Report on the city of Pompeii. The death of Pompeii - little-known facts about the tragedy of the ancient city. Maps and medieval sources

Throughout its history, humanity has experienced many disasters. However, the most famous of them is the death of Pompeii. History introduces us to numerous facts of this disaster, which happened in 79 in Italy. Here, in the very center of the state, the Vesuvius volcano erupted. And although it can hardly be called the most powerful, this event shocked many people who firmly believe in the exclusivity of their homeland. After all, as a result of the eruption, a large prosperous city - Pompeii - was destroyed. What people have experienced can be compared to the disaster when the Twin Towers in the United States were destroyed as a result of a terrorist attack. And this despite the fact that the time distance between these two tragedies was 1922.

Interest for archaeologists

What was Pompeii like? It was one of the most beautiful cities of antiquity, thanks to which we can most fully learn about how the Romans lived in those days. At the site where Pompeii stood, interesting artifacts are still preserved that testify to how majestic this settlement was. Houses and neighborhoods, temples and frescoes... All this remained practically untouched, since for two millennia after the disaster it was under the ashes. Visiting the ruins of this ancient settlement is luck for any archaeologist

The emergence of the city

When did Pompeii appear? The history of the great city dates back to the 4th century. BC e. It was then that a settlement was founded in the Naples area. Later, this settlement annexed five small villages and became a single administrative entity. It belonged to the Etruscans, those same ancient tribes whose culture later formed the basis of the culture of the Romans.

What is the further history of Pompeii (briefly)? By the end of the 5th century. BC e. the city was captured by the Samnites. And a century later, Pompeii began to ally with the Roman Republic. However, such connections were nothing more than a formality. Cities like Pompeii were considered by the Senate of Rome only from a consumer perspective. Their citizens served in the army of the great state, but were deprived in many material matters, in particular those related to the right to public lands. This was the reason for the birth of the uprising.

However, the protests of the citizens of Pompeii were suppressed. In 89 BC. e. Troops entered the city, declaring it a Roman colony. Pompeii lost its independence forever. However, the city residents did not even feel such changes. For the entire ninety years remaining in the history of the city, they continued to live a free and prosperous life on land that was fertile, near the sea and in a mild climate. They were not affected by the civil war, in which Caesar and Pompey took an active part. The history of the city indicates its active development until the tragedy that occurred.

Neighboring settlements

Not far from Pompeii was Herculaneum. This is a city in which retired legionnaires settled, as well as slaves who bought their freedom. Still not far from Pompeii was the city of Stabiae. It was a favorite place of the Roman nouveau riche. Wonderful villas were built on its territory, which delighted with their luxury and were literally buried in greenery. At some distance from them there were houses where poor people lived - servants, traders, artisans. They all made their living by providing for the needs of rich people.

The history of the death of the city of Pompeii is directly related to Herculaneum and Stabiae. They, too, were buried under the ash erupting from Vesuvius. Of all the residents, only those who abandoned their property and left at the very beginning of the eruption were saved. By doing this, people were able to save the lives of themselves and their loved ones.

Infrastructure

The history of Pompeii, since the formation of the city, was characterized by the construction of a huge number of buildings. Construction was especially active in the last three centuries before the tragedy broke out. Among the infrastructure facilities are:

  • a huge amphitheater with twenty thousand seats;
  • The Bolshoi Theater, which accommodated 5 thousand spectators;
  • Maly theater, designed for 1.5 thousand people.

A large number of temples were also erected in the city, which were dedicated to various gods. The center of Pompeii was decorated with a square - the forum. This is the territory formed from public buildings, where the main trade and political life of the settlement took place. The streets of the city were straight and intersected each other perpendicularly.

Communications

The city had its own water supply. It was carried out using an aqueduct. This device was a large tray standing on supports. The city was supplied with life-giving moisture from mountain springs. After the aqueduct, the water flowed into a large reservoir, and from it, through a system of pipes, into the houses of wealthy citizens.

Public fountains operated for the common people. Pipes from a common reservoir were also connected to them.

The baths built in the city were also extremely popular. People not only washed themselves in them, but also communicated and discussed commercial and social news.

Production

Bread in Pompeii was produced by its own bakeries. There was also textile production in the city. It was at a fairly high level for that time.

Volcano neighborhood

What about Vesuvius? Yes, this volcano is active. It is located just 15 km from Naples. Its height is 1280 m. Historians and scientists claim that it used to be twice as high. However, the events of 79 destroyed most of the volcano.
Throughout its history, Vesuvius has had 80 major eruptions. But, according to archaeologists, until 79 the volcano was not active for 15 centuries.

Why, despite the existing danger, was Pompeii built in this very place, the history of which ended so sadly? The fact is that people were attracted to this territory by its fertile soil. And they did not pay attention to the real threat posed by the crater next to them.

Predecessors of the tragedy

Pompeii, one of the oldest cities in Italy, felt the tremors of a powerful earthquake in 62. There is practically not a single building left intact. Some of the structures were completely destroyed.

An earthquake and an eruption are the same geological process, only expressed in different forms. However, the inhabitants of the Roman Empire at that time did not yet know about this. They firmly believed that their beautiful city would stand for centuries.

Without having time to recover from the consequences of these disturbances in the bowels of the earth, Pompeii experienced a whole series of new tremors. They occurred the day before the eruption of Vesuvius, which occurred in 79. It was this event that led to the fact that the history of Pompeii came to an end. Of course, people did not connect the tremors of the earth’s interior with the volcano.

In addition, shortly before the disaster, the water temperature of the Gulf of Naples increased sharply. In some places it even reached boiling point. All the wells and streams located on the slopes of Vesuvius turned out to be dry. The depths of the mountain began to emit eerie sounds, reminiscent of prolonged groans. All this also indicated that the history of the city of Pompeii would change dramatically.

Death of the city

What was Pompeii's last day like? History can briefly describe it thanks to the available records of the political figure of those times, Pliny the Younger. The disaster began at two o'clock in the afternoon on August 24, 1979. A white cloud with brown spots appeared above Vesuvius. It quickly gained its size and, rising in height, began to spread in all directions. The soil near the volcano began to move. Continuous tremors were felt, and a terrible roar was heard from the depths.

Soil vibrations were felt even in the city of Miseno, located 30 kilometers from the volcano. It was in this locality that Pliny the Younger was located. According to his notes, the tremors were so strong that statues and houses seemed to be destroyed, being thrown from side to side.

At this time, a gas stream continued to burst out of the volcano. She, possessing incredible strength, carried a huge number of pieces of pumice out of the crater. The debris rose to a height of about twenty kilometers. And this continued throughout the 10-11 hours of the eruption.

Death of people

It is believed that about two thousand people were unable to escape from Pompeii. This is approximately a tenth of the city's total population. The rest probably managed to escape. Consequently, the catastrophe that struck did not take the Pompeians by surprise. This information was obtained by scientists from Pliny's letters. However, it is not possible to know the exact number of deaths. The fact is that archaeologists discovered human remains even outside the city.

The history of Pompeii, compiled by researchers, suggests that, according to existing data, the number of deaths is sixteen thousand people. These are residents not only of the city described, but also of Herculaneum, as well as Stabiae.

People fled to the harbor in panic. They hoped to escape by leaving the dangerous area by sea. This is confirmed by excavations by archaeologists who discovered many human remains on the coast. But, most likely, the ships did not have time or simply could not accommodate everyone.

Among the residents of Pompeii there were those who hoped to sit out in closed rooms or in remote cellars. Afterwards, however, they tried to get out, but it was too late.

The next stage of the eruption

What happened next to the city of Pompeii? History, written on the basis of these chronicles, suggests that explosions in the crater of the volcano occurred with some interval. This allowed many residents to retreat to a safe distance. Only slaves remained in the city, playing the role of guards of the master's property, and those residents who did not want to leave their farms.

The situation has worsened. At night the next stage of the eruption began. Flames began to erupt from Vesuvius. The next morning, hot lava flowed from the crater. It was she who killed those residents who remained in the city. Around 6 o'clock in the morning, ash began to fall from the sky. At the same time, “balls” of pumice began to cover the ground, covering Pompeii and Stabia with a thick layer. This nightmare lasted for three hours.

Researchers believe that the energy of Vesuvius that day was many times greater than that released during the atomic explosion in Hiroshima. The people who remained in the city rushed through the streets. They tried to escape, but quickly lost strength and fell, covering their heads with their hands in despair.

How did the death of Pompeii occur? Little-known facts that were published relatively recently tell us that the pyroclastic hydrothermal flows that poured into the city reached temperatures of 700 degrees. It was they who brought horror and death with them. When hot water was mixed with ash, a mass was formed, enveloping everything that came in its way. People trying to escape from imminent death fell exhausted, and were immediately covered with ash. They suffocated, dying in terrible agony. This fact of the history of Pompeii is confirmed by convulsively clenched hands with clenched fingers, faces distorted in horror and mouths open in a silent scream. This is exactly how the townspeople died.

Casts of the bodies of the dead

As a result of the eruption of Vesuvius, volcanic rocks buried the entire area. The lower layer of this layer, the thickness of which reaches 7 m, consists of small pieces of plasma and stones. Afterwards there is a layer of ash. Its thickness is 2 m. The total layer of volcanic rocks averaged 9 m. But in some places it was much larger.

Archaeologists discovered the bulk of the inhabitants of Pompeii in the upper layer of volcanic rocks. The remains lay in solidified lava for almost 2 thousand years. If you look at the photograph presented above, you can see the position of the bodies taken at the moment of death, as well as the expression of agony and horror on the faces of the doomed. These are plaster casts made by archaeologists. At the sites where the Pompeians died, voids formed in the solidified lava due to the dense mass formed from water and ash that tightly adhered to the people. This composition has dried and hardened. At the same time, facial features and folds of clothing, body prints and even small wrinkles remained on him. By filling these voids with plaster, scientists were able to create very realistic and accurate casts. Despite the fact that the bodies themselves have long since become dust, looking at these photos is still creepy. These figures clearly convey the horror and despair that the inhabitants of Pompeii had to experience.

What do we know about the ancient city of Pompeii? History tells us that once this prosperous city instantly died with all its inhabitants under the lava of an awakened volcano. In fact, the history of Pompeii is very interesting and filled with a lot of details.

Founding of Pompeii

Pompeii is one of the oldest Roman cities, which is located in the province of Naples in the Campania region. On one side is the coast (which was previously called Kumansky), and on the other is the Sarn River (in ancient times).

How was Pompeii founded? The history of the city says that it was founded by the ancient Oska tribe back in the 7th century BC. These facts are confirmed by fragments of the Temple of Apollo and the Doric Temple, the architecture of which corresponds to the period when Pompeii was founded. The city stood right at the intersection of several routes - to Nola, Stabia and Cumae.

Wars and Subjugation

The first harbinger of the impending disaster was the earthquake that occurred on February 5, 63 BC.

Seneca noted in one of his works that since Campania was a seismically active zone, such an earthquake was not uncommon for it. And earthquakes had happened before, but their strength was very small, the residents simply got used to them. But this time expectations exceeded all expectations.

Then in three neighboring cities - Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples - buildings were greatly damaged. The destruction was such that over the next 16 years the houses could not be completely restored. Throughout 16 years, active restoration work, reconstruction, and cosmetic repairs were carried out. There were also plans to erect several new buildings, for example, the Central Baths, which could not be completed before the death of Pompeii.

Death of Pompeii. The first day

Residents tried to restore Pompeii. The history of the death of the city indicates that the disaster began in 79 BC, on the afternoon of August 24 and lasted 2 days. The eruption of what was until then thought to be a dormant volcano destroyed everything. Then not only Pompeii, but also three more cities - Stabiae, Oplontia and Herculaneum - perished under the lava.

During the day, a cloud consisting of ash and steam appeared above the volcano, but no one paid much attention to it. A little later, a cloud covered the sky over the entire city, and flakes of ash began to settle on the streets.

The tremors coming from underground continued. Gradually they intensified to such an extent that carts overturned and finishing materials fell off houses. Along with the ashes, stones then began to fall from the sky.

The streets and houses of the city were filled with suffocating sulfur fumes; many people were simply suffocating in their homes.

Many tried to leave the cities with valuables, while others, who were unable to leave their property, died in the ruins of their homes. The products of the volcanic eruption overtook people both in public places and outside the city. But still, most of the inhabitants were able to leave Pompeii. History confirms this fact.

Death of Pompeii. Second day

The next day, the air in the city became hot, and the volcano itself erupted, destroying with lava all living things, all buildings and property of people. After the eruption there was a lot of ash that covered the entire city, the thickness of the ash layer reached 3 meters.

After the disaster, a special commission arrived at the scene of events, which stated the “death” of the city and that it could not be restored. Then it was still possible to meet people on what was left of the streets of the former city who were trying to find their property.

Along with Pompeii, other cities perished. But they were discovered only thanks to the discovery of Herculaneum. This second city, also located at the foot of Vesuvius, did not die from lava and ash. After the eruption, the volcano, like the affected cities, was covered with a three-meter layer of stones and ash, which hung menacingly like an avalanche that could fall at any moment.

And soon after the eruption, heavy rain began, which carried away a thick layer of ash from the slopes of the volcano and a thick layer of water with dust and stones fell directly on Herculaneum. The depth of the stream was 15 meters, so the city was buried alive under the flow from Vesuvius.

How Pompeii was found

Stories and stories about the terrible events of that year have long been passed on from generation to generation. But several centuries later, people lost the idea of ​​where the lost city of Pompeii was located. The history of the death of this city gradually began to lose facts. People lived their own lives. Even in those cases when people found the remains of ancient buildings, for example, while digging wells, no one could even think that these were parts of the ancient city of Pompeii. The history of excavations began only in the 18th century and is indirectly connected with the name of Maria Amalia Christina.

She was the daughter of King Augustus of Saxony the Third, who left the Dresden court after her marriage to Charles of Bourbon. Charles was king of the Two Sicilies.

The current queen was in love with art and examined the halls of the palace, parks and her other possessions with great interest. And one day she drew attention to the sculptures that were previously found before the last eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Some of these statues were found by chance, while others were found at the instigation of General d'Elbeuf. Queen Mary was so amazed by the beauty of the sculptures that she asked her husband to find new ones for her.

The last time Vesuvius erupted was in 1737. During this incident, part of its top flew into the air, leaving the slope exposed. Since the volcano had not been active for a year and a half, the king agreed to begin searching for sculptures. And they started from the place where the general had once finished his search.

Search for statues

Excavations took place with great difficulties, since it was necessary to destroy a thick (15 meters) layer of hardened lava. For this, the king used special tools, gunpowder, and the strength of workers. Eventually the workers came across something metallic in the man-made shafts. Thus, three large fragments of gigantic bronze horses were found.

After this, it was decided to seek help from a specialist. For this, Marquis Marcello Venuti, who was the keeper of the royal library, was invited. Further, three more marble statues of Romans in togas, the body of a bronze horse, and painted columns were found.

Discovery of Herculaneum

At that moment it became clear that there would be even more to come. The royal couple, arriving at the excavation site on December 22, 1738, examined the discovered staircase and the inscription stating that a certain Rufus built the Theatrum Herculanense theater at his own expense. Experts continued excavations because they knew that the theater signified the presence of a city. There were many statues that were carried by the water current to the back wall of the theater. This is how Herculaneum was discovered. Thanks to this find, it was possible to organize a museum that had no equal at that time.

But Pompeii was located at a shallower depth than Herculaneum. And the king, after consulting with the head of his technical team, decided to move the excavations, taking into account the scientists’ notes regarding the location of the city of Pompeii. History celebrated all memorable events with the hands of scientists.

Excavations of Pompeii

So, the search for Pompeii began on April 1, 1748. After 5 days, the first fragment of a wall painting was found, and on April 19, the remains of a man were found, from whose hands several silver coins rolled out. This was the city center of Pompeii. Unfortunately, not realizing the importance of the find, experts decided that they needed to look elsewhere and filled up this place.

A little later, an amphitheater and a villa were found, which was later called the House of Cicero. The walls of this building were beautifully painted and decorated with frescoes. All art objects were confiscated, and the villa was immediately filled back up.

After this, the excavations and the history of Pompeii were abandoned for 4 years, attention turned to Herculaneum, where a house with a library “Villa dei Papiri” was found.

In 1754, experts again returned to the excavations of the city of Pompeii, to its southern part, where an ancient wall and the remains of several graves were found. Since then, excavations of the city of Pompeii have been actively undertaken.

Pompeii: an alternative history of the city

Today there is still an opinion that the year of the death of Pompeii is a fiction, based on a letter that allegedly describes the volcanic eruption, to Tacitus. Here questions arise about why in these letters Pliny does not mention either the names of the cities of Pompeii or Herculaneum, or the fact that it was there that the uncle of Pliny the Elder lived, who died in Pompeii.

Some scientists refute the fact that the disaster occurred precisely in 79 BC, due to the fact that in various sources one can find information about 11 eruptions that occurred in the period from 202 to 1140 AD (after the incident that destroyed Pompeii). And the next eruption dates back only to 1631, after which the volcano remained active until 1944. As we see, the facts indicate that the volcano, which was active, fell asleep for 500 years.

Pompeii in the modern world

The history of the city of Herculaneum and the history of Pompeii remain very interesting today. Photos, videos and various scientific materials can be found in the library or on the Internet. Many historians are still trying to solve the mystery of the ancient city and study its culture as much as possible.

Many artists, including K. Bryullov, in addition to their other works, depicted the last day of Pompeii. The story is that in 1828 K. Bryullov visited the excavation sites and even then made sketches. In the period from 1830 to 1833, his artistic masterpiece was created.

Today the city has been restored as much as possible, it is one of the most famous cultural monuments (on par with the Colosseum or Venice). The city has not yet been completely excavated, but many buildings are available for inspection. You can walk along the streets of the city and admire the beauty that is more than 2000 years old!

In 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, killing about 20,000 people. An entire city was wiped off the face of the earth. Excavations at Pompeii continue today.

On August 24, 79, as a result of the eruption of Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the European continent, an entire city disappeared. The death of Pompeii is called by some as retribution for an immoral lifestyle, drawing a parallel with Sodom and Gomorrah - the biblical cities destroyed at the behest of God for their sins. In 1748, systematic excavations began, as a result, almost the entire city, buried under a layer of volcanic dust and mud, rose to the top. The fall of Pompeii resulted in eternal life. Today, only a quarter of the city remains unexplored.

Story

Figure 1. For 250 years, Pompeii remains the most popular tourist destination in Italy

Pompeii is an ancient city founded in the 6th century BC at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. It was a busy shopping center. The close proximity to the Sarno River made it possible to access the Gulf of Naples, which was practically the only deep-water place off the coast of Italy. This made the port an important strategic point.

In 89 BC the city lost its independence and became a Roman colony. According to rough estimates, the number of townspeople was approximately 20 thousand people. A logical question arises: why build a settlement in close proximity to a volcano? The fact is that Vesuvius did not show any activity and was considered extinct for a long time. No observations were made of him. Meanwhile, through his fault, three whole cities were destroyed:

  • Pompeii;
  • Herculaneum;
  • Stabiae.

Interesting! 20 years before the fateful event, an earthquake occurred that destroyed several nearby small settlements. Having rebuilt the destroyed buildings, people forgot about it, and life quickly returned to its previous rut.

Death of the city


Figure 2. Archaeologists managed to create plaster casts of disaster victims

It is believed that Pompeii was destroyed in August 79. Historians, dating this event, rely on a letter from Pliny the Younger to Tacitus, where, at his request, he describes the terrible day of the death of the city. Recent archaeological finds refute this fact. An inscription made with charcoal was found on the wall of one of the houses, which gives every reason to believe that the disaster occurred in October.

According to the official version, on the afternoon of August 24, Vesuvius began to show activity. Tremors began, but no one connected them with the threat of an eruption. They were simply ignored until it was too late.

When the eruption began, a huge cloud of hot stones and dust rose above the ground to a height of about 33 kilometers. Stones began to fall down and people tried to escape. The violent eruption pushed out millions of tons of different rocks. An infernal mixture called a pyroclastic flow rushed from the mountain on a cushion of air, sweeping away everything in its path. After the collapse of the stream, an avalanche of stones formed. Its top layer consisted of clouds of hot gas, dust and ash.

Interesting information about Vesuvius:

  • it is the only active volcano on the European mainland;
  • According to experts, its age is 17,000 years;
  • during its existence it erupted about 100 times;
  • in 1979, the thermal energy released by the volcano was 100,000 times greater than the energy from the bomb dropped on Hiroshima!

If you believe the documents, the destruction occurred over several days. And every time the residents treated the next manifestations of danger too frivolously. Pompeii only became truly worried on the second day after the awakening of the volcano, when ash began to fall from the sky, thickly covering the roofs of houses and vegetation. At the same time, the poisonous smell of sulfur appeared and intensified.

For 18-20 hours, a hot mass of water and ash enveloped everything that was in its path, stones continued to fall from the sky, and the volcano did not stop erupting.

People tried to save their lives by taking refuge in their houses, but either died under the rubble or suffocated from gas poisoning. Two days later it was all over. Three cities were buried under a thick layer of ash.

BBC film Pompeii

Excavations of the city


Figure 3. A quarter of the city remains buried under 8 meters of volcanic ash.

Vesuvius destroyed, but at the same time preserved the ancient city for posterity. Today Pompeii is the largest archaeological park in the world, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. For 250 years it has been the most popular tourist route.

Volcano Vesuvius and the Death of Pompeii. Who hasn't heard about this tragedy? The last day of the townspeople is scheduled literally to the minute. However, these minutes were in a completely different era.

Usually, new scientific truths win not in such a way that their opponents are convinced and they admit they are wrong, but for the most part in such a way that these opponents gradually die out, and the younger generation assimilates the truth immediately.Mark Plank

The time has come when critics of the New Chronology (NC) are making attempts to restore historical justice - the return of the famous Pompeii to 79 AD.

The fact is that in recent decades, not only individual evidence of the later death of Pompeii and Herculaneum has been discovered, but also special works have been created that clearly show that the ancient Roman cities were buried under the lavas of Vesuvius not in the 1st, but in the 17th century AD. X.

In order to kill any theory, it is enough to find at least a single contradiction in it, and in the modern scientific paradigm there are so many of them that they have already turned it into a banal pseudoscience based on manipulation and adjustments.

In historical science, as in any other, an important element of argumentation should be the logic of the progressive development of events.

In the history of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, this is the principle of the justified formation and promotion of technologies inherent in these eras and the development of corresponding infrastructures in them.

As always, historians dated the death of the supposedly very ancient Pompeii to distant antiquity, in the year 79. Even the exact date has been announced - August 24! On what basis was this done?

Historians have two versions of this.

The first says that Pompeii was founded by certain Osci in the 6th century BC e., and the name of the city itself from the local dialect means the number five, which should indicate the formation of Pompeii as a result of the merger of five settlements.

The second version tells about an ancient legend existing in Italy, according to which the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were founded by the ancient Greek hero Hercules, who defeated the giant Geryon.

Of course, you can believe in anything, even in ancient Greek heroes and fairy-tale giants. And we know, both from historiography and from religion, how people of even very remarkable intelligence, like shrimp for live bait, really easily found themselves in the clutches of the most primitive and deceitful ideologists. But isn't it time to throw away the old tales of the past and look at things with sober eyes?

We will show that the famous death of Pompeii has no relation to ancient times. We already know from previous publications that the territory of the Apennine Peninsula, which now belongs to modern Italy, was not inhabited by any advanced civilization either in the 1st century AD, to which the death of Pompeii is attributed, or even in the 12th century.

The first more or less “civilized” tribes in the lands of Italy, named by Italian historians Etruscans, date back to the 13-14th century A.D. Many magnificent, unique monuments of this ancient people have been preserved.

Even the famous Roman She-Wolf feeding Romulus and Remus, and many other ancient monuments, are by no means achievements of the ancient Roman Italians, as the layman, deceived by historians, thinks, but genuine cultural achievements Etruscans.

Note that all ancient archeology discovered in the last 400 years in Italy is deliberately dated by European historians to a much later time than it actually is.

In order to keep afloat the idea of ​​​​the deep antiquity of Italy (the famous ancient Rome, the Papal Vatican, and the Roman Empire as a whole), historians are forced to constantly fuel the myths they themselves once composed about the very deep antiquity of the ancient Italians.

Which, presumably, is important not only for the prestige of Italy itself in the eyes of the world community, but also for more mundane matters - thus luring an inexhaustible flow of tourists to “historical” places.

That is why any newly discovered “ancient” artifacts on the peninsula are so easily attributed to ancient eras, classified according to the so-called precedent sign.

Let's say, if earlier in a certain Florentine Tuscany or somewhere in French Brittany the coins found there already dated back to, say, the 6th century BC. e., then, therefore, any other similar coins excavated anywhere in Europe should give the same 6th century BC. e.

Historians of the current century count the destruction of Pompeii almost 2000 years ago. Therefore, when Pompeii was first excavated, it was about 1700 years old! As we said, traditional historiography even gives an absolutely exact date for the deadly volcanic eruption - August 24, 79!

But is it possible to say from the objects preserved under the ashes that the inhabitants of the lost cities lived in the 1st century, i.e. almost 2000 years ago? Naturally, everything that is excavated on the Apennine Peninsula is immediately and certainly correlated with extreme antiquity.

Among historians, there has long been a conspiracy of “antique” when it comes to excavations in Europe. But it turns out that ancient, ancient Rus'-Russia has no place in traditional historiography. Here historians have a conspiracy in the other direction - “under youth.”

Even if very ancient evidence is unearthed in Russian soil, it is automatically squeezed into a relatively late chronology already predetermined by it. As they say - so as not to violate reporting. The question arises - how is the history of Pompeii linked with the past of ancient Europe? Will the exposure of Pompeii's antiquity somehow affect the annals of world history?

It is believed that in 1648, at the direction of the Neapolitan king Charles III, a certain Count Alcubierre began excavations at a place that the locals called Civita (Cevita, ancient settlement), and soon discovered a city under a layer of ash and lava, which was later called the city of Pompeii.

Human memory is short and unreliable. Especially if you hide information from her or simply hush it up. This is what happened with Pompeii.

After all, not so long ago, some 100-120 years ago, many Italians were well aware of the existence of Pompeii, and even remembered the destruction of several cities located in relative proximity to Vesuvius.

But it would seem that very little time has passed, and new generations of Italians no longer remember anything. The old people have died out, the youth are busy with their own problems. And the grandchildren don’t care about history at all.

There is a whole series of evidence, calculated on common sense and elementary logic, showing that Pompeii could not have died in the summer in the 1st century AD. e.:

It turns out that he couldn't. Under the ashes, archaeologists discovered people wearing warm clothes, which in Italy no one ever wears in the summer.

And the floors of the buried houses of the inhabitants of Pompeii, in turn, were covered with carpets. Anyone who has been to these parts of Italy knows that no one lays carpets there in the summer.

2. Remains of unfinished wine sealed in a bottle were found in the settlement.

From historiography it is known that wine in the 1st century AD. e. They didn’t know how to preserve it; it simply didn’t survive until the new harvest, simply turning into vinegar.

The “Festival of Young Wine” itself (modeled on the modern holiday “Beaujolais Nouveau”) is November 1st. Such old wine could not be stored until November 1st. On holiday they drank new wine.

3. 15 kilometers from Naples (on the road from Naples to Torre Annunziata) there is still a monument with an epitaph (on the facade of the Villa Faraone Mennella) dedicated to the eruption of Vesuvius on December 15, 1631.

This epitaph, carved in 1738, describes the events of a terrible volcanic eruption. Vesuvius lost 166 meters of its height, the volcano's mouth expanded from 2 to 5.5 kilometers. Burning fragments of the volcano, it turns out, destroyed the roofs of houses within a radius of 90 kilometers from the epicenter of Vesuvius...

4. One of the frescoes depicts a fruit a pineapple, which, as is known, appeared in Europe only after the discovery of America.

5. At the same time, under the ashes of Pompeii, a “fresco by Raphael” was discovered, where the “Three Graces” are depicted, two of which stand with their faces, the third with their backs, and each with an apple in her hand.

At the same time, the graces half hug each other.

Three Graces from Pompeii (purportedly 79), containing a Raphael subject from the 16th century.

Now the real “Three Graces” by Raphael (1504) can be compared with the fresco from Pompeii.

The difference is that here the women are holding apples instead of young shoots.

It must be assumed that Raphael simply spied a plot with naked girls from ancient Pompeian artists in order to draw exactly the same one for himself!

Just kidding, but historians have known about these finds for a long time, but for some reason they are still as silent as fish!

Also pay attention to the position of the graces' feet. In both paintings, the legs are spread and tucked in the same way. The same can be said about the hands of young women. In fact, all this only says that the Pompeians themselves, who lived after Raphael, probably in the 16th-17th century, borrowed the plot from this great painter.

6. In one of the restored texts on Pompeii papyri, diacritics were discovered - accents and aspirations, which, along with punctuation and ligatures, came into use only in the Middle Ages, and were completed only with the beginning of printing! The question is, how did medieval writings get to the beginning of the “human” era, i.e., in the 1st century AD?

7. During the excavations, various bronze tools were discovered, indistinguishable in their manufacturing technology from modern ones. This is a corner with a perfect right angle, compasses, tweezers, scalpels, dental instruments...

8. Rogal-Levitsky in his book “Modern Orchestra” reports that in 1738, during excavations in Pompeii, two excellent trombones forged from bronze and with gold mouthpieces were discovered.

The King of Naples gave one of these trombones to the English king who was present at the excavations, and according to legend that has survived since then, this ancient antique trombone is still kept in the collections of Windsor Castle.

9. A water tap was also excavated in Pompeii, which is a sealed structure of three parts: a body, a bushing with a through hole and a cylindrical shut-off valve ground into it.

Is it possible to make such a technologically advanced item using primitive tools in the 1st century? It is known that the supply and main pipes in Pompeii were made of lead. In England, for example, even to this day many old houses have the same lead pipes.

The water supply system in Pompeii cannot but evoke admiration from a contemporary. From the water distribution station in the form of a round reservoir with a diameter of 6 meters, closed by a dome at the Vesuvian Gate, water flowed by gravity through pipes with a diameter of 30 centimeters to local water towers, which served to reduce excess pressure in the system and intermediate accumulation of water for each quarter.

10. Products made of bottle glass, perfume bottles of colored glass of different shades, and many absolutely transparent thin-walled products were discovered in Pompeii.

The same glass vases are depicted in numerous Pompeian frescoes excavated from the ashes of the city.

But it is known that the first transparent glass was obtained only in the middle of the 15th century!

And the Venetians kept the secret of producing such glass for a long time, like the apple of their eye, from their competitors. In addition, standard large-sized window glass was found in Herculaneum - 45x44 cm and 80x80 cm.

But how did the Italians manage to make smooth, flat glass in the 1st century?

The first known window ( lunar) glass (from cloudy glass), for church windows, even as early as 1330, was made using the primitive method of “centifugation on a stick.” Well, the first real window glass using the modern rolling method was produced only in 1688 at Saint-Gobain.

Glass vase from Pompeii, housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. Historians assure us that for the ancient Pompeii the production of such vases was commonplace.

It is not possible to list all the “strange” finds collected from the ruins of Pompeii and nearby settlements here.

Among other things, this is also a bladed weapon from the 16th-17th centuries, graffiti in the Etruscan language, this is a red-hot medieval brick made on a belt press.

It also turns out that the Pompeians made of iron they made their own locks, door handles, hinges, bolts, latches, etc. What can you say? We have become accustomed not to be surprised by the miracles of historical science.

But this is not even surprising, but how historians, as if by agreement, never want to revise history, despite such obvious contradictions.

It is noteworthy that recently some exhibitions of Italian museum cities affected by Vesuvius have become less and less accessible to tourists. There are more and more reports that local rangers do not allow tourists, and especially those who show targeted curiosity, to the most “dangerous” objects from a revealing point of view.

Presumably, museum curators in Italy have already been instructed (as in Egypt and China) about the possible danger of exposing the so-called Italian antiquity.

More and more independent researchers are appearing, questioning not only the antiquity of individual Italian buildings or piece artifacts, not only the old times the so-called ancient Roman culture, but also the declared antiquities of England, France, Spain, Germany and many others.

However, the owners and keepers of these antiquities quickly learn to work in new conditions. Realizing that the time of deception and speculation on antiquities will one way or another end, they are trying to prevent tourists and researchers from accessing certain, most dangerous “ancient” exhibitions, prohibiting photography, and locking specific museum halls and areas until further notice from the authorities...

For some reason, in the historical museum of Thessaloniki, which stores exhibits that are meager but important from a historical point of view, taking photographs is forbidden. Why did it happen? And if we prohibit foreigners from filming, for example, our Arkaim in the Urals, won’t we then be suspected of concealing the historical truth?

If we at least resolve such a “trifle”, based, however, on the most frank evidence, such as the Death of Pompeii in the 17th, and not in the 1st century AD, then even this, it would seem, is a minor chronological clarification, suddenly included in the official historiography of Europe is capable of shaking the entire edifice of historical science.

We will have to revise many, many things, try to reconnect the once so convenient, “harmonious” and “logical” picture of the past with new data. And this revision will affect not only Europe.

A chain reaction will begin. The laws of logic will require historians to link thousands of newly emerged and contradictory facts, events, references, and will force them to rewrite hundreds of thousands of fundamental historical, archaeological, linguistic and related works. And this already means millions of ruined textbooks, manuals, travel agencies and museum storage facilities. It’s hard to even imagine how much money and effort this will require.

For a thinking person, even such a brief overview of the problem Pompey is able to sort everything out. Simple logic suggests an equally obvious conclusion - the listed evidence dates the death of cities not only to the 1st century, and not even to the early Middle Ages.

All the facts indicate that Pompeii, Herculaneum and other supposedly ancient Italian settlements close to Vesuvius died in the rather late Middle Ages. “Technology of material culture” is a serious thing, with its own strict laws. As they say, you can’t eat a bun without first growing bread in a field and toasting it in the oven. The laws of development have not yet been canceled.

The last 15-20 years have been characterized by an unprecedented rise in the self-awareness of representatives of a certain part of society. There are not as many of them as we would probably like. But enough to cause headaches in the heads of historians.

The indispensable desire of inquisitive contemporaries to seek and get to the bottom of the truth personally, despite the views, authorities and dogmas established in science and culture, it sweeps away any obstacles in its path.

The most “cynical” of them go further - they do not trust anything at all, questioning, for example, the fundamental principles of physics, chemistry, and astronomy.

It is no longer enough for a person to simply listen to truths chewed up by someone; he wants to go and reveal the secret himself. It is possible to even rediscover the basics (which often happens in practice), to find a completely new solution, previously unknown.

And even then, where and how did science obtain its knowledge about the world? Didn’t she sometimes use her authority, inflated in her offices, to the detriment of genuine knowledge? And where is the guarantee that science did not simply fool the average person with its “stunning discoveries” for the sake of gaining fame and bread?

It’s good when this is a real experiment with the object being studied, and not an armchair conclusion. But what are the reasons to believe, say, in a scientific theory about the structure of the Earth, built on very approximate and unverified data?

Or, for example, that there are only a few decades left in the reserves of oil, gas and some other “rare” reserves in the bowels of the planet? Have we ever wondered how many scientific discoveries, dissertations and monographs have been protected and put on the shelf in the history of science? There are millions of them.

We know almost nothing about them.

And there are many such questions, just have time to raise your hands.
Leading editor of the column “How much is a person worth”

Fedor Izbushkin


Panorama of the Forum in Pompeii, in the distance - Vesuvius Recent excavations have shown that in the 1st millennium BC. e. There was a settlement near the modern city of Nola in the 7th century BC. e. approached the mouth. A new settlement - Pompeii - was founded by the Osci in the 6th century BC. e. Their name most likely goes back to the Oscan pumpe - five, and is known from the very foundation of the city, which indicates the formation of Pompeii as a result of the merger of five settlements. The division into 5 electoral districts remained in Roman times. According to another version, the name comes from the Greek pompe

The early history of the city is little known. Surviving sources speak of clashes between the Greeks and Etruscans. For some time Pompeii belonged to Cumae, from the end of the 6th century BC. e. were under the influence of the Etruscans and were part of a league of cities led by Capua. Moreover, in 525 BC. e. A Doric temple was built in honor of the Greek gods. After the defeat of the Etruscans in Kita, Syracuse in 474 BC. e. The Greeks regained dominance in the region. In the 20s of the 5th century BC. e. together with other cities of Campania, were conquered by the Samnites. During the Second Samnite War, the Samnites were defeated by the Roman Republic, and Pompeii around 310 BC. e. became allies of Rome.

Of the 20,000 inhabitants of Pompeii, about 2,000 people died in the buildings and on the streets. Most of the residents left the city before the disaster, but the remains of the victims are also found outside the city. Therefore, the exact number of deaths is impossible to estimate.

Among those who died from the eruption was Pliny the Elder, who, out of scientific interest and out of a desire to help people suffering from the eruption, tried to approach Vesuvius on a ship and found himself in one of the centers of the disaster - at Stabia.

Excavations

Time for archaeologists to study parts of the city

Wall painting styles

The inside walls of Roman houses were covered with frescoes, studied mostly from the examples of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae. The German scientist August Mau in 1882 proposed dividing Pompeii frescoes into 4 styles. Subsequently, with the discovery of other monuments, this classification was expanded to cover all Roman wall painting. The time frames given here are specific to Pompeii; dates may vary in Rome and other cities.

  1. Inlay or structural ( - years BC) - characterized by rustication (masonry or wall cladding with stones with a rough, convex front surface) and painting imitating cladding with marble slabs. Arose under the influence of Hellenistic art, reproductions of Greek paintings are often found.
  2. Architectural style (80 BC -14) - columns, cornices, architectural compositions, landscapes were depicted on smooth walls, creating the illusion of volume and space receding into the distance. Human figures appear in the paintings, complex multi-figure compositions are created, often based on mythological subjects.
  3. Egyptianized or ornamental (from 14 AD) - a transition to flat ornaments, framed by paintings, usually of pastoral themes.
  4. Fantastic or perspective-ornamental (from 62 AD) - fantastic landscapes appear, the depicted architecture resembles theatrical scenery, ceasing to obey the laws of physics. Paintings depicting people become more dynamic.

City buildings

Forum

On either side of the staircase there were two triumphal arches. The western one was probably dedicated to Germanicus, while the eastern one was dismantled. Near the northern end of the temple there is an arch dedicated to Tiberius; in its niches facing the forum were statues of Nero and Drusus.

Temple of Apollo

Apollo statue

Temple of Apollo

Along with the Doric temple in the triangular forum, this is the oldest temple of Pompeii. Some architectural details allow us to date it to BC. e. Presumably in the 2nd century BC. e. it was rebuilt, but nevertheless retained a characteristic feature of Greek architecture: a colonnade along the entire perimeter of the temple.

The temple faces the main entrance to the basilica and is surrounded by a portico painted with scenes from the Iliad. The temple itself is surrounded by 28 Corinthian columns, 2 of which are fully preserved. The floor is made using the same technique as the floor of the Temple of Jupiter. There is an altar in front of the stairs. A bronze statue of Apollo and a bust of Diana have also been preserved (the originals are in the Naples Museum, and there are copies in Pompeii). To the left of the altar, an Ionic column for a sundial was erected in the time of Augustus.

Temple of Fortuna Augustus and Arch of Caligula

It is located at the end of the Forum street, running from the Arch of Tiberius to the northwest. A small temple with a facade of 4 Corinthian columns was built at the expense of the duumvir Marcus Tullius on his own land. Inside the temple there are several niches for statues of Augustus, members of his family and, possibly, Tullius himself.

Behind the temple, the Forum street continues as the Mercury street. At its beginning there is a triumphal arch of Caligula (ruled in -41 AD), made of brick and lined with travertine (the remains of the cladding are preserved only at the base). An equestrian statue of the emperor was found next to the arch, probably located on it.

Other buildings

To the southwest of the Temple of Jupiter there were public latrines, warehouses for the grain trade (now archaeological finds are stored in them) and a weighing room - a storage place for the standards of Roman units of measurement, against which those used by traders in the forum were checked.

Complex of public buildings in the theater area

Triangular Forum

A triangular square surrounded by a colonnade of 95 Ionic columns. In the northern corner there was a propylaea with 6 Ionic columns, in the east it connected with the Samnite palaestra, the Great Theater and, along a long staircase, with the Quadriportico.

On the square there is a Greek temple from the 6th century BC. e. (so-called Doric Temple), dedicated to Hercules, the mythical founder of the city. The temple measured 21 by 28 m, was built of tuff, and a narrow staircase led to it from the south side. Behind the temple there was a sundial. It is surrounded on all sides by a colonnade: 7 columns on the short side and 11 on the long side.

Samnite palaestra

According to the dedicatory inscription, it was built by the duumvir Vivius Vinicius in the second half of the 2nd century BC. e.. It was surrounded on three sides by a portico, on the south side there was a pedestal where award ceremonies were held, and household premises were built on the west side. Due to its small size, by the Augustan era it could no longer accommodate everyone, after which the Great Palaestra was built.

Temple of Isis, photo 1870

Temple of Isis

In the center of the courtyard, surrounded by a portico with Corinthian columns, on a high plinth stood a temple from the end of the 2nd century BC. e., restored after the earthquake of 62 on behalf of the 6-year-old Popidius Celsinius by his father Popidius Ampliatus, who hoped in this way to promote the future political career of his son.

The façade of the temple is decorated with a portico 4 columns wide and 2 deep. On the sides there were niches with statues of Anubis and Harpocrates. There was also a container with water from the Nile in the temple.

Temple of Jupiter Meilichius

It was built back in the III-II century BC. e. and dedicated to Zeus, but was rebuilt and transferred to the cult of Jupiter in the 80s BC. e. Identical in shape to the Temple of Isis, but with a deeper inner sanctuary. Made of tuff, lined with marble.

According to another hypothesis, based on some finds on the territory of the temple, it was dedicated to Asclepius.

Quadriportic

The quadriportico (a square with a portico) served as a place where theater audiences gathered before the start of the performance and during intermissions. After the earthquake of 62, which destroyed the gladiator barracks in the northern part of the city, a quadriportico was adapted as a barracks. Weapons were found here and are now kept in the National Museum of Naples.

Grand Theatre

Grand Theatre

The Bolshoi Theater, which became the cultural center of the city, was built in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. e., using a natural slope to place seats for spectators. Under Augustus, the theater was expanded by the architect Marcus Artorius at the expense of Marcus Olkonius Rufus and Marcus Olkonius Celer by creating a superstructure above ground level supporting the upper rows of seats. As a result, it became capable of accommodating up to 5,000 spectators. It could have been covered with a canopy: the rings for it have survived to this day.

The bottom few rows ( ima cavea) were intended for noble citizens. Two balconies above the side entrances, also built by Marcus Artorius, are for priestesses and organizers of performances. The stage was decorated with columns, cornices and statues dating from after 62 AD.

Maly Theater

Maly Theater

Amphitheater Arena

Audience seats in the amphitheater

Amphitheater and Great Palaestra

Central Baths

Founded immediately after the earthquake of 62 AD. e., however, by 79 the pool had not been completed, and the portico of the palaestra had not even been started. The pipes through which water was supplied already existed, but the stoves were never built. They had a full set of halls, but only in one copy (without division into male and female sections).

Suburban thermal baths

They were located 100 meters outside the Sea Gate on an artificial terrace. Because of their position, they were found and plundered already in antiquity. Their interesting feature is the large windows overlooking the sea. The pools are decorated with frescoes depicting waterfalls and mountain caves, as well as mosaics. However, the baths are best known for the 16 erotic frescoes in the fourth style (including the only known Roman depiction of lesbian sex) found in the early 1990s in the apodyteria. Their presence gave rise to the hypothesis that a lupanarium functioned in the building on the second floor, which, however, is rejected by archaeologists who studied the baths and most historians.

Lupanarium

In addition to the lupanarium, there were at least 25 single rooms in the city intended for prostitution, often located above wine shops. The cost of this type of service in Pompeii was 2-8 asses. The staff was represented mainly by slaves of Greek or Oriental origin.

Industrial buildings

Bakery in Pompeii: mills and oven visible

Providing food

In Pompeii, 34 bakeries were discovered that fully satisfied the needs of the townspeople and exported their products to neighboring settlements. Most famous Bakery Popidia Prisca And bakery on Stabius street, in which 5 hand mills have been preserved. There are two types of millstones: one fixed cone-shaped ( meta), another in the shape of an hourglass without a bottom or lid ( catillus), which was put on top of him. Grain was poured into the cavity of the upper chute and it was driven by slaves or oxen. The millstones are made from volcanic rocks. Many bakeries did not have counters to sell bread, either supplying it in bulk, delivering it door to door, or selling it on the street by hand.

Also in Pompeii, fish sauce “garum” was produced, which was sold in large quantities to other cities. A whole workshop for its preparation was excavated, in which amphoras for transporting the product were preserved. The technology was as follows: fish, boned and ground, was kept in salt (sea) water for several weeks. Often herbs, spices, and wine were added to it. They seasoned a wide variety of dishes with it.

In Pompeii, a system of thermopolis was developed (there were 89 establishments in total), which supplied people with hot food and allowed them to refuse to prepare it at home (many houses in Pompeii did not have a kitchen).

Crafts

One of the most important crafts in the city was the production of woolen fabrics. 13 wool processing workshops, 7 spinning and weaving workshops, 9 dyeing workshops were found. The most important production stage was wool felting, which was carried out in ancient Rome in fullons ( fullones). The peculiarities of the technology allowed them to also wash the clothes of the townspeople.

The most widely known is Pompeian fulling shop Stefania, a residential building converted into a workshop. The fullons felted and washed the wool from animal sweat and dirt in egg-shaped vats, of which Stefanius had three. Dirty clothes were also cleaned there. Soda or urine that had been left for 1-2 weeks was used as a detergent, which saponified the fat in the fabric. A container for collecting urine, for example, stood in the Eumachia building in the Forum. Throwing wool or very dirty cloth into the vat, the fullon trampled it with his feet ( saltus fullonicus- dance of the fullons, as Seneca called this process).

Then the wool and fabric had to be thoroughly rinsed in large containers, of which Stefanius also had three. Relatively clean and delicate items in his fulling shop were washed in the former impluvium of his Tuscan atrium. In addition, in the fulling shop there were containers for bleaching and dyeing things. Ironing of clothes was also carried out here; there was even a special press for tunics.

In another fulling mill (there are 18 of them in Pompeii), located on Mercurius Street, frescoes were found that shed light on the entire technological process of fullons.

Residential buildings

House of the Tragic Poet

It is a typical Roman house of the 2nd century BC. e. and is famous for its mosaic floors and frescoes depicting scenes from Greek mythology. Located opposite the Forum Baths. Named after the mosaic laid out in the floor of a rehearsal of a tragic performance. At the entrance to the house there is a mosaic with the image of a dog and the inscription “CAVE CANEM” (“beware of the dog”). On the sides of the entrance there were retail premises.

The walls of the atrium were decorated with images of Zeus and Hera, scenes from the Iliad. Currently, all these frescoes are in the Naples Museum.

House of the Surgeon

One of the oldest Pompeian residential buildings, built in the 4th-3rd centuries BC. e. It received its name due to the fact that numerous surgical instruments were found in it. The facade is made of limestone blocks, the internal walls are made using opus africanum(vertical structures made of alternating vertical and horizontal blocks placed on top of each other, between which the wall was lined with smaller stones or bricks). Frescoes in the first and fourth styles have been preserved.

House of the Faun

Alexander the Great from the House of Faun

The rich house, occupying the space between four streets - insulu (40 by 110 m), with an area of ​​3000 m² - is the most luxurious house in Pompeii. Presumably it was built for Publius Sulla, the nephew of the conqueror of the city, whom he placed at the head of Pompeii.

On the threshold of the main entrance to the house there is a mosaic inscription “HAVE” (hello), from here one could go into the Etruscan (Tuscan) atrium, which has preserved to this day an impluvium (a shallow pool for collecting rainwater) with a rich geometric inlay of multi-colored marble and a figurine of a dancing Faun, who gave the house its name. The second entrance was located to the east and led to a second, tetrastyle (with a roof supported by 4 columns), atrium, apparently intended for guests.

House of Moralist and House of Pinaria Ceriale

Moralist's House is located near the house of Lorey Tiburtina. So named because of the inscriptions in the summer triclinium (white on black):

  1. Keep your feet clean and do not dirty your linens and beds,
  2. Respect women and avoid obscene speech,
  3. Refrain from anger and fighting.

Finally, the conclusion: “Otherwise, go back to your home.”

Located next door house of Pinaria Zeriale, owned by a jeweler. During its excavations, more than a hundred precious stones were found.

House of Julia Felix

It occupies one of the largest insulas in the city, but only a third of it is built up, 2/3 are gardens. Part of the house with bathhouses was rented out.

House of the Garden of Hercules (House of the Perfumer)

It was a relatively small house. The entrance led to a corridor flanked by two cubicles and ending in an atrium. Behind the atrium there were several more rooms and a huge garden, laid out in the 1st century BC. e. There are 5 similar houses on the site. In the garden there was a lararium with a statue of Hercules, from which the whole house took its name.

Frescoes of the Villa of Mysteries

Villa of Mysteries

Founded in the 2nd century BC. e., after which it expanded several times, in particular in 60 BC. e. The main entrance was facing the road leading from the Herculanean Gate. Currently, it is not fully opened, so the entrance to the villa is from the sea. Along the road there were agricultural premises, including a room with a grape press.

The beginning of the sacrament

The entrance, so wide that a cart could pass through it, led to the peristyle. To the southeast of it there was a courtyard with a lararium and a tetrastyle atrium, from which one could enter the baths. On the southwestern side, a Tuscan atrium was connected to the peristyle; from it, and also partly from the peristyle, doors led to numerous rooms decorated with frescoes in the second and third styles. The villa opened to the sea with a rotunda terrace with two porticos on either side.

In the tablinum, connecting the Tuscan atrium with the rotunda, frescoes with Egyptian motifs have been preserved. The villa was named after the widely known frescoes in one of the rooms south of the atrium, where, according to the most common version, initiation into the Dionysian mysteries is depicted, and according to another, a wedding ceremony.

Pompeii in art

Movie

  • “The Last Day of Pompeii” (Gli ultimi giorni di Pompeii, 1926)
  • “The Last Days of Pompeii” (film, Italy-Germany, 1959)
  • “The Last Days of Pompeii” (film, USSR, 1972)
  • “The Last Days of Pompeii” (film, USA, UK, Italy, 1984)
  • "Pompeii" (2007 film) (Italy)
  • “The Naked Drummer” (Vesuvies group, with the song Pompeii Nights)
  • "The Lights of Pompeii (Doctor Who)" (UK episode, 12 April 2008)

Painting

Literature

  • Inspired by Bryullov’s painting “The Last Day of Pompeii,” Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote the novel “The Last Days of Pompeii.”
  • “Vesuvius opened the mouth” - poem by Pushkin
  • Short story by Théophile Gautier “Arria of Marcellus”
  • Robert Harris' novel Pompeii

Music

  • Live at Pompeii - live album by Pink Floyd at the ruins of the Pompeii Amphitheater (1973)
  • Pompeii - song by E.S. Posthumus
  • Cities in Dust - song by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Museums

Pompeii in astronomy

  • the asteroid (203) Pompeii, discovered on September 25, 1879 by the German-American astronomer C. G. F. Peters at the Clinton Observatory, USA, is named after Pompeii

see also

Notes

  1. Old settlement
  2. Peter Connolly "Greece and Rome" encyclopedia of military history
  3. Tacitus

 

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