A Welcome Motion Picture for a Roman Guest: An Experiential Approach to Pompeian Oscilla (20 min)

Presenters

Mekayla May, University of Maryland, College Park

Abstract

Roman oscilla are double-sided marble reliefs suspended in the intercolumniations of predominantly domestic atria and peristyles. Prior scholarship has overlooked the object’s animation and viewer engagement, decontextualizing the oscillum from its role within the Roman house’s social nuclei by understanding them as complementary decorations to the spaces overall. However, oscilla played a crucial role in facilitating conversations and actions that showcased one’s erudition and civic participation. This paper argues that the iconography of these suspended, double-sided artifacts goes beyond standardized Dionysiac imagery and garden ornaments. The oscillating and static nature of the oscillum guided viewers through their social responsibilities and cautioned them against disrupting the societal order within the Roman house. The variations of common compositions and figures visually and mentally stimulated the Roman viewer as he waited in the reception spaces of the atrium and peristyle to conduct business with the head of the household.

This paper employs an experiential approach to study the form, context, and disposition of oscilla by examining the oscilla programs of two Pompeian houses. At the House of Marcus Lucretius, the oscilla in the peristyle provoked theatrical participation and recollection through the imagery of solitary masks and instruments; the oscilla were a primary mode of tempting viewers to don the theatrical masks and adopt social roles that elevated the elite head of household. At the House of Fortune, a freedman commissioned one of the most significant programs of oscilla for his peristyle, albeit in poor quality. The intentional pairing of images of conflict and cooperation on the oscilla promoted the patron’s social and civic participation to his visitors. These case studies demonstrate that the oscillum, as a distinct suspended and double-sided decorative piece, merits examination as part of Roman decor, shaping and being shaped by social interactions within a space.