Popinae were a type of wine bar generally frequented by the lower-classes and slaves, and were simply furnished with stools and tables. They provided food, drink, sex and gambling. Because they were associated with gambling and prostitution, the
popinae were seen by respectable Romans as places of crime and violence.
Juvenal, a 2nd-century CE Roman poet, mentions the
popina to be frequented by assassins, some sailors, thieves, fugitive slaves, executioners and coffin-makers. Although gambling with sets of dice was illegal, it would appear from the large number of dice found at cities like
Pompeii that most people ignored this law. Several wall paintings from Pompeian
popinae show men throwing dice from a dice shaker. Prostitutes frequented
popinae, but as many of these wine bars found at Pompeii had no rooms provided with a bed, they must have met their customers at these bars then taken them elsewhere. The
popina differs from the Roman
caupona in that it did not provide overnight accommodation. The
popina usually fronted streets and was separated by a broad doorway. A service counter in a L or U shape would be in the main room where workers likely served customers food and drink. Frequently, a small water heater would be included into the counter or located nearby. In some
popina, there would even be water basins embedded into the counter, such as in
Ostia. ==Modern discovery==