Pompeii

=** Pompeii **= The name Pompeii is thought to be Greek and stems from the word “pempo”, meaning to dispat ch. Pompeii is strategically placed so that Greek traders would pass through the village. =** History and Origins **= toc Pompeii was founded by Oschi people during the 8th century B.C. overlooking the Sarno Valley. Soon after it was founded, Pompeii fell under the influence of the Greeks and the Etruscans, expanding from Campania. Etruscan’s ruled Pompeii from 525 until around 474 B.C., then fell under Greek dominion once again until the end of the 5th century B.C. Then the Samnites came down from the mountain regions and put an end to the Greek and Etruscan wars and took possession of most of Campania. It was during this time that Pompeii became more Italic. Much of the village was rebuilt, the triangular Forum was established, and the first public baths, named Stabian Baths, were created, and the Temple of Apollo was rebuilt. During the war of the Italic people against Rome, Pompeii fought for its independence. Silla laid siege to Pompeii in 89 B.C., but the arrival of the Italic army under the command of L. Cluentius prevented him from taking the city. When the Italic army was defeated at Nola, Pompeii was forced to surrender to the Romans. The Romans renamed the colony to Colonia Veneria Cornelia Pompeii, referring to the dictator Pompey and his favorite goddess, Venus.

=** The Tragedy and Vesuvius **= In February of 62 A.D., a violent earthquake struck Pompeii and the surrounding areas. It was followed by a reconstruction of the city, including reparations of houses and public buildings, often even better than before. In 79 A.D., the great historian Pliny the Younger wrote vivid letters recalling the catastrophic events that happened in the city. The afternoon of August 24th, Mount Vesuvius split open and black, pine-shaped clouds erupted from the volcano, showering the town with ash and lava. Herculaneum was also destroyed by Vesuvius and was submerged with rapidity under the mud and lava. Lethal sulfur fumes poured into Pompeii, suffocating many of its residents who weren’t taken away with the lava or pelted with pumice-stone. The sun came out, after three days, on a desolate and destroyed land.

=** Excavations **= About 700 years after the tragic fate of Pompeii ensued, the great city would be rediscovered. The buried city was discovered by chance between 1594 and 1600 during reclamations works in the Sarno Valley. Domenico Fontana is the architect that unearthed an underground passage where the Amphitheater was and there were a number of inscriptions. In 1748, after the excavation of Herculaneum had already started, Charles of Bourbon called for exploration in the area of Pompeii. Under the direction of Giuseppe Fiorelli in 1860, more systematic excavations were conducted. Fiorelli is responsible for the technique of pouring plaster into empty spaces of the solidified ashes, creating casts of victims who experienced sudden death during the volcanic eruption. Casts of dogs twisting to escape the lava and casts of young men trying to protect their mothers and families were found through this technique. Many inscriptions were also found on the walls of Pompeii, including restaurant bills, love letters, plaques and graffiti, and publicity for election campaigns.



=** The Forum **= The Forum was the center of life in the city. The streets were paved with travertine stone and colonnades along three sides of the square. Vehicles were prevented from entering the Forum by barricades. There were public buildings on the southern, eastern, and western sides of the square and were concealed by the colonnades, so that the only visible building was the temple dedicated to Jupiter, called the “capitolium.”

=** Villa of the Mysteries **= The Villa of the Mysteries is also known as the ‘Room of the Large Painting.’ The painting was executed by an artist from Campania in the 1st century B.C. It is thought to represent the mysteries of the Dionysiac rites, which were introduced from the Campania region to Rome and spread rapidly. There are no less than 29 figures in the painting. One action is represented on the walls, but it is shown is stages beginning on the northern wall, next to the entrance.

** 1) **** Reading of the Ritual **
A young man, who many have identified as Bacchus, reads the instructions for performing the rite from a papyrus.

** 2) **** The Sacrifice **
This portrays a maiden who is bringing a tray on which there are sacred offerings, while other women attend a purification ceremony.

** 3) **** Silenus **
This is an old Silenus-figure that is singing, accompanying himself on the lyre while a younger man plays pipes of Pan and a maiden offers her breast to a fawn.

** 4) **** Woman Terrified **
The beautiful face of a woman is a wonderful example of a realistic painting.

** 5) **** Group with Silenus and Satyrs **
While Silenus offers an amphora to a satyr, another satyr holds up a theatre mask.

** 6) **** Bacchus and Ariadne **
The two were united in marriage and are the symbol of happiness to be achieved by all those who are initiated into the sacred rite.

** 7) **** The “Mystica Vannus” **
A woman that is kneeling protects the “phallus”, symbol of fecundity, which is in a basket. Beside her is a winged figure with the “flagellum” in his hand.

** 8) **** The Flagellation **
The most dramatic and evocative painting is this one. A woman being flagellated is abandoned on the knees of her partner, while a possessed, Bacchant woman dances frantically.

= = =** The Temple of Apollo **= = = The grounds on which the Temple of Apollo stands had been sacred from as early as 6th century B.C., when the Greek cult of the Cumaean Apollo reached Pompeii. This temple was built towards 3rd century B.C. and consists of a portico with 48 Ionic columns, which were later transformed into Corinthian columns in the Nero era. Many different deities were worshipped in this temple. The third column of the portico is the statue of Apollo shooting an arrow opposite the statue of Diana. The original statue of Apollo is now in the J.P. Getty Museum in Malibu while there is a duplicate of the statue at the site in Pompeii. = =

=** References: **= Magi, Giovanna. //All Pompeii The city Rediscovered//. Firenze: Bonechi Editore, Print.

Maiuri, Amedeo. //Pompeii//. Novara: Istituto Geografico De Agostini, Print.

Zanker, Paul. //Pompeii Public and Private Life//. London: Harvard University Press, 1998. Print.

Andrews, Ian. //Pompeii//. London: Cambridge University Press, 1978. Print. = =