The city of Pompeii is a wonderful example of ancient Roman architecture, covered with legends. Rising from the ashes, it has become a popular Italian open-air museum, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Still not fully explored, the museum city is located in Campania (near Naples) in the shadow of Vesuvius - the infamous volcano, the eruption of which brought death to Pompeii, but not oblivion ...

The formation of Pompeii

It is believed that Pompeii was founded in the VI century BC. an ancient people - the Oscans, who lived in southern Italy. In Oscan, "pumpe" translates as "five", which may symbolize the merging of five small settlements that have existed in this area since time immemorial. According to another version, the name of the city comes from the ancient Greek "pompe", which means "triumphal procession". One of the legends tells about the founding of the city by Hercules, who solemnly marched through the streets of Pompeii after defeating the three-body monster Geryon (the tenth feat).

The only thing known about the early history of Pompeii is that it was alternately owned by the Greeks, Etruscans, Kums, Samnites. Pompeii became part of the Roman Republic only in 310 BC, while maintaining its own autonomy. It remained self-governing until 89 BC, when the consul Sula awarded it the status of another colony of Rome (retribution for the anti-Roman uprising).

It should be noted that Pompeii connected South Italy and Rome, being one of the important points of the Via Appia trade route.

Here at an accelerated pace:

• built markets and other commercial premises;
• erected bridges, an amphitheater, baths, multi-storey buildings;

• installed water pipes and paved the streets with stones.

At the same time, most of the city was given over to luxurious villas of noble Romans.

Beginning of the End

The fatal earthquake that awakened Vesuvius from sleep occurred in 62. As a result of strong tremors on February 5, not a single surviving building remained in the city. And although most of the city's buildings were repaired, some of them remained dilapidated until the "judgment" day ...

The death of Pompeii

The inhabitants of Pompeii could not even imagine that nature was preparing a truly cruel blow for them. They continued to carry out restoration work, even began the construction of the Central Baths, without taking seriously the new shocks (seventies). Indeed, in those days, seismic activity in Campania was considered the norm.

However, the retribution for the shown carelessness was not long in coming ...

In August 79, Vesuvius awoke, showering innocent citizens with ash flakes and rocks falling straight from the sky. Only a day later, the eruption ended, which brought death not only to Pompeii, but also to two large cities - Stabiae and Herculaneum, not to mention small villages and villas. It's no joke, the ashes of Vesuvius reached the borders of Syria and Egypt!

There is a version according to which the eruption lasted not one, but two whole days. The first of them was marked by a rapid release of poisonous smoke, inhaling which people immediately burned their lungs and died. Those who managed to escape returned the next day when the smoke had already cleared.

As soon as the smoke cleared, the strings of surviving residents stretched towards the city, which became their fatal mistake.

On that terrible day, a peaceful city turned into an earthly “branch of hell”. Death seemed to be in the air, catching the townspeople in temples, houses, and markets. She also pursued outside the city, taking from two to thirty thousand human lives according to various sources.

It should be noted that most of the inhabitants (at that time the population of Pompeii was 20 thousand people) still managed to avoid death. But there was nowhere for them to return to. A multi-meter ball of lapilli and ashes is all that remains of a thriving home.

The commission of inquiry sent to Vesuvius came to the conclusion that it makes no sense to restore the lost cities. For a long time, people wandered through the ruins of the dead city, trying to find the lost property. But, and they left, realizing the futility of such searches.

The city that rose from the ashes

Forgotten for centuries, the city of Pompeii was accidentally discovered in the middle of the 16th century by the Italian architect Domenico Fontana.

Who knows if the ancient walls would have ever been discovered if the Count of Tuttavilla had not wished to build an underground tunnel from his villa to the Sarno River? But, apparently, Pompeii was destined to be "reborn" ...

Between 1592 and 1600, Fontana was lucky enough to find several fragments of wall paintings and ancient inscriptions, one of which spoke of "decurio pompeis". However, a misinterpretation of the phrase (the mention of a city office in Pompeii was mistakenly taken for the name of the owner of the villa of Pompey the Great) did not allow us to connect the find with the “lost” Roman settlement.

The find, directly pointing to the location of ancient Pompeii, was found only at the end of the 17th century. So the inscription, in which the name of the city once again appeared, put an end to the discussion that had lasted in the scientific world since 1637.

However, the excavations turned out to be a very difficult task - a solid and thick layer of volcanic material reliably guarded the secret entrusted to him. The boundary pillar, which clearly indicates the ownership of the ruins, was excavated only in August 1763.

"Modern" Pompeii

Incredibly, the sudden and quick death "saved" Pompeii from slow destruction - there is no other ancient city that has been so well preserved.

How to get to Pompeii

You can get to the famous archaeological complex inexpensively (for 2-4 euros) by the following modes of transport:

• a train to "Pompeii-Scavi-Villa dei Misteri" from Naples or Sorrento - the journey will take just over half an hour;
• bus - the connection to Pompeii is organized by the companies CSTP (in Salerno), SITF (in Naples) and Marozzi (in Rome).

Walking in your own car will be much more expensive - for just one hour you will have to pay about 5 euros for parking. Despite the fact that the cost of the entrance ticket for adults is 12 euros.

The city of Pompeii - climate and features of movement

When planning a trip, it should be understood that in the hot summer the temperature in the South of Italy often rises to +35 °C. So that walking around the complex does not turn into a tedious task, it is recommended to take plenty of drinking water and a tube of sunscreen with you.

By the way, in addition to classic walking tours, riding on rented bicycles is allowed on the territory of Pompeii. True, the comfort of movement in the latter way is somewhat doubtful, since there are a lot of cobblestones on the territory, and the roads are dotted with wide furrows left on the masonry by iron cart wheels.

The appearance of boulders is easily explained by the specific structure of the ancient trading city, conditionally divided into upper and lower parts. Sewage ran along the pavements of the latter, mixed with garbage, preventing people from crossing to the other side of the street. To solve the problem, high stones were installed - an ancient prototype of a modern pedestrian crossing (“zebras”).

What are the ancient walls "silent" about

A traveler who sets foot on the legendary lands for the first time discovers excellently executed statues, mosaics, frescoes, which testifies to the high level of skill of their performers.

The next thing that catches your eye is the difference in architectural styles - the chaotic development of the old quarters built during the Oskovs is replaced by new "slender" rectangular quarters with straight streets, temples, markets and amphitheaters.

Other advantages of Roman urban planning include the presence of:

• paved pavements, the care of which fell on the shoulders of the townspeople, who repaired and cleaned the area adjacent to his house;
• the sloping profile of sidewalks and roads that direct wastewater to the so-called urban sewer.

At the same time, shopping streets were framed by the facades of buildings, the lower floors of which were given over to shops, and the upper floors were given over to private quarters (housing).

Residential quarters looked far from being so presentable. Due to the warm climate, private houses here were built mainly without windows, which made it possible to significantly save on expensive glass. Only sometimes in the blind ends facing the street, narrow cracks made their way.

Through the efforts of prominent archaeologists (Alcubierre, F. le Vega, Carolina Bonaparte, Giuseppe Fiorelli) were discovered:

• necropolises and forums;
• theaters and temples;
• gate, amphitheater and defensive walls;
• "remains" of animals and people - in the thickness of the lava, scientists discovered numerous voids. Filled with plaster, they helped to recreate the poses and even facial expressions of the dead;

• entire residential quarters filled with perfectly preserved household utensils, frescoes, mosaics, and sculptures.

A layer of hardened lava protected the interior decoration of houses from the merciless influence of time, which did not touch significant cultural values ​​- an important source that tells about the urban way of life, life, art of the Romans who lived here in the 1st century. And although more than half (about 3/5 of the ancient territory) has already been cleared, the city of Pompeii continues to tremblingly keep its secrets, the solution of which lies on the shoulders of future generations.

The city of Pompeii and its sights

Having allocated a whole day for the tour, the tourist allows himself to calmly stroll through the streets in search of the next “tidbit”.

But what about people with limited time?

There are a number of attractions that are recommended for a mandatory visit during a tour of the city of Pompeii:

• temple of Apollo - considered the oldest temple erected in honor of the Greek god in the 18th century BC. From its majestic colonnade, consisting of 28 slender columns, only two have survived. It is assumed that the main building, which lies in ruins today, rests on an ancient altar. The only thing that managed to survive was the frescoes decorating the inner niches of the temple (dedicated to the Trojan War);

Pompeii is a real ancient city, here many wealthy Romans had country villas. Walking along the streets, you see shops, villas, a theater, a gladiator school, forums and markets. Everything here is real. In the Garden of the Fleeing, you can even see "people": there are 17 plaster casts made in the form of "air pockets" found during excavations. We see here a woman stretching her arms forward as if she is trying to push away an inevitable fate, people with their mouths open in a silent scream, trying unsuccessfully to protect their children; there are even a couple of lovers.

It is interesting to get acquainted with the Vetiev house, where two merchant brothers lived. Even the flowers in the garden left clear marks in the ashes, as did the drops of water from the cooling system in the atrium. In some rooms it was possible to find amazing, almost undamaged frescoes.

The frescoes are one of the best testaments to the everyday activities of the inhabitants and the holidays. Even in a brothel above every doorway there is a painting illustrating the activities of visitors.

To this day, the excavations of Pompeii represent the most majestic example of the ancient Roman city and its everyday culture - an inexhaustible source for research by archaeologists, historians of the ancient world and classical philologists. In 1997, Pompeii was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, but this does not protect the city from new destruction. Decades of neglect of antiquity, vandalism of monuments and an excessive flow of tourists (this is the most visited ancient attraction in Italy, 2 million tourists flock here every year) - all together led to the fact that the excavations are now in a catastrophic state. Of the sixty-five residential buildings and public buildings still available for viewing in 1956, only fifteen can be entered today: the rest are simply dangerous because of the possible collapse, they are abandoned and neglected. Therefore, many scientists and representatives of the tourism industry have created a kind of cultural institute - "Phoenix Pompeji", which, through various actions and donations, is trying to save both cities under Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The modern city of Pompeii adjoins the excavation site on the east side. The temple of Santuario della Madonna del Rosario, clearly visible from afar thanks to the five-story bell tower, was built at the end of the 19th century. - after the appearance of the Virgin Mary in these places. Especially many pilgrims come on May 8 and on the first Sunday of October.

Vesuvius eruption

Description of the horrific events of 79 AD. e. we find in the letters of the Roman writer Pliny the Younger to Tacitus: he observed what was happening from a nearby town:

“It was already the first hour of the day: the day was gloomy, as if exhausted. The buildings around were shaking, we were in an open area, but in the dark, and it was very scary that they would collapse. Then at last we decided to leave the city; we were followed by a shocked crowd that prefers someone else's solution to their own; in horror, it seems to her a semblance of prudence. A huge number of people crowded us and pushed forward. Out of the city, we stopped. The wagons that we ordered to be sent forward were thrown from side to side on a completely level place, although they were propped up with stones. We have seen how the sea is drawn into itself; the earth, shaking, seemed to push him away from itself. The coast was undoubtedly moving forward; many marine animals stuck on dry sand. On the other hand, fiery zigzags flashed and ran across the black terrible thundercloud, and it split into long strips of flame, similar to lightning, but large. A little later, this cloud began to descend to the ground, covered the sea, encircled the Caprei and hid them, carried Cape Mizen out of sight. Ashes began to fall, still rare; looking back, I saw how thick darkness was approaching us, which, like a stream, spilled after us over the earth. Darkness came, but not like on a moonless night, but like in a closed room when a fire is put out. Women's cries, children's squeaks and men's cries were heard ... Many raised their hands to the gods, but the majority claimed that there were no more gods and that the last eternal night had come for the world ... "

Story

It is believed that Pompeii was founded in the 7th century. BC. the ancient Italic people of the Oscans. In the 5th century, the city was conquered by the Etruscans, and at the end of the 5th century. - Samnites, who in the III century. driven out by the Romans. The advantageous location - now, due to sand deposits, the sea has moved 2 km away - and the fertile lands at the foot of Vesuvius contributed to the rapid transformation of Pompeii into a prosperous trading and port city, where about 20 thousand people lived, half of whom were slaves. The first natural disaster happened in 62 AD, when Pompeii was first destroyed by a strong earthquake. The rebuilding of the city was still in full swing when, on August 24, 79 AD. there was a new powerful eruption of Vesuvius, which buried Pompeii under a six-meter layer of ash and lava. Then about 2000 people died, but most of the inhabitants managed to escape, capturing only the most expensive. The city was devastated, however, even at that time, the survivors managed to find many valuable items under the still loose blanket of ashes. For almost 1700 years, Pompeii was, as it were, mothballed. Excavations began in the 18th century. - and today are about two-thirds complete. Many buildings lie in ruins, and the most interesting finds are exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. With the beginning of the "new excavations" in 1911, archaeologists, if possible, leave the interior decoration of the premises and household items in place. Despite many restrictions, nowhere, perhaps, ancient culture and its housing traditions, represented in rich and not very rich houses, as well as the market square and streets, theaters and temples, do not appear before visitors so directly and visibly. In the Notebook (1787), Goethe wrote about the “mummified city” like this: many terrible events have happened in the world, but very few can bring so much joy to descendants.

ancient city

The center of ancient Pompeii was the Forum, where, as elsewhere in Roman cities, the most important buildings were located, and nearby were inns, taverns and kitchens, baths, latrines, up to thirty lupanaria - brothels, as well as numerous trading shops and craft workshops: bakeries, dye-works, fullers and weaving workshops. The roads are paved with pieces of petrified lava, walkways made of stones were made to cross the street for pedestrians, and deep furrows on the pavement testify to the busy movement of wagons and chariots. Crossroads were decorated with fountains, and the facades of many houses were frescoed.

A typical Roman city house had a rectangular plan. The outer walls had almost no windows: the premises overlooking the street were most often used as trading shops or workshops. The front door led to a short gallery and immediately to an atrium with a pool to collect rainwater. Around the atrium there were sleeping and living quarters, and opposite the entrance - the tables - a living room and an office. Inside the house, as a rule, a garden was laid out, framed by a covered colonnade - the peristyle. Sometimes another garden adjoined it. In the peristyle there was a triclinium - a dining room, and the kitchen and cellar were placed in each house in its own way. Many dwellings had an upper floor with balconies. The surviving fragments of stucco decorations, bizarre wall paintings and mosaic floors speak of the taste and wealth of the former residents.

Painting in Poimei

Despite the fact that the heyday of Pompeii lasted only 160 years, it is customary to distinguish four styles in the art of urban wall painting. For the first style, which remained relevant until about 80 BC. characterized by the absence of figures. The walls are decorated with paintings imitating marble inlay, as, for example, can be seen in the Casa di Sallustio house.

The second style (before about 10 AD) is characterized by images with perspective; the most famous example is the Villa of the Mysteries. The third style, which took shape over the next 40 years, is characterized by landscapes and mythological images - instead of perspective painting, for example, in the Casa di Lucretio Fronto house. Finally, the times of the decline of the city are characterized by the fourth style: the walls are covered with murals in the spirit of Mannerism, the spatial-perspective image returns; the frescoes are inhabited by mythical creatures and decorated with ornaments - the most beautiful wall paintings can be seen in the Casa di Loreius Tiburtinus.

Excavations at Pompeii

The city, which occupies an area of ​​more than 60 hectares and is equal to the territory of a hundred modern football fields, is allowed to inspect only in some of its areas.

Antiquarium

Outside the city gates on the right is the Antiquarium, which houses archaeological finds from pre-Samnite to Roman times. Particularly impressive are the plaster casts from the people and animals who died during the eruption of Vesuvius. Their bodies were preserved in the voids of the lava layer and were removed at the end of the 19th century, when the voids were filled with plaster. Via Marina leads from the Antiquarium to the Forum. Where the street turns into the square, on the right stands the largest building of Pompeii - the basilica of the 2nd century. BC, which served as an exchange, a court or a place for public meetings.

Forum

The elongated Forum was formerly paved with marble slabs and surrounded on three sides by two-story colonnades. Here was the main sanctuary of the city - the temple of Apollo framed by forty-eight Ionic columns; the second temple dedicated to Jupiter is on the north side. During the eruption of Vesuvius, it was just being restored. Nearby were a market pavilion surrounded by shops or market stalls, the temple of Emperor Vespasian and the building of Eumachia - presumably the workshops of cloth merchants. On the south side of the Forum, among the three columns was the city council.

Stabius terms

Following Via dell "Abbondanza, the main shopping street of ancient Pompeii - Decumanus Maior, you can go to the Stabius Baths, the largest and well-preserved Roman baths. First, the visitor enters the palestra surrounded by columns - a room where young men were engaged in physical education. To the left is a swimming pool with a dressing room, on the right - a men's bath, which adjoined the women's, they are separated by heating rooms. The baths were heated by a special system of pipes (hypocaust) placed under the floor. Hot air from the furnace flowed through these pipes - the system can be quite well studied. In the men's the bathhouse had a round bath with cold water, one dressing room with niches where clothes could be folded, and a passage, poorly heated room, as well as a steam room adjoined the men's and women's halves. erotic content.

triangular forum

Via dei Teatri ends in the theater district, located on the Triangular Forum. Nearby are the ruins of a Greek temple of the 6th century. BC.; in the barracks opposite lived and trained gladiators. The Bolshoi Theater (Teatro Grande, 200-150 BC) accommodated 5,000 spectators. The nearby Maly Theatre, the Odeon, is better preserved; this is the oldest example of a covered Roman theater with 1000 seats. Around 75 BC e. mainly musical performances were given here, in addition, reciters performed. A little to the north on the left stands a small temple of Jupiter Meilichius, behind it - built in 62 AD. Temple of Isis, the magical wall paintings from which can be seen in the National Museum of Naples. In 1817, a certain Henri Beyle, the famous French writer known as Stendhal, immortalized his name on the wall of the temple. Along Via Stabiana you can go to the House of Kifared - one of the largest in Pompeii, the house also had a cloth workshop, a bakery and a tavern.

New excavations

Ha Via dell "Abbondanza, about 100 m on the right side, the so-called New Excavations (Nuovi Scavi) begin, which means: wall paintings and home decoration are left where they were found; many of the upper floors with balconies and loggias have been preserved in this way Many of the found inscriptions made it possible to compile the so-called "Address book" with 550 names.The quarter, in which mainly merchants settled, belongs to the last period of the existence of Pompeii.

Artistic delights await visitors in front of the Casa di Lucius Ceius Secundus, where the stucco on the facade of the house imitates hewn stone masonry; the house of Fullonica Stefani was clearly a dye-house; in the house Casa del Criptoportico - a passage laid in the underground floor, protected from the weather.

Well-preserved and decorated with wall paintings and mosaics, the house of Menander belonged to a wealthy merchant, and the house owes its name to the image of the Greek comedian Menander in a niche of a magnificent peristyle. Further to the left, but Via dell "Ab-bondanza - the house of Termopolio di Asellina, it was a tavern where drinks and food were served. Pots and vessels were inserted into the counter overlooking the street. The facade with many inscriptions refers to the house of Trebia Valensa; standing nearby on the right, the house of Lorea Tiburtina - one of the largest private houses in Pompeii - had a magnificent garden.

Further south and east of Via dell "Abbondanza, the latest excavations are located; the Gardener's house, the house of Venus with a magnificent image of Venus, and the house of Julia Felis are especially interesting - this is a city villa, later rebuilt into an apartment house.

Near the house of Lorea Tiburtina is the urban sports square, called Palestra, surrounded on three sides by porticos with columns, in the center is a swimming pool. Adjacent to the square is an amphitheater for 20 thousand spectators, which began to be built around 80 BC. This is one of the most ancient Roman amphitheatres; unlike the later ones, there are no underground structures in it. Nearby is the city wall with the Porta di Nocera gate, behind which, as in all ancient cities, along the street leading from the city, there were necropolises and tomb structures.

Other famous houses can be seen in the northern part of the excavations, among them the Casa del Centenario with many picturesque images of animals and landscapes and the Casa di Lucretius Frontone, where the image of Eros is repeated many times in the medallions decorating the walls. In the Casa delle Nozze d "Argento (or the house of the Silver Wedding) there is a beautiful atrium and peristyle; marble decoration has been preserved in the garden of the house of the Gilded Cupids.

House of the Vettii

One of the most famous houses is the Vettneu house, which dates from the last decades of Pompeii's existence. The owners of the house, decorated with many wall paintings, were brothers - wealthy merchants of Vettii. At the entrance on the right is a fresco depicting the god of fertility Priapus with a huge phallus; the frescoes in the triclinium - to the right of the peristyle - represent mythological scenes. The courtyard, surrounded by columns, with statues and pools, is beautifully planted; the room on the narrow side of the house is decorated with a black frieze with figures of cupids imitating the occupations of people. The kitchen has preserved ancient kitchen utensils. The nearby house of the Labyrinth dates back to Samnite times.

House of the Faun

Opposite, obliquely, was the House of the Faun, occupying a whole nsula. The entrance to it is from Via di Nola. Next to the impluvium - a pool in the atrium - is a copy of the statue of a dancing Faun found here (hence the name of the house). In a room with red columns, a famous mosaic depicting the battle of Alexander the Great was found - both masterpieces can be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. The Baths of the Forum, located two steps away, are a little smaller and more modest than the Stabiae Baths, but in the same way they occupy a whole insula.

House of the tragic poet

The luxuriously furnished House of the Tragic Poet became famous thanks to the floor mosaic at the entrance: it depicts a dog on a chain and the inscription “Cave Sftui” (lat. - beware of the dog) is made. It borders on the Hellenistic era Casa di Pansa (from the Vibian family), later converted into an apartment building. To the north of the House of the Tragic Poet - Fullonica (fuller): next to the left - the house of the Big Fountain and the house of the Small Fountain - both have really beautiful fountains.

House of Sallust

From the house of the Small Fountain, along Vicolo di Mercurio, you can go to the house of Sallust, decorated with beautiful murals. Many medical instruments were found in the Surgeon's House on Via Consolare; apparently, a surgeon practiced here about 2000 years ago.

Street of Tombs and Villa of Diomedes

Behind the city wall and the gates of Herculaneum, Via dei Sepolcri, the so-called Via dei Sepolcri, bordered by cypresses, begins. Street of Tombs. The impressive tombs here, along with those on the Roman Appian Way, are one of the most impressive examples of burials of noble or wealthy citizens along public roads. At the northwestern end stands the villa of Diomedes; in the garden, embraced by a portico, there is a pavilion with a pool. Eighteen bodies of women and children who died here were found in the cellars of the villa. Two were found near the doors that were walled up today, which used to lead from the garden to the sea; the alleged owner of the house with a key in his hands, and next to him is a slave holding a purse of money.

Villa of the Mysteries

The most beautiful ancient frescoes have been preserved in all the freshness of magnificent colors in the Villa of the Mysteries. In the spacious triclinium, one can clearly see a cycle of frescoes (17 m long) with figures depicted almost in human height and painted, most likely, between 70 and 50 years. BC e. according to samples of the III century. BC. It is assumed that this cycle represents the initiation of a certain lady into the mysteries of the cult of Dionysius.

Outskirts of Pompeii

Among the many ancient villas located 4 km from Pompeii in the vicinity of the city of Boscoreale, you should visit the Villa Regina - a small, but well-preserved country house. Nearby, on Via Settembrini 15, there is a little-known, but nevertheless very interesting museum of antiquities - Antiquarium di Boscoreale, whose expositions tell about the settlement of the Vesuvius region and the life of the inhabitants of Pompeii, as well as the history of excavations.

lookout point

Around the city walls of Pompeii there is a long (3.5 km) road, up to 8 m high, which offers interesting views. A good view is also given by the high bell tower (80 m) of the temple of Santuario della Beata Vergine del Rosario, which is on the territory of the modern city of Pompeii. On the lift you can go up to the observation terrace.

Working hours:
May-Oct 9.00-13.00, 15.30-18.30;
Nov.-Apr. 9.00-13.00

Last eruption of Vesuvius

On April 24, 1872, one of several strongest eruptions of Mount Vesuvius occurred: two villages were buried under the fiery lava, and the last major eruption was in 1944, and then the lava destroyed the city of San Sebastiano.

Arrival

Pompeii is best reached by public transport, such as the Ferrovia Circumve-suviana Neapel-Sorrent railway to Villa dei Misteri station. Another option is the Naples-Salerno train to the Pompei Scavi station. By car, you need to go along the A 3 highway, exit to Pompei-Scavi.

References

Via Sacra 1.80045 Pompei;
Tel.: 08 18 50 72 55;
www.pompei.it
www.pompeiisites.org

I remember as a child, when I saw K. Bryullov's painting "The Last Day of Pompeii", I was very shocked. Huge died in a matter of hours. Why? How? For what?
Our family managed to visit Pompeii only in November 2016. I will share my photos and videos with you. Let's try to understand the causes of the tragic events.

The ancient Roman city of Pompeii in Italy was completely destroyed in 79. Buried under a multi-meter layer of ash and magma as a result of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

The death of Pompeii - why did people not leave the city?

It was one of the largest ancient cities founded in the 6th century BC. Its favorable location on the trade route and fertile lands contributed to its economic prosperity.

Geologists say that the volcano was silent for 15 centuries. He warned people that he was waking up with a strong earthquake in 62, almost completely destroying the buildings. But the residents did not move to new places, but began to rebuild it again. Not even suspecting the impending disaster.

And the cruel murderer Vesuvius from a height of 1300 meters silently watched the human fuss and waited in the wings. And that hour came on August 24, 79.

Vesuvius warned in advance

A huge, rapidly growing brown cloud appeared above the volcano. At a height of many kilometers, it spread to the sides, covering the sky. This was accompanied by a terrible roar and underground regiments. Every hour, volcanic ash covered the earth with a layer of up to 20 cm.

Human factor

Part of the population managed to leave Pompeii on the first day. There were stubborn people who did not want to leave their homes and slaves, whom the owners left to guard their property. They tried to hide in the houses, not realizing that they were condemning themselves to death.

The roofs of houses collapsed under the weight of falling stones and ash.

The next day, a red-hot heavy avalanche of magma flowed from the volcano, destroying everything in its path. The air was saturated with hot suffocating gas and dust, and getting into the lungs turned into cement, people suffocated. A heavy downpour began.

Loose ash, mixed with water, rushed down the slopes in a hot mud stream. The inhabitants, distraught with fear, rushed to the sea, those who fell were trampled by those running after them. Those who remained on the streets were burned alive. On the third day, the clouds of dust dissipated. The sun sanctified a terrible picture of the dead cities of Pompeii, Stabia and Herculaneum.

Reconstruction of the bodies of the dead

During excavations, the empty cavities left by the bodies of the dead were filled with plaster and their dying postures were reconstructed.

Up to 2,000 remains were recovered in this way. It is believed that about 15 thousand people died during this disaster.

Currently, 75% of the restored excavations are open. Up to 2.5 million people a year come to see the open air.

Remains of an amphitheater for the providence of gladiator fights, residential buildings with intact furnishings, frescoes and mosaics were found. Temples, baths, a large number of drinking establishments, brothels and images of the phallus in drawings, figurines and sculptures.

Punishment for...

In ancient Rome, the phallus was considered a symbol of good luck and a talisman. His images were applied to the walls of various institutions and on the corner houses of the streets. During the excavations, many figurines of the god of fertility Priapus with a huge reproductive organ were found.

In 1819, all objects and frescoes depicting sexual orgies, bestiality and sodomy (homosexuality) found in the ruins were collected in the Secret Cabin of the Archaeological Museum.

Until 2000, this collection was available for viewing only to a narrow circle of people belonging to high society. Now it is open in the Naples Museum, for everyone to get acquainted with this side of the life of the Romans of that era.

Judging by the assortment and number of exhibits, brothels and drinking establishments, the inhabitants were far from chastity and led a cheerful lifestyle. Maybe the catastrophe that happened was a punishment?
present tense

We saw this city on a gray rainy day. Our small amateur video will give you an idea of ​​the ruined city.

Vesuvius, the culprit of a terrible catastrophe, now looks quite peaceful and is again waiting in the wings. The longer he sleeps, the more catastrophic his awakening will be. The past centuries have erased the memory of the past tragedy and people continue to settle in its vicinity.

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A city dug out of the ashes. In appearance, nothing special, the usual ruins of an ancient city, of which there are many. But wandering through the streets, you feel the life of ordinary people who lived two millennia ago and were unexpectedly buried under a five-meter layer of volcanic ash. Ashes and volcanic rocks literally mothballed the city and the condition of the buildings very realistically convey the life and hobbies of that period.

Pompey lived an ordinary life, not suspecting that a killer mountain rises near the city. For several centuries before being buried under the ashes, the city developed until Vesuvius woke up. This happened in 79 AD. By the way, an eruption similar to that time occurs once every two thousand years, it is not difficult to calculate that today's Naples, spread out at the foot, is located on a time bomb.
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And before the eruption, the city had a fairly developed civilization, like in many cities of the Roman Empire. For the amusement of the audience, gladiator fights were held, performances were staged in the amphitheaters, the townspeople took a steam bath in the baths, and those who were especially suffering visited brothels.
Barracks were located at this place, and gladitors conducted training in the clearing.
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Since leisure was limited, performances in the amphitheaters were a great success.
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Buildings hidden under the thickness of volcanic rocks make it easy to determine their purpose. As in all modern civilizations of that time, in a large city there must have been a brothel. Lupanar has survived to our times.
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Lupanar building with separate bedrooms and stone beds, a mattress was thrown over them and mostly slaves from Greece served visitors.

Wall painting suggests that unconventional love flourished quite well in those days. The Romans blame everything on the Greeks, the Greeks allude to the perverts of the Romans. Nevertheless, non-traditional colors came from the Romans.
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A session with a prostitute cost about as much as a small cup of wine.
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Lupanar has always been easy to find by signs on the roads indicating the direction.
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Many houses in Pompeii did not have kitchens, so along the streets there were many thermopoles, or in our eateries. The Romans did everything on the go, dropping into the thermopolis for a snack, they fled further.
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Thermopoly counter
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Cobbled streets of the city.
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The sign "brick" two thousand years ago was literal
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In Pompeii, most houses had an impluvium, a small pool for collecting rainwater.
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By the way, there were problems with the water supply of the city until a certain time. Groundwater in these places lies at 40 meters. The solution to the problem was the built aquiduct. The city consumed almost 6500 cubic meters per day. Tanks were filled with water through an aquiduct, and then it was delivered through three lead pipelines to city drinking fountains, city baths and to the richest houses. Fountains function in our time.
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In some places, the remains of the water supply system have been preserved.
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Public baths were very popular among the residents. Hundreds of slaves stoked the baths in the cellars so that the townspeople could wash themselves.
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Women and men steamed separately. The vaults of the baths are prudently arched so that drops of steam do not drip on people, but flow down to the walls. Windows for temperature control.
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The decoration of the baths is impressive.
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Bath heart. Marble bowl, oven under it.
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Benches for rest with a font.
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In the courtyard there is a pool for cooling.
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These baths were built for the townspeople by a wealthy merchant on the eve of the elections to Mera. Thus, the fighters for power coaxed the voters. A massage bench with the coat of arms of the same merchant is installed in the term.
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Pompeii at that time was a fairly large city. A huge forum was arranged in the center for important events, the main buildings, temples, the municipality, the tribunal, the market and, of course, the square where all the townspeople could gather are concentrated here.
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The echo of the appearance of the Lord Christ on earth has not yet reached Pompeii, so the temples were built in honor of mythological gods or great Roman figures.
Temple of the Genius Vespasian with an altar-altar.
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The surviving work of the masters of the first century
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More streets of Pompeii.
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public toilet
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Tribunal
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During excavations, voids were found in many places. No one could understand what it was until they decided to fill one of the voids with plaster. The result was shocking, voids are people and animals. The bodies perished centuries later, and nature forever captured their death throes.
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Dog
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market scales
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City cemetery. Niches were hollowed out in the rock where the burial was carried out.
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The outer fortification of the city is very soundly. The first century is impressive.
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Pompey surprised. Usually the ancient ruins make you bored and despondent. Pompey captures with its plausibility and a real sense of life of that time. So he did not regret a bit that he marked a place called Pompeii on the map. And that's all for today.

The excavations of ancient Pompeii are the only place where you can see what the ancient Roman city really looked like. There are many ruins of settlements of the Roman period in the world, for example, but it was thanks to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that the city of Pompeii was preserved in its original form.

We didn't have much luck while visiting Pompeii as it was pouring with rain. There are many photos from the archaeological site on this page. Many of them may seem faded to you, but we never edit photos based on relevance, even at the expense of beauty.

By the time of the eruption of Vesuvius, the population of the city consisted of the indigenous inhabitants of half, and the second half consisted of the Romans, who moved here. Ceramics or simply drawings with Greek inscriptions are constantly found in excavations, evidence that Greek culture was still widespread in Pompeii.

The architecture of Pompeii has become almost completely Roman, you can be sure that you will visit the Roman city and see how the people of the great conquerors who conquered the entire Mediterranean lived.

17 years after the earthquake in 79, a terrible catastrophe occurred, the volcano Vesuvius began its most powerful eruption. A huge amount of volcanic ash was thrown into the air, which covered the nearby area with a layer about 6 meters high. The entire city was buried, only parts of the columns and walls of the tallest houses remained above the surface.

When excavations began in 1748, engineers discovered that the city of Pompeii was preserved in its original form and now you can visit it and see firsthand how the Romans lived two thousand years ago. Now archaeological work is still ongoing, another 25% of the city has not been excavated.

Where are and how to get to the excavations of the city of Pompeii.

Attention! In Italian, the city of Naples is called "Napoli". Keep this in mind when looking for the train or bus you need.

There are two routes that will suit you:

First: Train Naples - Sorrento (Napoli - Sorrento). In this case, you need to get off at the Pombei Scavi station.

Second: Train Naples - Scafati (Napoli - Scafati). In this case, you need to get off at Pompei station.

These trains have slightly different routes and stop stations near the excavations are different.

Both trains can be boarded at several locations. The stations are near the metro: Porta Nolana (lines 3 and 4), Piazza Garibaldi (lines 3 and 4), Via Gianturco (line 4), San Giovanni a Teduccio (line 4), Barra (line 4), San Giorgio a Cremano ( 3 line). Please note that metro lines 3 and 4 are not underground, they are funiculars.

The most interesting thing you can see at the excavations of Pompeii.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the roads. The pride of the Roman state, some of them, laid two thousand years ago, still serve in Italy. The pavement of the streets in the city is made of hewn large stone.

The street had a roadway (in the center of the photo) and sidewalks for pedestrians. Pay attention to large stones - this is a very interesting Roman invention. The stones served for pedestrians to cross the street in rainy weather. We appreciated such a system personally, just at the time of our visit to Pompeii, it was raining.

In turn, the wagons drove freely along the street, the wheels passed between the stones. See more photos of roads in the city in a small photo gallery below.

Not all buildings in Pompeii are in good condition. Some of them will not cause serious interest in an ordinary tourist. We will talk about the most interesting places in the city.

The most luxurious house in Pompeii belonged to Lucius Cornelius Sulla and his nephew (although this is more guesswork than facts). It is called the house of the faun. At the entrance to the house there is a pool with a bronze figurine of a faun in the center, hence the name. The statue is quite small in size, about knee-deep for an adult. Faun is not quite ordinary. Most often, this deity is depicted with goat legs and hooves. This sculpture has human legs, but the features and facial expression, hairstyle and posture are exactly the same as it is customary to depict this particular deity. The house had a huge size of 110 by 40 meters. Such a house was a sign of the highest status of the owner, given that it was located within the city walls. An even larger structure could be built outside the walls, the land there was cheap and there was plenty of it. Inside the walls, only the richest citizen of the city could afford such a mansion.

During excavations in the faun's house, a huge amount of jewelry made of gold and silver was found, the most valuable find of precious metals was a gold bracelet in the shape of a snake wrapped around the owner's hand.

But even more valuable finds were mosaics, of which several dozen were found. They have all been removed and replaced with copies. The originals can be seen in the Naples Museum. The most valuable mosaic is called the Battle of Issus. It shows an important battle between Alexander the Great and the Persians led by King Darius. You can see a photo of the original from the Naples Museum below.

Unfortunately, part of the mosaic has been lost forever. The painting itself dates back to 100 BC, that is, it was created more than 200 years after the death of Alexander the Great. Presumably, this is a copy of an even more ancient Greek mosaic.

In Pompeii, in the house of a faun, you can see a copy installed here in 2005. A team of nine craftsmen from the city of Ravenna worked on this copy for two years, led by Severo Bignami. It is impossible to photograph it from above and in its entirety, you will find photos of the sections in a small photo gallery below.

On the grounds of the house was a central building with a pool for collecting rainwater, separate buildings for slaves, a kitchen, a large garden, and several other outbuildings. You will find a photo from the house of the faun in a small gallery below, the garden, of course, was completely destroyed by the eruption, in the photo you will see the reconstruction of the garden.

In Pompeii, several bakeries with millstones for milling flour and ovens for baking bread have been preserved. The Romans did not bake bread at home, but bought it right next to the bakeries, which worked almost around the clock. In most houses and apartments of ordinary citizens there was no device for cooking hot food at all. You will find a photo of the bakery in a small gallery below.

The next building in Pompeii falls under the (18+) category, so those readers who are under 18 years old are prohibited from reading this part of the article. It is clear that this will not stop anyone, but it was worth a try.

This is a well-preserved brothel, which was located on the second floor of the building. Such establishments in Roman cities were not chic. Usually the brothel consisted of several rooms without windows and even without ventilation.

The berths were very small and covered with straw and skins on top. Customers and attendants (we know how to pick up decent synonyms) were sitting rather than lying down. The only decoration of the rooms were frescoes and images of clearly erotic content. See photos in the gallery below.

The large amphitheater is poorly preserved, the steps in it were wooden and were completely destroyed by the eruption. It was used mainly for gladiator fights and similar bloody performances for the crowd.

The Maly Theater is better preserved, its benches were made of stone. In the small theater, theatrical performances, debates or speeches by speakers were most often staged.

The central place of the city was the square, which in Roman cities was called the forum, it served both as a market and as a meeting place for citizens on political issues.

Some historians claim that the forum accommodated all the inhabitants of the city, which is doubtful. The population of Pompeii at the time of its heyday was more than 20,000 people. In the photo below you see the figures of people, we think that 20,000 people simply will not fit in the square.

During the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the death of the city, according to various estimates, from 2 to 16 thousand people died. About 1000 bodies were found during excavations, but in a very interesting form. People were littered with ashes right in those poses in which they died. Hollows have formed in the ashes and they are filled with plaster to make a cast.