I will return here to the picture from Herculaneum already mentioned and discussed in chapter 2 (picture 1). It is important to bear in mind my description above: A Roman wall-painting from Herculaneum shows in a very graphic way how the spirit of place was conceived and what it signified. In the painting we can see a small circular altar, around which a serpent winds its way upwards. Its tail touches the earth, its head stretches over the top of the altar. The serpent – unambiguously identified by the inscription to its right ‘’ as a manifestation of ‘the genius of this part of the mountain’ – is eating the offering of food that has been placed on the altar. To the left of the picture a boy is approaching the altar. In his right hand he is holding a branch. On his head he is wearing a garland. He could be a shepherd boy who, ritually dressed, is coming to this part of the mountain to make a sacrifice or offering to the genius for the welfare of his flock. This conjecture is supported by verses from Calpurnius. In spring the shepherd should first sacrifice – “Invoke with salted meal the gods, / The guardian genius of the spot / The Lars and Faunus“ – then let the flock go to pasture (Calpurnius Siculus, 5, 26; Scott 1890, 95).