DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61617#0456
THE FULLERS AND THE TANNERS
389
worthy of public office.’ The endorsement of Gavius Rufus is
even stronger: C. Gavium Rufum II vir. 0. v. f. utilem r. p.
[duumvirum, oro vos,facite, utilem reipublicac] Vesonius Primus
rogat,— ‘ Vesonius Primus requests the election of Gaius Gavius
Rufus as duumvir, a man serviceable to public interests; do
elect him, I beg of you.’
In one of the shorter recommendations, Primus names his
occupation: L. Ceium Secundum II v. i. d. Primus fullo
ro\gat~\, — ‘Primus the fuller asks the election of Lucius Ceius
Secundus as duumvir with judiciary authority.’ On one occa-
sion he united with his employees in favoring a candidate for
the aedileship : Cn. Helvium Sabinum aed. Primus cum suis
fac [it], — ‘ Primus and his household are working for the elec-
tion of Gnaeus Helvius Sabinus as aedile.’
The full'ery on Mercury Street, like that just described, had
been made over from a private house, built in the pre-Roman
period. Among other changes, the columns of the large peri-
style were replaced by massive pillars of masonry supporting a
gallery above for the drying of clothes. At the rear are four
square basins, the two larger of which are about six feet across;
the water passed from one to the other as in the basins of
Primus’s fullery. In the corner near the last basin are six rec-
tangular niches for treading vats, separated by a low wall, the
purpose of which is clear from Fig. 215. There is a vaulted
room at the right of the peristyle, with a cistern curb, a large
basin of masonry, and a stone table. Here a substance was
found which the excavators supposed to be soap, but which was
doubtless fuller’s earth, like that found in the establishment on
Stabian Street.
There were naturally fewer tanners than fullers; and so far
only one tannery has been discovered. That is a large estab-
lishment, however, filling almost an entire block near the Sta-
bian Gate (Ins. I. iii), excavated in 1873. Like the two larger
fulleries, it occupied a building designed for a house. The
appliances of the craft are found in only a small part of the
structure; they relate to two processes, — the preparation of
the fluids used for tanning, and the manipulation of the hides.
389
worthy of public office.’ The endorsement of Gavius Rufus is
even stronger: C. Gavium Rufum II vir. 0. v. f. utilem r. p.
[duumvirum, oro vos,facite, utilem reipublicac] Vesonius Primus
rogat,— ‘ Vesonius Primus requests the election of Gaius Gavius
Rufus as duumvir, a man serviceable to public interests; do
elect him, I beg of you.’
In one of the shorter recommendations, Primus names his
occupation: L. Ceium Secundum II v. i. d. Primus fullo
ro\gat~\, — ‘Primus the fuller asks the election of Lucius Ceius
Secundus as duumvir with judiciary authority.’ On one occa-
sion he united with his employees in favoring a candidate for
the aedileship : Cn. Helvium Sabinum aed. Primus cum suis
fac [it], — ‘ Primus and his household are working for the elec-
tion of Gnaeus Helvius Sabinus as aedile.’
The full'ery on Mercury Street, like that just described, had
been made over from a private house, built in the pre-Roman
period. Among other changes, the columns of the large peri-
style were replaced by massive pillars of masonry supporting a
gallery above for the drying of clothes. At the rear are four
square basins, the two larger of which are about six feet across;
the water passed from one to the other as in the basins of
Primus’s fullery. In the corner near the last basin are six rec-
tangular niches for treading vats, separated by a low wall, the
purpose of which is clear from Fig. 215. There is a vaulted
room at the right of the peristyle, with a cistern curb, a large
basin of masonry, and a stone table. Here a substance was
found which the excavators supposed to be soap, but which was
doubtless fuller’s earth, like that found in the establishment on
Stabian Street.
There were naturally fewer tanners than fullers; and so far
only one tannery has been discovered. That is a large estab-
lishment, however, filling almost an entire block near the Sta-
bian Gate (Ins. I. iii), excavated in 1873. Like the two larger
fulleries, it occupied a building designed for a house. The
appliances of the craft are found in only a small part of the
structure; they relate to two processes, — the preparation of
the fluids used for tanning, and the manipulation of the hides.