o ▁vessel ▁from ▁Pom pe ii ) ▁– ▁it ▁was ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁bottom ▁from ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 8 2 6 . ▁ ▁Icon ography ▁The ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁images ▁on ▁the ▁v ase ▁is ▁unclear , ▁and ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁theories ▁put ▁forward ▁has ▁been ▁found ▁generally ▁satisf actory . ▁They ▁fall ▁into ▁two ▁main ▁groups : ▁myth ological ▁and ▁historical , ▁though ▁a ▁historical ▁interpretation ▁of ▁a ▁myth ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁possibility . ▁ ▁Historical ▁interpret ations ▁focus ▁on ▁August us , ▁his ▁family ▁and ▁his ▁riv als , ▁especially ▁given ▁the ▁quality ▁and ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁object , ▁and ▁the ▁somewhat ▁remote ▁ne o - class ic ism ▁of ▁the ▁style , ▁which ▁comp ares ▁with ▁some ▁Imperial ▁gem stone ▁came os ▁featuring ▁August us ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁with ▁divine ▁attributes , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Gem ma ▁August ea , ▁the ▁Great ▁C ame o ▁of ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁B lac as ▁C ame o ▁( the ▁last ▁also ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ). ▁ ▁Inter pret ations ▁of ▁the ▁port ray als ▁have ▁included ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁marine ▁setting ▁( due ▁to ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁a ▁k et os ▁or ▁sea - s nake ), ▁and ▁of ▁a ▁marriage ▁theme / context , ▁as ▁the ▁v ase ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁wed ding ▁gift . ▁Many ▁sch ol ars ▁( including ▁Charles ▁Tow ne ley ) ▁have ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁figures ▁do ▁not ▁fit ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁icon ographic ▁set . ▁ ▁Sc ene ▁ 1