The city of Pompeii, located a short distance off the Bay of Naples, was a resort town for wealthy Romans. Its luxurious way of life included restaraunts, art, sport, theater, and other, more decadent pleasures. Settled in the 8th century BC by first the Etruscans and later the Samnites, the Romans occupied Pompeii in the 2nd century BC, and it remained under Roman control until its destruction. That time came in August of 79 AD, the eruption of nearby Vesuvius buried Pompeii, as well as its neighbor Hercaleneum, in several feet of volcanic ash and lava. Several hundreds of years later, in the 18th century, its ruins were accidentally discovered when a workman sank a well and found chunks of rare marble.
The excavation of the ruins has been an ongoing process since then, involving institutions all over the world. The excavated areas are eventually opened to the public, where hundreds of thousands of people visit per year. Pompeii is captivating, with the sense it gives of looking at a snapshot from the first century, yet at the same time quite sobering, with its reminder that catastrophe can strike at any minute, even with dinner on the stove and bread in the oven.
Pompeii occupies a position of great archaelogical and anthropological importance, as the mixture of cinders and ash formed a protective seal which preserved many buildings, pieces of artwork, and household objects in remarkable condition. The frescoes are brightly colored, statues are intact, and carvings are as refined and elegant as ever. Carbonized loaves of bread were found with honey and milk inside. Pompeii is a time capsule, with propaganda surrounding the elections and politics found around the corner from sexually explicit frescoes decorating the walls of brothels.
The objects and buildings frozen in time tell us more about pre-Christian Roman life than any official decree or military history could.At the same time, the curiosity piqued by the remains of Pompeii are tempered by the pathos of the situation with provided us with these treasures. It is hard not to feel heartbroken for the victims of Mt. Vesuvius, whose remains show that for the most part they died in a state of agony and terror. Most can imagine that a death by volcanic eruption would not be pleasant, but Pompeii provides us with vivid, disturbing proof of that.
This website was designed by Caitlin Kuleci for HUM 2210, taught by Elizabeth Pennington at St Petersburg College.