by Mary Harrsch © 20245
Still fine tuning my suggested point system to establish wealth metrics for Pompeian residences. I noticed that ChatGPT keeps referring to the House of the Faun when discussing wealth categories and I was afraid it is such a palatial residence it may skew efforts to establish elite status across the city as a whole. Also, while reviewing each point category, I wasn't sure how much influence size alone had in the calculation.
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| Atrium of the House of the Prince of Naples with marble cartibulum (table), 4th style tablinum, and small peristyle with temple-style lararium, all features adding points to its overall wealth status score. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributor Carole Raddato. |
When I mentioned my concerns about undue influence of size as a metric, ChatGPT agreed saying,
"While a large number of rooms (15+) often indicates an elite dwelling, the house’s design, decor, and overall architectural sophistication are more reliable indicators of elite status. Small but exquisitely decorated houses could also be considered elite if they were intended to showcase wealth and cultural sophistication."
To adjust a point system to minimize the effects of such outliers as the House of the Faun, ChatGPT suggested we should cap points or weights for size to avoid overemphasis on exceptional examples. Then we could focus more on qualitative features, such as decoration and spatial organization, rather than raw size.
After experimenting with scoring several elite homes like the House of the Dioscuri, the House of Meleager, the House of Menander and the Casa del Leone, ChatGPT suggested the following:
Updated Wealth Category Scoring Framework
Based on your feedback, the point ranges for each wealth group are updated as follows:
Wealth Category Point Range
Modest Homes 0–75 points
Description: Homes of working-class or lower-middle-class families, with basic layouts and little decoration.
Comfortable Residences 76–150 points
Description: Homes with modest luxury, suitable for middle-class professionals or aspiring elites.
Affluent Homes 151–200 points
Description: Well-decorated homes of Pompeian elites with significant luxury features.
Elite Residences 201+ points
Description: Monumental homes with expansive layouts, lavish decoration, and prime locations.
Adjusted Scoring System for Size
The scoring for size remains capped to balance constructed and garden areas as base contributors but allows uncapped contributions for other factors. Points for size will still be calculated proportionally based on the following weights:
Constructed Space:
Points=Constructed Area (m²)/10×1.5
Cap at 60 points.
Garden Space:
Points=Garden Area (m²)/10×0.5
Cap at 20 points.
These caps ensure that size alone cannot dominate the total wealth score but still allows monumental homes like the House of the Faun to compete for elite status.
Uncapped Scoring for Other Categories
Other wealth indicators, such as decoration, specialized rooms, location, and overall cohesion, remain uncapped to reflect the full extent of luxury. Adjustments include:
Category Weight (%) Max Points (Approx.)
Decoration 25% 60+
Reasoning: Lavish frescoes and mosaics often signified wealth beyond size.
Specialized Rooms 20% 50+
Reasoning: Spaces for dining, entertaining, and private baths demonstrate cultural and financial investment.
Location & Visibility: 15% 40+
Reasoning: Proximity to the forum, views, and accessibility were critical for status display.
Overall Cohesion 5% 15+
Reasoning: Reflects architectural harmony and functionality.
This scheme seemed to work well with residences in the elite category but I wondered how it would work for smaller residences. So, I asked ChatGPT to score the House of the Prince of Naples using the new framework. The results:
Updated Scoring for the House of the Prince of Naples
1. Size and Layout (Base Points for Constructed and Garden Space)
Constructed space: ~400 sq. meters → 16 points
Garden space: Medium-sized → 5 points
Upper story: Adds value to layout complexity → 5 points
Subtotal for Size: 26 points
2. Decoration and Luxury Materials:
Opus sectile mosaic (colored marbles): Indicates significant investment → 10 points
Marble cartibulum (atrium): Adds prestige and architectural distinction → 8 points
Frescoes (Perseus rescuing Andromeda, Venus and Adonis): Quality mythological scenes → 8 points
Fourth Style frescoed white walls throughout: Cohesive decorative program, but restrained → 6 points
Subtotal for Decoration: 32 points
3. Specialized Rooms and Features
Tablinum: Key feature of a traditional domus → 5 points
Apotheca (storeroom): Reflects functional wealth (economic activity/storage) → 3 points
Temple-style lararium (garden): High symbolic and cultural value → 8 points
Shops flanking entrance (one a possible physician's surgery): Commercial integration enhances value → 6 points
Two large rooms with vaulted ceilings: Architectural sophistication → 6 points
Subtotal for Specialized Rooms: 28 points
4. Visibility and Location
Located on Via del Vesuvio: Reasonably visible, though not in the most prestigious area → 4 points
Subtotal for Visibility: 4 points
Final Updated Score and Wealth Classification
Size and Layout: 26 points
Decoration and Luxury Materials: 32 points
Specialized Rooms and Features: 28 points
Visibility and Location: 4 points
Total: 90 points
Classification: Comfortable Residence
The updated score firmly places the House of the Prince of Naples in the Comfortable Residence category. The vaulted ceilings contribute to a higher architectural standard, but the house's moderate size and restrained location prevent it from reaching the Affluent Home tier. Its decorative elements and specialized rooms reflect a household of middle-to-upper-middle-class status in Pompeian society."
I am satisfied with this score. When I was studying the House of the Prince of Naples some years ago, reading the PAH I thought the early excavators were being unreasonably snobbish by suggesting the last owners of the house belonged to the lower middle class. So often early scholars seemed so fixated on finding wealthy homes that they did not objectively value structures and finds in homes of the middle class, at least in my opinion.
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