Ancient city of Pompeii was formed back in the 6th century BC. If it were not for the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which burned the entire city to the ground, covering it with a huge layer of volcanic ash, Pompeii would still exist not far from Naples. Now these are ruins that UNESCO has listed as a World Heritage Site.
The name Pompeii arose after the unification of five independent cities (pumpe - five). This is a more plausible version. There is a legend according to which Hercules defeated the giant Geryon in a tough battle, and after that he solemnly walked around the city, celebrating the victory. From the ancient Greek language pumpe is a solemn, triumphal procession.
In those days, people believed in God, and believed that the gods controlled earthly cataclysms. Despite the fact that on February 5, 62 AD. e. A strong earthquake occurred, which could possibly have been the impetus for a volcanic eruption, people still continued to live in the city, worshiping the gods, and believing that no misfortune would happen to them. Still, the volcano erupted. It happened August 24, 79 AD Not only the city of Pompeii suffered, but also nearby cities - Herculaneum, Stabiae. The eruption was so strong that the ash even reached neighboring countries - Egypt and Syria. About 20 thousand people lived in the city. Some managed to escape even before the disaster began, but many died. The exact number of victims is unknown, but the remains of bodies were found far outside the city.
The city remained under a layer of ash for many centuries until in 1592 by Dominico Fontana(a famous architect of that time) did not stumble upon the city wall while laying a canal from the Sarno River. No one gave this wall much importance, and only about 100 years later in the ruins of Pompeii they found a tablet with the inscription “Pompeii” carved on it. Even after this incident, no one could have imagined that this was an ancient city that had disappeared from the face of the earth. They concluded that this was the old villa of Pompey the Great.
And so in 1748 the extraction of the ancient city began. Led the excavations Alcubierre, who was sure that this was the city of Stabiae. Directly in Pompeii itself, only three excavations were carried out in different places. Alcubierre was a barbarian, and he sent all finds that, in his opinion, were of interest to the Naples Museum, and simply destroyed others. Many scientists protested, and the excavations stopped.
In 1760, new excavations began, led by F. Vega. They continued until 1804. Vega and his subordinates spent 44 years retrieving works of art. All finds were restored again and removed very carefully. At this time, tourists had already begun to come here, so many monuments were not immediately transferred to museums, but were left on display for visitors to the city of Pompeii, which had already become a museum.
In 1863, excavations continued. This time they were led Giuseppe Fiorelli. It was he who discovered a huge number of voids under layers of ash. These are nothing more than the bodies of the city's inhabitants. By filling these voids with plaster, scientists completely reproduced casts of human bodies, right down to facial expressions.
Pompeii is studied in school textbooks, and ancient finds at excavation sites have never ceased to amaze scientists and ordinary modern people for centuries. The history of this city is truly worthy of close attention.
Volcano Vesuvius
Vesuvius is an active volcano in the vicinity of Naples, 1281 meters high. This is one of the most dangerous continental volcanoes in Europe, and one of the most famous, largely due to the fact that almost 2000 years ago it buried several ancient cities and nearby villages. Among them are cities such as Stabiae, Herculaneum, and the most famous of them - Pompeii, which was located closest to all other settlements to Vesuvius.
City of Pompeii
Pompeii was a typical ancient Roman city, until the tragic events of 79 AD, when within 24 hours the entire city was filled with ash and covered with hot lava of the volcano. Excavations of the city began at the end of the 16th century, when, during the creation of a well from the Sarno River and the construction of a well, fragments of the city wall, as well as several buildings underground, were discovered.
However, until the middle of the 18th century, excavations were not carried out there. Initially, scientists participating in the excavations assumed that this was the city of Stabiae, and not Pompeii. And only the excavation of an antique statue with an inscription, preserved in excellent condition, proved that this was Pompeii. The main focus of excavations was on nearby Herculaneum, and only three sites were excavated in Pompeii itself.
During the cataclysm, most of the residents fled their homes, but more than 2,000 people were buried alive under many meters of volcanic ash.
It is worth noting that thanks to this very fact, everything in the city has been preserved as it was before the eruption. It is difficult to answer the question; people did not leave, seeing a large-scale disaster. Perhaps the residents thought that this was another earthquake, which had happened several times before, or they simply did not realize the full scale of the disaster. In any case, no one will probably ever know. The city has been “mothballed” to some extent, so now tourists have the opportunity to see with their own eyes the life of ancient people. There you can even observe the plaster bodies of people in their last moments of life.
Many city structures were excavated and preserved in amazing condition. In particular, the basilica, the city hall, the temple of the Lares, the temple of Vespasian, the Maccellum market, the comitia, the temple of Apollo, the temple of Jupiter, the Bolshoi and Small theaters, many statues and sculptures, as well as other structures.
Excavations are still ongoing today; about 20% of the territory remains unexcavated, and the city itself is an open-air museum and
I remember as a child, seeing K. Bryullov’s painting “The Last Day of Pompeii”, I was greatly shocked. The huge one 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 reasons for 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 didn’t people 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 buildings. But the residents did not move to new places, but began to rebuild it again. Without even suspecting the impending disaster.
And the cruel killer Vesuvius from a height of 1300 meters silently watched the human bustle and waited in the wings. And this 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 out to the sides, covering the sky. This was accompanied by a terrible roar and underground shelves. Every hour, volcanic ash covered the ground with a layer of up to 20 cm.
Human factor
Part of the population managed to leave Pompeii on the first day. There remained stubborn people who did not want to leave their homes and slaves whom their owners left to guard their property. They tried to hide in houses, not realizing that they were dooming 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 when it entered the lungs it turned into cement, people suffocated. A heavy downpour began.
Loose ash, mixed with water, rushed down the slopes in a hot mud stream. The residents, mad with fear, rushed to the sea, and those who fell were trampled by those running behind them. Those remaining on the streets were burned alive. On the third day, the clouds of dust cleared. The sun illuminated the terrible picture of the dead cities of Pompeii, Stabia and Herculaneum.
Reconstruction of the bodies of the dead
The buried city was discovered by accident in the 16th century. But excavations began only in the 18th century. The sudden and rapid death of Pompeii under a multi-meter layer of magma and ash preserved many houses with interior furnishings, frescoes, mosaics and interesting architecture.
During excavations, the empty cavities left by the bodies of the dead were filled with plaster and their dying poses were reconstructed.
In this way, up to 2,000 remains were recovered. 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 it in the open air.
The remains of an amphitheater for gladiator fights, residential buildings with intact furnishings, frescoes and mosaics have been discovered. 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 painted on the walls of various establishments and on street corners. During the excavations, many figurines of the God of Fertility Priapus with a genital organ of enormous size were found.
In 1819, all the 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 residents were far from chastity and led a cheerful lifestyle. Maybe the disaster that occurred was a punishment?
Present tense
We saw this city on a gray rainy day. Our short amateur video will give you an idea of the destroyed city.
Vesuvius, the culprit of the 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 passing centuries have erased the memory of the past tragedy and people continue to settle in its vicinity.
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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(triumphal procession): according to the legend about the founding of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum by the hero Hercules, he, having defeated the giant Geryon, solemnly marched through the city.
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 killed by the eruption was Pliny the Elder, who, out of scientific interest and 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 of the city
Wall painting and fresco 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.
- Inlay or structural (- years BC) - characterized by rustication (laying or facing walls with stones with a rough, convex front surface) and painting imitating facing with marble slabs. Arose under the influence of Hellenistic art, reproductions of Greek paintings are often found.
- Architectural style (80 BC -14 AD) - 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.
- Egyptianized or ornamental (from 14 AD) - a transition to flat ornaments, framed by paintings, usually of pastoral themes.
- 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 there were statues of Nero and Drusus.
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
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
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
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
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 by 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 rebuilt 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
The originals of most works of ancient Roman art (frescoes, mosaics) are exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. There are copies in the houses themselves.
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. The frescoes were moved to the Archaeological Museum of Naples.
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
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 the Vettii
A small but richly decorated house that belonged to the freedmen merchants Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus. The wall painting was made after 62 in the fourth style. Through the entrance and vestibule, where there is a famous fresco of Priapus, one enters the atrium, the walls of which are decorated with friezes of cupids and psyches. The two wings of the atrium are decorated with medallions with the heads of Medusa and Silenus (right) and a fresco with fighting roosters (left). Another entrance leads here from the street through outbuildings.
To the right is a second small atrium with a lararium (separate sanctuary). The peristyle, rectangular in plan, is perpendicular to the direction of the main entrance. It is decorated with Doric columns and wall paintings. The peristyle was completely restored, even the flower beds were recreated using the remaining traces. The triclinium opens into the peristyle, the walls of which are painted with cupids imitating human activities. Scenes of trade, chariot racing, metalworking, weaving, grape harvesting, and festivals are visible. There are also a large number of frescoes illustrating episodes of myths and images of gods. In the hall to the left of the peristyle is young Hercules strangling snakes.
House of Gilded Cupids
Graffiti on the wall of the house names its owner as Poppaea Abito, a relative of Poppaea, Nero's second wife.
The peristyle was probably used for theatrical performances: one of the colonnades is raised like a stage. Medallions and masks were hung between the columns. The peristyle garden is filled with busts and bas-reliefs; in its northern part there is a lararium, in the southern part there is a sanctuary of Isis. The tablinium and triclinium are decorated with frescoes based on Greek myths. Discs with cupids on gold leaves are inserted into the wall of one of the rooms.
House of Menander
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):
- Keep your feet clean and do not dirty your linens and beds,
- Respect women and avoid obscene speech,
- 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.
It was excavated in 1954, but only as a result of research by employees of the University of Maryland it was discovered that the garden was intended for growing plants from which perfumes and fragrant oils were produced. Perhaps flower garlands were also made here. As a result of these studies, the house received a second name - the Perfumer's House.
City fortifications
The walls of Pompeii are 3220 m long and have 7 gates (the existence of an eighth is controversial). Built along its entire perimeter already in the 6th-5th centuries BC. e. (at that time most of the fortified area had not yet been built up, but was occupied by gardens and vegetable gardens) made of limestone and tuff, filled with earth inside. Under Samnite rule, a mound was made on the inside, allowing the defenders to climb to the top of the walls and providing them with additional strength. In the 3rd century BC. e. this embankment is reinforced with stone. 12 towers on the most vulnerable northern and eastern sides were added in the 2nd and early 1st centuries BC. uh..
The Herculan (or Salt) Gate was completely rebuilt during the Augustan era, losing its protective functions and becoming more like a three-span triumphal arch. Between them and the Vesuvian Gate, damage caused by Sulla's siege weapons is visible on the city wall.
On August 24, 79, Vesuvius erupted. It was so strong that it completely destroyed three cities. Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae simply disappeared from the face of the Earth. Many residents died in severe torture, and their houses were buried under a multi-meter layer of stones and volcanic ash.
It is believed that the story of the death of Pompeii is well known. Archaeological excavations are constantly underway there. Eyewitness accounts have also been preserved. The same Pliny described everything in great detail. However, much about this tragedy remains unclear, and new facts are constantly emerging:
The inhabitants of Pompeii knew that there might be an eruption
The harbinger of the tragedy was a powerful earthquake that occurred in 62. There were practically no undamaged buildings left in the city at that time, some were completely destroyed. And the day before the eruption of 79 there was a series of tremors. Of course, the inhabitants of Pompeii did not understand that this was connected with the volcano. But they believed: the earth was shaking due to the heavy tread of the giants, who warned that people were in danger of death.
Shortly before the eruption, the water temperature in the Bay of Naples increased sharply, and in some places reached the boiling point. All streams and wells on the slopes of Vesuvius have dried up. From the depths of the mountain, eerie sounds began to be heard, reminiscent of a drawn-out groan. I wonder, which in recent years has been heard all over the planet, also foreshadows the death of thousands of people?
Most of the residents managed to leave the city
About a tenth of the population died on the streets of Pompeii - about 2 thousand people. The rest may have managed to escape. This means that the disaster did not take people by surprise. This is clear from Pliny's letters. True, the remains of the dead were found outside the city, so no one knows the exact number of dead. According to some reports, the total number of victims of the eruption in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia is 16 thousand people.
People fled to the harbor, hoping to leave the dangerous territory by sea. During excavations on the coast, many remains were discovered. Apparently, the ships were unable or did not have time to accept everyone. And those who remained hoped to sit out in remote cellars or closed rooms. Then, however, they tried to get out, but it was too late.
How Pompeii really died
Some believe that people burned alive in streams of hot lava, and the city was engulfed in flames. In fact, everything was not like that. Vesuvius practically did not erupt lava at that time. And if fires did break out anywhere, it was only by accident. This is known from the letters of Pliny.
First, a gray-black column of smoke and ash rose from the crater. Then the volcano began to eject larger debris. The hot cloud reached 33 kilometers in height. The energy of Vesuvius was many times greater than that released during the atomic explosion over Hiroshima. People rushed through the streets in panic, but quickly became exhausted, fell and covered their heads with their hands in despair.
Destructive hydrothermal pyroclastic flows poured into the city. Their temperatures reached 700 °C. They brought fear and death. Hot water mixed with ash, and the resulting mass stuck to everything that was in its path. A rockfall began. All this lasted 18-20 hours. The volcano erupted a huge amount of stones and slag.
It was difficult to breathe, a heavy black veil hung in the air. People fought for their lives, tried to escape from imminent death, and find safe areas. Then they fell exhausted, and were quickly covered with ash. They suffocated and died in cruel agony. Distorted faces, mouths open in a silent scream, convulsively clenched hands, cramped fingers... This is how most of the townspeople died.
As a result, the city was buried under volcanic rocks. The bottom layer consists of stones and small pieces of plasma. Its average thickness is 7 meters. Then there is a two-meter layer of ash. The total is about 9 meters, but in some places the thickness of the rubble was much greater.
The creepy photos are not corpses, but just plaster casts
Most of Pompeii's inhabitants are buried in the upper layers of volcanic ash. They lay there for almost 2 thousand years, but, at first glance, they were well preserved. In the photographs, which are abundant on the Internet, you can see not only the position of the bodies at the moment of death, but even the expression of horror and agony on the faces of the unfortunate people.
But in fact, these are only casts that archaeologists make. The first to come up with this idea was a certain Giuseppe Fiorelli, who led the excavations. Back in 1870, he discovered that voids had formed at the sites where people died. After all, the ash mixed with water that poured onto the city during the eruption densely stuck around the dead. The mass dried and hardened, preserving the exact imprints of bodies, folds of clothing, facial features and even the smallest wrinkles.
By filling them with plaster, the scientist received accurate and very realistic casts. This is how he managed to reproduce people’s poses and obtain their death masks. But the bodies themselves have long since turned to dust. And it’s still creepy... These are not for you, which look more like ordinary fakes. Everything is real here.
The death of Pompeii is a punishment for moral degradation
So, at least, some historians and philosophers thought. Indeed, when archaeologists excavated the city, they found many frescoes with unambiguous content. And there were more lupanariums (in other words, brothels) and separate rooms for meetings with prostitutes than, for example, bakeries. No wonder the inhabitants of Pompeii were considered the most dissolute in the Roman Empire.
Vesuvius is still dangerous, the tragedy may repeat itself
After 79, several more eruptions occurred. And each time it was a terrible tragedy. So, in 1631, approximately 4 thousand people became victims of the volcano. In 1805, an eruption killed about 26 thousand people and destroyed most of Naples. In 1944, 27 people died and lava flows destroyed the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano. You can read more about the volcano, and about the death of Pompeii -. By the way, there are documentary videos: