ANCIENT GARDENS IN EUROPE 



II 



to good account. Terraces, balconies and roof-gardens {solaria) helped to 

 satisfy the desire for fresh air, and where space permitted were laid out 

 with beds of flowers or even fruit trees. In almost all town houses the 

 living apartments were arranged round one or more open courtyards ; the 

 smaller of these was the atrium and the larger, which only existed in more 

 important houses, was known as the -peristyle. Many examples may be 

 seen at Pompeii where even 

 the smallest atrium was laid 

 out in some fashion as a 

 garden. In the centre was 

 an impluvium or shallow 

 pool, which received the 

 water of the roof, and was 

 enclosed by a low coping 

 hollowed out to contain 

 lilies and aquatic plants, or 

 bordered with fresh green 

 moss, its rippling fountain 

 merrily spurting in the sun- 

 light. Sometimes the larger 

 court or peristyle was laid 

 out with beds of flowers and 

 shrubs and ornamented with 

 statuettes, fountains, and 

 mosaic or shellwork grottos, 

 and tables or basins of 

 marble were scattered 

 about. Many examples of 

 such decorative features are 



to be seen in the museum at Naples, and others still remain in their original 

 position at Pompeii, where the authorities have very wisely reconstructed 

 several of the ancient gardens, as mayTbe seen in the illustrations, showing 

 how delightful an effect may be produced within the smallest compass. 



In many of the wall paintings, both at Herculaneum and Pompeii, 

 various ephemeral structures are depicted, summer-houses (illus., p. 12), 

 nymphaea, shrines, temples and aviaries, generally of wood, and enclosures of 



MOSAIC NYMPHAEUM AT POMPEII. 



