Pompeii

Pompeii

December 30, 2018

Yesterday in the late afternoon we had a wonderful hour with an art historian, setting the place of Roman and Greek art in a timeline, and placing the frozen art and architecture of 79 CE, when Vesuvius erupted, in context for us.  Especially interesting was her description of the advances the Romans made in the formulas for concrete, allowing for much more advanced construction techniques.  These advances explain some of the changes in architecture even between the terrible earthquake which devastated Pompeii in 62 CE and the destruction of the volcano. 

Today was truly, a remarkable day.  The drive along the Sorrento peninsula is breathtaking and somewhat scary, reminiscent of Highway 101 along the northern California coast.  It’s about 45 minutes back towards Naples to Pompeii, and our guide lectured us on the history of Rome up to and including the year 79.  Although the capitol of the state was in Rome, the emperors spent most of their time on the Bay of Naples and especially on Capri.  Pompeii was an important city, 12 km from Mt. Vesuvius.  The eruption was unexpected and buried the city of 10,000 in less than a day in 20 feet of ash and volcanic material.  Although discovered in the 16^th century, meticulous excavation by skilled archeologists didn’t begin until the mid-19^th century and continue to this day.  A quarter of the enormous 170-acre site is still to be explored.

The archeologists tapped for hollow places as they excavated, which were left by the decomposed bodies of the people who perished.  They drilled into the spaces and filled them with plaster, thus making casts of the people.  There’s a display of these casts at the entrance to the site:

We began our four-hour tour of the site at the coliseum, which held 18,000 people for bloody entertainments, ranging from gladiator fights to animal contests:

The main street running through the city is more than a mile long, with cross streets and houses on both:

We visited a number of houses, some of which were very impressive.  The walls were beautifully decorated:

Many of the homes had lovely atriums:

On one wall of this home was a beautiful Venus/Aphrodite on a shell (Botticelli painted before Pompeii was uncovered):

There was a Jewish population here, integrated into the community.  Here’s a floor from a Jewish home with a “Flower of Life” in the center of a Mogen David:

A Genesis portrayal from the same home:

There are a number of wine bars here; the upstairs apparently often was a brothel:

We came across this sacrificial altar with a portrayal of an ox, the slaughterer, and others.  The ox would be sacrificed to the gods:

In the center of the city was the main square where, apparently, you went to see and be seen:

One house had an amazing optical illusion mosaic floor:

There was a sophisticated plumbing system bringing water to the houses via lead pipes:

We saw at least two representations of Priapus:

In one home there were phenomenal wall paintings, including this representation of the Punishment of Ixion, a legend I had never heard of (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixion ):

At this bakery you can see the grinding implement and the ovens:

This small store, called Mensa Ponderaria, served as the holder of reference standards for weights and measures.  We were told that disputes over buying and selling quantities were brought here by the equivalent of the local police:

There’s so much more, but I can only post so much.  Enough for now.  Tomorrow we’re off to Capri, and then New Year’s Eve celebration in downtown Sorrento where, if I understand correctly, they’ll set a straw donkey on fire.  Or some such.