Pompeii - Temple of Isis - December 30, 2011

Lex, bad moustachioed mode

In the “Theatre District” of Pompeii is a sacred enclosure of a small and intimate nature. This contains the exquisite jewel that is the Temple of Isis. Isis was a goddess of Egyptian origin whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world after the empire of Alexander the Great fell apart upon his death. She was apparently very popular in Pompeii and Herculaneum as scenes depicting Isian rituals appear in numerous private residences throughout the two cities.

Temple of Isis

Completely rebuilt after the earthquake of 62 AD it is a fascinating moment in architecture. The temple, enclosure walls, columns and shrine for holy Nile water were all constructed out of brick and then liberally covered with a layer of stucco treated in many different ways. There are panels reminiscent of wainscoting, raised molded figures, fluted columns, square pilasters, friezes, niches, dolphins, garlands and all manner of devices executed in stucco. Surprisingly there are traces of paint on many portions.

The temple building consists of a very small cella on a raised platform with two flanking wings, that are only as deep as the niches they contain. Four columns of tufa in front of the cella supported a pediment that is no longer extant. The stucco on the temple proper is scored to look like dressed stone.

Rear of Temple of Isis

Sacred Nile Water Shrine

Next to the altar in front of the temple there is a little building with some enchanting decoration. This was to house the sacred Nile water and it is delightfully detailed, there are some lovely dolphins and winged humanoids on the side. It reminds me of the higher class of garden shed or summer house found in the gardens of English country houses.

To say the least I was very-very-very happy to finally get to visit this temple. After reading about it and the worship of Isis for decades it was anything but anticlimactic. Nothing had prepared me for the level of preservation I found at the site. And, though it had taken many hours of wandering to get there, this was, for me, the climax (or so I thought...the forum baths were open and they are divine! more divine than a temple? Maybe. More people went to the baths than the Temple of Isis. I wish it were the same today sometimes.).

Below is a picture of the forecourt and the small stucco shrine for the Holy Nile Water. 

Forecourt of the Temple of Isis showing the altar (without it's marble cladding) and the stucco shrine of the holy Nile water.