After providing an overview of the forum at Pompeii, Professor Dobbins will focus on the most unusual and the most important building on the forum, the Imperial Cult Building (sometimes called the Sanctuary of the Public Lares). Numerous elements set the Imperial Cult Building apart from other structures at Pompeii. It is more similar to later buildings in Rome, including the Pantheon, than to any contemporary structure in Rome or Pompeii.

The Imperial Cult Building therefore invites numerous question including questions about its date and function. Professor Dobbins will present evidence to suggest a post-62 (i.e. post-earthquake) date then will turn to a discussion of the structure's design and its relationship to the already existing urban fabric.

Professor Dobbins is a Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology at the Univeristy of Virginia and the author of The Excavation of the Roman Villa at La Befa, Italy. He is also the director of the Pompeii Forum Project. His research interests include Roman architecture, mosaics, and terracotta lamps.