The large, well-preserved House of Menander belonged to a wealthy merchant who gave notice of his status right at the entrance, which is flanked by pillars with Corinthian capitals.
The well-preserved atrium has a little temple in one corner and an intact wooden roof that extends out to the center opening, where water drained to collect in the pool below. Interior rooms are decorated with scenes from Homer's Iliad, and the peristyle is surrounded by a beautiful painted colonnade.
Adjoining this is the charming little House of the Lovers, named for an inscription that translates "lovers, like bees, wish life to be as sweet as honey." Farther along Via dell'Abbondanza, on the left, is the Thermopolium, a tavern fully equipped with drinking vessels, a kettle, a stove, and a lamp; the last customer's money is still on the counter.
