Recent discovery
A well harnessed horse along with two more horses have been
recently discovered on December 23,2018. Archaeologists
have unearthed the petrified remains of the horse and saddle in
the stable of an ancient villa in a Pompeii suburb. the horse likely
belonged to a high-ranking military officer, possibly a general, or
a high-ranking military magistrate.
After the animals died and were buried in ash, their bodies
decomposed, leaving impressions in the hardened ash.
Archaeologists filled the voids with plaster, then removed the
surrounding ash to see what had been there. This discovery has
unleashed a new prediction. Archaeologists have predicted that
the eruption might have surprised the people while they were
preparing to make their escape .
POMPEII
Pompeii was a vibrant town of the roman empire which was
buried under the ash of Mount Vesuvius. The town was
excavated in the 19th and 20th century CE and due to its
excellent state of preservation it has given an invaluable insight
into the Roman world and may lay claim to being the richest
archaeological site in the world in terms of the sheer volume of
data available to scholars.
LOCATION
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was located in what is now
the Campania region of Italy, southeast of Naples. It was at the
southeastern base of Mount Vesuvius and was built on a spur
formed by a prehistoric lava flow to the north of the mouth of
the Sarnus (modern Sarno) River. Pompeii was destroyed by
the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE.
History of Pompeii
The area was originally settled in the Bronze Age. The site of
Pompeii and the surrounding area offered the twin advantages
of a favourable climate and rich volcanic soil which allowed for
the blossoming of agricultural activity, particularly olives and
grapes.
in Greek mythology, a hint at the volcano’s power was found in
the legend that Hercules had here fought giants in a fiery
landscape. Indeed, the nearby town Herculaneum, which would
suffer the same fate as Pompeii, was named after this heroic
episode.
Greeks established colonies in Campania in the 8th century
BCE and the Etruscans were also present until they were
defeated by Syracusan and local Greeks at the battle of Cumae
in 474 BCE.
Villa of mysteries
This is the most famous country villa in the whole area around
Mount Vesuvius . The villa owes its fame to the extraordinary
wall paintings in the triclinium which make up an almost
photographic sequence of theatrical scenes. The building can
be divided into two areas. The main area is exclusively
residential and was built in the 2nd century B.C. with the sole
purpose of providing a luxurious and comfortable place in which
to live.
The other part is linked to the villa’s role as a working farm and
hence was built with a view to accommodating the produce of
the surrounding countryside. In the farm area, on the right of
the main entrance, archaeologists found the wine-press that
was situated in the rooms were the wine was made. On the
opposite side of the peristyle are the kitchens, two ovens in the
courtyard and a large lavatory. Beyond the kitchen courtyard
we find a bath-house dating from the pre-Roman era which was
subsequently used as store rooms
The fresco images you will see in the Villa of Mysteries seem to
part of a ritual ceremony aimed at preparing privileged,
protected girls for the psychological transition to life as married
women. The frescoes in the Villa of Mysteries provide us the
opportunity to glimpse something important about the rites of
passage for the women of Pompeii. But as there are few written
records about mystery religions and initiation rites, any
iconographic interpretation is bound to be flawed. In the end we
are left with the wonderful frescoes and the mystery.
Nevertheless, an interpretation is offered, see if you agree or
disagree.
Amphitheatre
The amphitheatre at Pompeii is the earliest known
permanent stone amphitheatre in Italy (and the rest of
the Roman world). It was constructed after 70 BC, and
belongs to the period of the Roman conquest and
colonisation of the town.
An inscription reveals that two local officials, Quinctius
Valgus and Marcius Porcius built the amphitheatre at
private expense. These men would have expected this
act to enhance their personal power and prestige, and
we know from graffiti found throughout the town that
gladiatorial games were extremely popular.
The amphitheatre could seat around 20,000 people,
and served not only Pompeii but also the inhabitants of
surrounding towns. In AD 59, there was a riot in the
amphitheatre, in which spectators from Pompeii and
the nearby town of Nuceria fought each other, with the
result that the Emperor Nero banned games at Pompeii
for a period of ten years.
Interesting Facts about the City of Pompeii
The eruption occurred one day after the religious festival
to Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
The amount of energy released by the eruption was
roughly one hundred thousands times the thermal energy
released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
The nearby city of Herculaneum was also destroyed.
Archeologists found holes in the ashes that were once the
bodies of people that were buried in the eruption. By
pouring plaster into these holes, scientists have been able
to make detailed casts of many of the citizens of Pompeii.
The recovered city of Pompeii is one of the most popular
tourist attractions in Italy.
The city was located around 5 miles from Mount Vesuvius.
House of Menander
House of Menander
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The large, well-preserved House of Menander belonged to a
wealthy merchant who gave notice of his status right at the
entrance, which is flanked by pillars with Corinthian capitals.
The well-preserved atrium has a little temple in one corner and
an intact wooden roof that extends out to the center opening,
where water drained to collect in the pool below. Interior rooms
are decorated with scenes from Homer's Iliad,and the peristyle
is surrounded by a beautiful painted colonnade. Adjoining this
is the charming little House of the Lovers, named for an
inscription that translates "lovers, like bees, wish life to be as
sweet as honey." Farther along Via dell'Abbondanza, on the
left, is the Thermopolium, a tavern fully equipped with drinking
vessels, a kettle, a stove, and a lamp; the last customer's
money is still on the counter.
House of the Vettii
House of the Vettii John McLinden / photo modified
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The House of the Vettii in the Vicolo di Mercurio is one of the
most interesting in Pompeii. This was the home of two well-off
middle-class brothers, and it shows that it was not just the
aristocracy who lived well in elegantly decorated homes. This
house has some of the best frescoes, as well as a peristyle that
still has its original marble decoration, and whose garden has
been replanted, so you can see what it looked like when people
lived here. The kitchen still contains its cooking utensils. From
their style, art historians think that the fresco painting in the
interior was done after the devastating earthquake of AD 62.
The most famous of the frescoes are in the triclinium, where
they completely cover the walls in faux panels with mythological
scenes and a long frieze of cupids. The colours are especially
intense. The walls under the colonnade of the peristyle are also
painted to imitate panels.
