacidus. • This thermopolium opens onto via dell’Abbondanza and shows the social mobility in Pompeii in Roman times. • In the early empire, high status was restricted to land-owners and aristocrats. • Later, commerce was a way of achieving wealth and, thereby, status for freedmen. • The house is at the rear, interconnected with the shop, decorated with precious frescoes and a tricliniumfor outdoor dining.

6. The Skinny • Fast food shops which employed many people. • Abundant at Pompeii because the poor did not have cooking facilities at home; they probably ate at thermopolia during the day. • Often beautifully decorated. • A public meeting place. • Clearly lucrative and used by many citizens. • Evidence of social mobility. • A chance for freedmen to establish themselves. • Distinction between earlier and later empire.

7. Sources • http://pompeiisites.org/allegati/A%20Guide%20to%20the%20Pompeii%20Excavations.pdf • http://www.fastionline.org/docs/FOLDER-it-2009-159.pdf • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermopolium