College of the Augustales (Herculaneum)

The College of the Augustales, known locally as Collegio degli Augustali, is a fascinating relic of Roman history nestled in the town of Portici, Italy. This ancient structure, which was buried during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, offers a captivating glimpse into the religious and social practices of the time. Unearthed during the archaeological excavations of the ancient city of Herculaneum, the College is believed to have been the meeting place for the Sodales Augustales, a priestly college dedicated to the cult of the Emperor Augustus.

The History of the College of the Augustales

The College of the Augustales was constructed at the end of the 1st century BC, around 14 BC, during the Augustan period. This era saw significant urban development, and the construction of the College was funded by two brothers, A. Lucius Proculus and A. Lucius Iulianus. An inscription found on November 25, 1960, about two meters from the floor and now displayed on a side wall of the College, records that the brothers also hosted a banquet for the Augustales and the decurions on the day of the inauguration.

The College served as a venue for the meetings of the Augustales, as evidenced by fragments found on a wall, which listed the names of the members. Interestingly, the number of names was quite large, leading to speculation that it might have been a list of free citizens rather than just the Augustales. The building underwent restoration following the earthquake of Pompeii in 62 AD, during the transition from the Neronian to the Flavian period. It was during this time that the sacellum was added, columns were decorated, and a service room was constructed.

Buried under a layer of mud due to the pyroclastic flows from the Vesuvius eruption, the College was rediscovered on May 18, 1740, during exploratory tunneling by Roque Joaquín de Alcubierre. The initial exploration lasted only a few days, but it uncovered several statues and led to the creation of the first maps of the building, published in 1743 and 1754. A second phase of open-air excavation began on November 2, 1960, led by Amedeo Maiuri, who uncovered the central nave and the floor within the first month. The rest of the building was fully explored from October 16 to November 14, 1961. Minor restoration and maintenance work continued into the 1990s and early 2000s.

Exploring the College of the Augustales

The exterior of the College of the Augustales was originally covered in plaster and painted white, with several traces still visible. The building has two entrances: the main entrance on the decumanus maximus, preceded by a short corridor with a carbonized wooden door frame, and a secondary entrance along the third cardo, characterized by a threshold made of piperno blocks. Near the main entrance, a column features a graffito mentioning three individuals.

Inside, the building has a square layout with a single room divided into three naves by four Tuscan-style columns. These columns also supported the skylight, which collapsed during the eruption. The skylight was surrounded by a low wall, with four small columns supporting a sloped roof with large openings for illumination. The columns are fluted, with a piperno plinth and a capital decorated with ovals and leaves, painted blue and red, and a white stucco cornice. The perimeter walls feature pilasters that form blind arches made of brick. The floor is made of opus spicatum, with bricks and wooden beams, some of which are still visible in a carbonized state. The exterior floor was paved with cocciopesto and likely accessible via a wooden staircase.

The Sacellum and Frescoes

The central nave houses the sacellum, protected by two walls in opus reticulatum that connect the back wall with the two rear columns. The sacellum is accessed via two marble steps and features Fourth Style wall decorations. The central fresco, framed by two columns supporting an architrave and an arched pediment, depicts draped gold, fruit garlands, and geometric designs. The lateral walls are adorned with tragic masks and miniature paintings at the base, window reproductions with winged Victories driving chariots at the top, and two central panels: one depicting Hercules fighting Achelous, the abductor of Deianira, and the other showing Hercules' apotheosis with Minerva and Juno, with a rainbow symbolizing Jupiter in the background.

The sacellum floor is in opus sectile, featuring various types of marble such as red antique, African, cipollino, portasanta, and pavonazzetto, arranged in geometric patterns. The border is in bardiglio, and the baseboard in African and cipollino marble with a smooth cornice. At the back is a semi-column that once supported a statue or bust of Augustus, as suggested by a fresco of a crown.

Additional Features and Discoveries

The rest of the structure has walls plastered in red at the base and white at the top, with a cocciopesto floor covering the original one. Bourbon explorations revealed part of the underlying floor, covered by about twenty centimeters of earth, tuff, and debris. The right nave, separated by an opus craticium wall, served as a service room where the custodian resided. The custodian's carbonized body was found trapped on a bed, crushed by debris.

The College of the Augustales has yielded numerous statues, including those of Titus, Augustus, and Claudius, the latter depicted as Jupiter holding a thunderbolt, and others representing members of Marcus Nonius Balbus's family, such as his mother, father, and wife. These sculptures were likely used for political propaganda. Additionally, a round wooden table with legs shaped like greyhounds, a jug, a shell, and a fritillus were found. Outside, to the right of the main entrance, is a structure with four yellow tuff pillars, inside which is a marble slab, partially removed by the Bourbons, resting on four small columns, one intact and the rest reconstructed. The function of this structure is unknown, but some scholars suggest it might have been a triclinium, a latrine, or a sacred area.