PREVIEW

Frisky Frescoes! Saucy Mythical Scenes Discovered In Latest Pompeii Excavations. A newly excavated house decorated with frisky frescoes depicting erotic scenes has shed new light on life in Ancient Pompeii. The ‘House of Phaedra’ continues to reveal the cultural shifts and intricate artistic tastes of Pompeii’s residents, just before the city was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The home’s richly painted walls rival those of nearby grander houses. Archaeologists named it after a well-preserved fresco of Phaedra, from Greek legend, who appears in a scene with Hippolytus. Phaedra is famously depicted in the myth as falling in unrequited love for her stepson, Hippolytus, with tragic consequences for both. In addition to Phaedra, the home’s frescoes include a saucy scene showing an embrace between a satyr and a nymph as well as other mythological scenes, some of which have been damaged over time. The House of Phaedra adds to a long history of erotic and mythological art in Pompeii where phallic symbols, fertility motifs, and elaborate frescoes were often incorporated into daily life.