Secrets of Pompeii
The Italian town of Pompeii is best known for its destruction, caused by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, on August 24, 79 A.D. But there was so much more to this ancient seaside resort than the spectacular nature of its ending or the well-preserved bodies left behind. In fact, there's a lot more fascinating stuff. From vast villas to erotic art and extraordinary archaeological remnants, here are three reasons Pompeii still reigns primo.
When Rome got too hot and sticky - not to mention smelly - during the summer, the wealthy flocked to the towns on the Bay of Naples, including Pompeii, Baiae, and Herculaneum. Their vacation homes were splendid, containing sixty-meter swimming pools, gorgeous frescoes, and technologically advanced bathrooms. Some of the most striking surviving villas include the 32,000-square-foot House of the Faun, which includes the stunning Alexander Mosaic, which depicts either Alexander the Great’s battle at Issusagainst the Persian king Darius III, or the Battle at Gaugamela. Also at this villa is the home’s eponymous statue of a faun in the impluvium, a sunken pool.
Another such stunner is the House of the Vettii , which received its name from the signet rings from two brothers named Vettius found during the excavation. Its most breathtaking feature is its garden, a modern reconstruction of a beautiful open space that must have proved a welcome respite from the busy downtown of Pompeii two thousand years ago.
A different, but equally intriguing, villa was the so-called Villa of the Mysteries, with its titillating sexual frescoes complete with a nude woman about to be flogged. Scholars think this represents a woman about to be initiated into the mysteries of Bacchus, god of wine and revelry. Other frescoes depict ecstasy and ritual at its finest, making this one must-see stop on any trip to Pompeii.
The great writer Pliny the Elder died exploring the eruption of Vesuvius and helping save people. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, tells us about his uncle’s last adventure in a surviving letter to the historian Tacitus. This sheds light on the final hours of Pompeii, providing an invaluable contemporary account of the matter, as well as the death of one of Rome’s most famous authors.
At the time, Pliny Sr. (P.S.) was at the coastal town of Miseum, writes Pliny Junior (P.J.), “in his capacity as commander of the fleet," “when between two and three in the afternoon my mother drew his attention to a cloud of unusual size and appearance.” It looked like a pine tree, and “the sight of it made the scientist in my uncle determined to see it from closer at hand.”
While going to investigate, P.S. got a letter from a friend’s wife asking for help, so he changed tactics. “The expedition that started out as a quest for knowledge now called for courage,” recalled P.J., adding, “Was he afraid? It seems not, as he kept up a continuous observation of the various movements and shapes of that evil cloud, dictating what he saw.”
Ash and pumice began to fall, but he went to go help another friend named Pomponianus at Stabiae. “Meanwhile, broad sheets of flame were lighting up many parts of Vesuvius; their light and brightness were the more vivid for the darkness of the night,” Pliny Jr. said. He noted, “The buildings were being rocked by a series of strong tremors, and appeared to have come loose from their foundations and to be sliding this way and that.”
Dark descended and Pliny Sr. and pals put pillows over their heads, going down to the seashore rather than staying inside. As the air became increasingly contaminated, P.S. collapsed because “his breathing was obstructed by the dust-laden air, and his innards, which were never strong and often blocked or upset, simply shut down.” His body was found two days later.
How did Pliny the Younger survive? Another letter to Tacitus recounts P.J.’s journey and the terrified masses crying for help. Eventually, though, the sky cleared, and “the sight that met our still terrified eyes was a changed world, buried in ash like snow.” P,J. added, “We still refused to go until we heard news of my uncle, although we had felt danger and expected more.” Perhaps he got some of the in-depth details of P.S.’s final day from some of his surviving companions.
Who knew the ancients loved scrawling things on walls? Well, if you’ve ever popped by Pompeii, you will have seen some of antiquity’s greatest graffiti, ranging from political propaganda and dirty cartoons about ancient philosophers to obscene autographs and announcements for big events, leaving a fascinating record of everyday life in this seaside town. Thanks to Vesuvius, ancient walls were preserved in ash up to twenty feet high, making sure whatever was written on them survived millennia.
Unfortunately, since excavations began in the nineteenth century, over ninety percent of inscriptions have fallen victim to weather exposure, so early scholars’ chronicles and copies have proven invaluable. Excellent work has been done on the ideas of literature and authorship of these graffiti - but perhaps the most fun are the raunchy writings themselves.
-On the wall of a brothel-cum-bar, one frequent customer laments, “Weep, you girls. My penis has given you up. Now it penetrates men’s behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!”
-At the gladiator barracks, a soldier makes sure he was remembered: “Floronius, privileged soldier of the Seventh Legion, was here. The women did not know of his presence. Only six women came to know, too few for such a stallion.”
-Even the wealthy scrawled a memento or two. Someone claiming to be an imperial physician chronicles a good toilet session: “Apollinaris, the doctor of the emperor Titus, defecated well here.”
-Graffiti writers even poked fun at themselves. One says, “I admire you, wall, for not having collapsed at having to carry the tedious scribblings of so many writers.”
1. It Had Some of the Best Real Estate in the Ancient World
When Rome got too hot and sticky - not to mention smelly - during the summer, the wealthy flocked to the towns on the Bay of Naples, including Pompeii, Baiae, and Herculaneum. Their vacation homes were splendid, containing sixty-meter swimming pools, gorgeous frescoes, and technologically advanced bathrooms. Some of the most striking surviving villas include the 32,000-square-foot House of the Faun, which includes the stunning Alexander Mosaic, which depicts either Alexander the Great’s battle at Issusagainst the Persian king Darius III, or the Battle at Gaugamela. Also at this villa is the home’s eponymous statue of a faun in the impluvium, a sunken pool.
Another such stunner is the House of the Vettii , which received its name from the signet rings from two brothers named Vettius found during the excavation. Its most breathtaking feature is its garden, a modern reconstruction of a beautiful open space that must have proved a welcome respite from the busy downtown of Pompeii two thousand years ago.
A different, but equally intriguing, villa was the so-called Villa of the Mysteries, with its titillating sexual frescoes complete with a nude woman about to be flogged. Scholars think this represents a woman about to be initiated into the mysteries of Bacchus, god of wine and revelry. Other frescoes depict ecstasy and ritual at its finest, making this one must-see stop on any trip to Pompeii.
2. Pompeii's Destruction is Chronicled in a Contemporary Literary Account
The great writer Pliny the Elder died exploring the eruption of Vesuvius and helping save people. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, tells us about his uncle’s last adventure in a surviving letter to the historian Tacitus. This sheds light on the final hours of Pompeii, providing an invaluable contemporary account of the matter, as well as the death of one of Rome’s most famous authors.
At the time, Pliny Sr. (P.S.) was at the coastal town of Miseum, writes Pliny Junior (P.J.), “in his capacity as commander of the fleet," “when between two and three in the afternoon my mother drew his attention to a cloud of unusual size and appearance.” It looked like a pine tree, and “the sight of it made the scientist in my uncle determined to see it from closer at hand.”
While going to investigate, P.S. got a letter from a friend’s wife asking for help, so he changed tactics. “The expedition that started out as a quest for knowledge now called for courage,” recalled P.J., adding, “Was he afraid? It seems not, as he kept up a continuous observation of the various movements and shapes of that evil cloud, dictating what he saw.”
Ash and pumice began to fall, but he went to go help another friend named Pomponianus at Stabiae. “Meanwhile, broad sheets of flame were lighting up many parts of Vesuvius; their light and brightness were the more vivid for the darkness of the night,” Pliny Jr. said. He noted, “The buildings were being rocked by a series of strong tremors, and appeared to have come loose from their foundations and to be sliding this way and that.”
Dark descended and Pliny Sr. and pals put pillows over their heads, going down to the seashore rather than staying inside. As the air became increasingly contaminated, P.S. collapsed because “his breathing was obstructed by the dust-laden air, and his innards, which were never strong and often blocked or upset, simply shut down.” His body was found two days later.
How did Pliny the Younger survive? Another letter to Tacitus recounts P.J.’s journey and the terrified masses crying for help. Eventually, though, the sky cleared, and “the sight that met our still terrified eyes was a changed world, buried in ash like snow.” P,J. added, “We still refused to go until we heard news of my uncle, although we had felt danger and expected more.” Perhaps he got some of the in-depth details of P.S.’s final day from some of his surviving companions.
3. The Walls of Pompeii Contain Salacious Graffiti
Who knew the ancients loved scrawling things on walls? Well, if you’ve ever popped by Pompeii, you will have seen some of antiquity’s greatest graffiti, ranging from political propaganda and dirty cartoons about ancient philosophers to obscene autographs and announcements for big events, leaving a fascinating record of everyday life in this seaside town. Thanks to Vesuvius, ancient walls were preserved in ash up to twenty feet high, making sure whatever was written on them survived millennia.
Unfortunately, since excavations began in the nineteenth century, over ninety percent of inscriptions have fallen victim to weather exposure, so early scholars’ chronicles and copies have proven invaluable. Excellent work has been done on the ideas of literature and authorship of these graffiti - but perhaps the most fun are the raunchy writings themselves.
-On the wall of a brothel-cum-bar, one frequent customer laments, “Weep, you girls. My penis has given you up. Now it penetrates men’s behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!”
-At the gladiator barracks, a soldier makes sure he was remembered: “Floronius, privileged soldier of the Seventh Legion, was here. The women did not know of his presence. Only six women came to know, too few for such a stallion.”
-Even the wealthy scrawled a memento or two. Someone claiming to be an imperial physician chronicles a good toilet session: “Apollinaris, the doctor of the emperor Titus, defecated well here.”
-Graffiti writers even poked fun at themselves. One says, “I admire you, wall, for not having collapsed at having to carry the tedious scribblings of so many writers.”
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