During the excavations started in 2023 in Insula 10 of Pompeii's Regio IX, the interior structures of two houses were uncovered, one of which contained an impressive banquet hall with frescoed walls. The painted scenes depict pivotal moments preceding the Trojan War: the fateful meeting between the young Paris and the beautiful Helen, which will spark the conflict, and Cassandra's condemnation to disbelief for rejecting the love of the god Apollo.
These are not random scenes but themes chosen to prompt the banquet guests to reflect on the consequences of unchecked passions, which can lead to disastrous conclusions. The pictorial cycles of banquet halls served as conversation starters: light subjects leading to deeper reflections on temperance and virtue.
