A visit to which will help you immerse yourself in history. Pompeii is one of the most significant places in Italy, preserved ancient city, leaving an unforgettable impression. You can get to the ancient city of Pompeii by going to the south of the country. Near Naples is the beautifully preserved ancient city of Pompeii. Every day thousands of tourists from all over the world visit dead city. The preserved ancient city will allow you to see and immerse yourself in the tragic history of antiquity.

Why you need to plunge into the world of antiquity in Pompeii and how they can surprise you can be read in this article.

There are several legends that tell the story of the ancient city of Pompeii. One of them says that the ancient city of Pompeii appeared in the Apennines thanks to very fertile lands; the proximity of the volcano did not bother the first settlers. The Auzones were the first to settle in Pompeii and began to cultivate the generous lands; later, in the 6th century BC, the Oscan tribe also settled here. The ancient city connected five settlements on its territory. Artistic creations in the form of wall paintings, mosaics, sculptures - all this was displayed on houses, public buildings,.

There is a more romantic story that says that Hercules defeated Geryon and founded Pompeii in honor of his triumphant battle.

The ancient city of Pompeii during its heyday

In the 6th century BC. The city lived through its best years; the main attractions date back to this time, which can still be seen today. The ancient city of Pompeii was surrounded by a fortress wall, and a ancient sanctuary. The ancient city was ruled by the Samnites (the peoples of Italy during antiquity), later Pompeii became a colony and lost its status as a free city. Families of patricians moved to Pompeii and built beautiful villas here; they were very attracted by the land, generous with sun and warmth, as well as a very comfortable climate. These bottoms in Pompeii were erected:

1. Villa of Mysteries. This building is interesting because of the design of the walls, on which Dionysian rituals were painted; such graphic designs were previously used in the design of tapestries.
2. Appian Way. Between Rome and the south of Italy, during the heyday of the ancient city of Pompeii, a road appeared connecting the center and south of the country.
3. Forum. An incredibly powerful building measuring 157x38 m, which during the time of Pompeii could accommodate up to 20 thousand spectators.
4. An amphitheater for various shows, competitions and baiting of wild animals. There were two of them in Pompeii. One accommodated 5, the second - 1.5 thousand.

This period of Pompeii's existence is marked special attention to the external design of the city, a huge number of statues, frescoes, mosaics. The decorations of Pompeii have an aesthetic component; craft trends developed in the ancient city.

For a long time, a century and a half after people settled in this fertile land, the volcano showed no signs of life. Small eruptions did not cause any trouble to Pompeii. And in 62 AD. In early February, a volcanic eruption brought the first serious destruction to the city. The city has not yet had time to recover, as in 79 BC. Once again the life of Pompeii depended on the eruption of Vesuvius. The lava burned the entire area around Pompeii and destroyed the city.

The ancient city of Pompeii is reborn from the ashes after a thousand years. The volcano subsided and the inhabitants again began to populate the fertile lands; the new settlers did not know about the tragedy that occurred many centuries ago. What attracted new residents to these lands? Bright sun, fertile land and wonderful climate. During excavation work, people began to find the remains of fortress walls, structures, fragments of frescoes and inscriptions. Already in 1748, excavations began. Initially, archaeologists assumed that the burned city was Stabiae. When the border pillar was found in 1763, it became clear to everyone that the structures of ancient Pompeii had been found.

When visiting Pompeii today you can see almost the entire ancient city. A quarter of Pompeii is currently closed to visitors; excavations are still underway.

During a tour of the ancient city of Pompeii, you will be taken to the arena, you will see a private gymnastics school - palaestra, theaters, baths (baths of the ancient city), partially preserved ancient houses.

Tourists in Pompeii are taken to a rustic lupanarium (brothel) famous for its famous frescoes depicting themes of frivolity.

Near the ruins of the Herculanean Gate you will see the Villa of the Mysteries with amazing frescoes preserved.

Also worth visiting is the Villa Diomedes. During excavations at Pompeii, 20 people who died during the volcanic eruption were discovered in this place.

The decoration of buildings in Pompeii is surprising due to its attention to to different parties life and level of embodiment. Pictures depicting birds and animals, fish, placed in the premises of the city once replaced wallpaper and tapestries for residents. Now the originals are in a museum in Naples, and in Pompeii the life of the ancient city has been recreated by the hands of museum workers.

Worth watching carefully, for example, “The Pompeii Cat”, “Plato’s Academy”, “Alexandra’s Mosaic”, “The Comedians”.

Touch the beauty and be surprised by the desire of the ancients to surround themselves with art in Pompeii.

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 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
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 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 were 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. uh.. C three sides it was surrounded by a portico, on the south side there was a pedestal where award ceremonies were held, and utility rooms 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

Bolshoi Theater, which became cultural center city, was built in the III-II 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 big windows with sea views. 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 uniform hourglass without bottom and 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. As detergent they used soda or urine that stood for 1-2 weeks, which saponified the fat located in the tissue. 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 should be rinsed thoroughly 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 whole technological process 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 IV-III 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, interior walls made in technology opus africanum (vertical structures made of alternating vertical and horizontal blocks laid 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. Ibid. 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):

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 bath rooms was rented out.

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

It was relatively little 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 with inside an embankment was made to allow the defenders to climb to the top of the walls and provide 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, having lost 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.

Perhaps everyone knows about the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 and the destruction of the city of Pompeii. The layers of ash and magma that covered Pompeii preserved entire houses, not to mention trees, people, and animals. Now it is possible not only to see what the same city of Pompeii looked like 2000 years ago, but also to reconstruct the course of the 19-hour volcanic eruption. However, not everything is still known about what happened on that distant August day during the reign. Thanks to modern science Scientists are putting forward more and more new versions about the true causes of the terrible tragedy.

The first harbinger of the disaster was the earthquake in 63. It turned the area around Vesuvius into a desert and destroyed part of Pompeii. Over time, passions subsided, fear passed, and the city was rebuilt again. No one could have imagined that an even more terrible fate awaited people.

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

It all started at one o'clock in the afternoon on August 24th. With a terrible roar, the top of the volcano opened up, a column of smoke rose above it and clouds of ash flew, which could even reach the regions of Rome. A real downpour of stones and ash fell from the sky with noise and roar, eclipsing the sun. Frightened people fled from the city. Then streams of lava poured out of the volcano. The city of Herculaneum, closest to Vesuvius, was flooded by avalanches of mud formed from ash, water and lava. Rising, they filled the entire city, flowing into windows and doors. Almost no one managed to escape.

The neighboring city of Pompeii did not see any dirt. At first, clouds of ash fell on him, which seemed to be easy to shake off, but then pieces of porous lava and pumice, several kilograms each, began to fall. In the first hours, quite a lot of residents may have managed to leave the city. However, when most people realized what they were in danger of, it was already too late. Sulfur fumes descended on the city, making it difficult to breathe. The townspeople died either under the blows of falling lava, or simply suffocated.

48 hours later the sun shone again. However, the city of Pompeii had ceased to exist by that time. Everything within a radius of 80 km was destroyed. The lava solidified and turned into stone again. The ashes even carried to Africa, Syria, and Egypt. And above Vesuvius there was only a thin column of smoke.

Excavation results, description of the tragedy

Centuries later, when excavations were carried out at the site of Pompeii, many fossilized statues were recovered - victims of that eruption. Scientists managed to find out why they survived. It’s as if nature took care of future archaeologists. Immediately after the eruption, a powerful, hot downpour rained down on the vicinity of Vesuvius, turning the ash into mud, which reliably covered the bodies. Subsequently, this dirt turned into a kind of cement. The flesh that was drenched in it gradually decomposed, but the volume that it once occupied remained hollow inside the hardened substance.

1777 - for the first time, not just a skeleton was found at the Villa Diomede, but also an imprint of the body under it, but only in 1864 did the head of the excavations, Giuseppe Fiorolli, figure out how to restore the appearance of the deceased. Having tapped the surface and discovered the cavity that remained from the decomposed body, archaeologists made a small hole and poured liquid plaster into it. Filling the cavern, he created a cast that accurately conveyed the dying pose of the Pompeian.

This method made it possible to restore hundreds of human bodies: in some cases, the hairstyles of the victims, the folds of their clothes and even facial expressions are clearly visible, thanks to which we can imagine in great detail the last minutes of the life of the unfortunate city. The casts captured all the horror and despair of that distant catastrophe, forever stopping the moment: to this day, a woman holds a baby in her arms, and two girls cling to the hems of her clothes. A young man and woman lie side by side, as if they had just fallen while running. And outside the northern walls of the city, some unfortunate person loses his balance, in vain tugging at the goat's leash.

Everywhere, death instantly overtook many people. In the house of a certain Quintus Poppaeus, 10 slaves fell dead while climbing the stairs to the upper chambers; the one going first held a bronze lamp. In the house of Publius Pacuvius Proculus, seven children were crushed when the second floor collapsed, unable to withstand the weight of the lava. In the building where the wine trade was carried out, 34 people took refuge under the vaulted ceiling, taking bread and fruit with them to wait out the eruption, but they could not get out. In one country estate, 18 adults and 2 children died in the cellar, and the owner of the estate, clutching a silver key in his hand, died outside the house at the garden gate overlooking the fields. Next to him was a manager who carried the owner’s money and other valuables.

In Menander's house, the owners fled, leaving the gatekeeper to guard the property. The old man lay down in his closet by the door and died, clutching his master's purse to his chest. At the Nukeria Gate a beggar begged for alms - they gave him small change and gave him brand new sandals, but he could no longer go anywhere in them. A tied dog was forgotten in the House of Vesonia Prima. The dog climbed up through the ash and pumice as long as the length of the chain allowed.

50 gladiators remained in the barracks forever, two were chained to the wall. But among them there was also someone from completely different social strata: she was a woman, apparently rich and noble. The bones that remained from her were decorated with pearls, rings and other jewelry. Was it a generous benefactor who took care of several fighters at once and was caught dead during a routine visit to her charges? Or was she visiting her lover that fateful night? We will never know anything about this mysterious story.

There are many touching facts about the Pompeians, frozen forever in 79, that can be told. Some of the bodies are on display for tourists in Pompeii’s “Garden of the Fugitives,” but most are kept in the storerooms of the museum there.

Why did the inhabitants of Pompeii die?

It was traditionally believed that the death of all Pompeians was long and painful: they inhaled ash, which turned into a kind of cement in their lungs, blocking their breathing. But relatively recently, a group of Naples volcanologists led by Giuseppe Mastrolorenzo questioned this theory. They concluded that the victims did not thrash about, did not suffocate or gasp for air - they were instantly killed by the pyroclastic flow.

According to volcanologists' calculations, Vesuvius ejected six such streams one after another. The first three stopped short of reaching the city, located 4.5 km from the base of the volcano. It was they who destroyed all life in neighboring Herculaneum, Stabiae and the seaside town of Oplontis, which had the misfortune of being located a little closer to Vesuvius (and which, alas, are rarely remembered as victims of that disaster). But the death of Pompeii came from the fourth wave 18 m high, rushing at a speed modern car(approximately 104 km/h) and covered the city with hot gas. Everything lasted no more than a minute, perhaps even less. But this was enough for hundreds of people to die instantly.

Scientists examined the remains of 650 Pompeians and compared them with 37 skeletons discovered at Oplontis and 78 from Herculaneum. Based on the color and structure of the bones, they calculated that the inhabitants of Herculaneum and Oplontis died from a pyroclastic flow with a temperature of 500–600 °C, and the Pompeians died from a flow that was colder: 250–300 °C. In the first case, people were instantly burned to the bones, but in the second, they were not. Therefore, in Herculaneum there was no intact human flesh left, which, being covered with ash, would then create a cavity, as happened with the Pompeians.

But what then explains that the majority of the inhabitants of Pompeii, as can be seen from their plaster casts, mouths wide open? After all, this is what made it possible to attribute their death to suffocation in the first place. Volcanologists answer that this is cataleptic rigor. The unfortunate people froze in those positions in which they were unexpectedly overtaken by a wave of hot gas. And in fact, a sharp muscle spasm stopped many of them from moving, for example, in a running position, but a person who is short of breath cannot run. According to Mastrolorenzo, the victim's open mouth is a final cry of pain, not a desire to breathe; hands raised to the face are the result of a convulsive spasm, and not protection from the ash.

Why did everyone always explain the poses of the unfortunate people as suffocation? Exclusively thanks to the convincing story of the Roman historian Pliny the Younger, who reported in letters to Tacitus about the death of his uncle, Pliny the Elder, during the eruption. At the time of the eruption, he and his family were in the port of the Gulf of Naples near Pompeii. Pliny the Elder, admiral of the Roman fleet, headed the squadron to the dying cities.

Soon he reached the nearest one - Stabius. However, as soon as the admiral and his team went ashore, a poisonous sulfur cloud enveloped the coast. Pliny the Younger wrote: “The uncle stood up, leaning on two slaves, and immediately fell... I think because the thick fumes took his breath away. When daylight returned, his body was found completely intact, dressed as he was; he looked more like someone sleeping than someone dead.” The rescuers died of suffocation, and 2,000 refugees died with them. But the fact is that in Pompeii, archaeologists rarely find bodies in Pliny’s pose; most of those remaining in the city were actively engaged in something at the time of death.

Life and everyday life in the city of Pompeii before the disaster

It is noteworthy that in Pompeii, a month before the volcanic eruption, elections of local magistrates were held, and a variety of electoral appeals were preserved on the walls of houses. Among them, few express the wishes of individuals, but the vast majority look like this:

“Gaius Cuspius Pansa is proposed as an aedile by all master jewelers,” “Please, make Trebius an aedile, he is being nominated by confectioners,” “Marcus Golconius Prisca and Gaius Gaius Rufus are proposed by Phoebus as a duumvir with their regular customers.” The sign uniting the authors of the inscription could be the strangest: “Vatia is offered to the aedile, united, all lovers of sleep” or: “Gaia Julia Polybius - to the duumvirs. A lover of academic pursuits, and with him a baker.”

The artists were artisans who, interestingly, worked in a “team method”: some made the mortar and paints, others created the base for the fresco, and still others painted it. Experts today learned that the Pompeians mixed paints with water to create different shades on the wall, which was still damp from fresh plaster. After this, the painting was polished with stone rollers. Due to the fact that the frescoes have survived to this day, scientists have come to the conclusion that the Pompeians had 4 different styles of wall painting in their arsenal.

In the 3rd century BC. e. They applied plaster to the sandstone, which they then painted to create a colored background for the wall, and only after that they applied the design. If in 85-80 BC. e. depicted real people, then in the 30s images already appeared on the walls literary heroes. A little later they switched to decor reminiscent of impressionist paintings. What’s interesting: after the volcanic eruption, similar frescoes were never repeated anywhere else.

The mosaics of the Pompeii are especially fascinating. It was made of glass or ceramics. Moreover, mosaic played not only an aesthetic role, but also functional role in dwellings. For example, “messages” were laid out on mosaic floors. If a figure of a dog was placed at the entrance, this could indicate the wealth of the owner of the house, and the “dog” was called upon to guard this wealth.

There were quite a lot of mosaics in the houses and baths of the city residents. 1831 - archaeologists found mosaic panel, made from one and a half million cubes! We are talking about a mosaic that depicts him leading a duel with the Persian king Darius. Alex Barbe believes that this panel was located in the villa of a very rich resident of Pompeii, since his bathhouse, also completely decorated with mosaics, was nearby. Fountains were also decorated in the same way - both in the city and in the gardens of the rich.

The salons for receiving guests were especially skillfully decorated. There could be several of them. The refectory was organized in the Greek style: there are three beds with pillows arranged in a semi-oval. They accepted treats while reclining. In such a dining room there were usually three doors, two of which were intended exclusively for servants.

The inhabitants of Pompeii were known in the ancient world as great food lovers. The mild Mediterranean climate made it possible to grow various vegetables and fruits, fish splashed nearby, and there was plenty of meat. Skilled slave cooks prepared delicacies that were famous far beyond the city. Various recipes The food served was strictly stored. Sometimes the owners set such slaves free in gratitude for their culinary skills, however, stipulating the conditions: their successor students must be the same masters in preparing dishes as they were.

First excavations of the city

However, several centuries passed, and the Italians forgot exactly where the lost cities were located. Legends conveyed echoes of ancient events to residents. But who died? Where and when? Peasants who dug wells on their estates often found traces of ancient buildings in the ground. Only in late XVI century, while building an underground tunnel near the city of Torre Annunziata, builders stumbled upon the remains of an ancient wall. Another 100 years later, while constructing a well, workers discovered part of a building with the inscription: “Pompeii.”

Serious excavations in the area of ​​the disaster began only in the second half XVIII century. But archaeologists did not have enough experience to properly carry out work of this scale. Excavated buildings, after all the most interesting things were removed from them - usually jewelry and ancient statues - were filled up again. As a result, many priceless artifacts and everyday items of the townspeople were lost. However, already in late XVIII centuries, archaeologists grabbed their heads and brought order to the excavations.

And during the reign of Joachim Murat, a former Napoleonic marshal who eventually became the ruler of Naples, excavations began to be carried out in a completely civilized manner, according to all the rules of science. Now scientists paid attention to the arrangement of things, their environment, simple tools and household utensils. Three quarters of the buried cities have been excavated to this day. But there's more to come big job, promising scientists new amazing discoveries.

It should be noted right away that the bodies of deceased citizens in the Roman Empire were not buried, but cremated. For modern historians, this is a big disadvantage, since bones can reveal a lot about a person’s life. What he ate, what he was sick with, what kind of lifestyle he led. Therefore, skeletons, whose age is estimated at two thousand years, are very valuable. Finding them in Italy is difficult. Hence the enormous archaeological significance of Pompeii. In this city, which was buried under a multi-meter layer of volcanic ash, a lot of skeletons have been preserved.

The death of Pompeii dates back to August 24, 79.. In 62 years, it will be possible to celebrate 2000 years since the death of the city. By historical standards, the period is relatively short. By the standards of space - an instant. But if we consider the tragedy from the perspective of the duration of human life, then a huge period of time has passed.

History of Pompeii

Pompeii itself was founded in the 6th century BC. e. The city absorbed 5 small settlements and turned into a single administrative entity. These were the possessions of the Etruscans, those same ancient tribes whose culture served as the basis of Roman culture. At the end of the 5th century, the city was captured by the Samnites, and 100 years later Pompeii threw in its lot with the Roman Republic. Residents of the city enjoyed great rights and were considered not subjects, but allies of Rome.

But such an alliance was a mere formality. The Roman Senate looked at such cities from a consumer perspective. Citizens were recruited to serve in the army, but were not given Roman citizenship. They were also deprived of material issues concerning rights to public lands. All this gave birth to an uprising.

Pompeii city plan

In 89 BC. e. Troops entered Pompeii, and the city was declared a colony of the Roman Republic. The city forever lost even its formal independence. But this had no effect on the residents. For the remaining 90 years they lived freely and securely. The lands were fertile, the sea was nearby, the climate was mild, and noble Romans willingly built villas in these places.

Nearby was the city of Herculaneum. Legionnaires who retired, as well as former slaves who became free citizens, settled there. In the Roman Republic, any slave could buy freedom or receive it as a gift for some merit. These are the people who inhabited the city.

Another neighboring city was called Stabiae. This was the place of the Roman nouveau riche. There were luxurious villas surrounded by greenery. The houses of the poor people were located at a distance. Servants, artisans, and merchants lived in them. They all fed from rich people, providing for their needs.

The death of Pompeii is inextricably linked with these two cities. They were also buried under the volcanic ash of the “awakened” Vesuvius. Most of the residents died. Only those who left their homes at the very beginning of the eruption were saved. They abandoned all their property and left, thereby saving the lives of themselves and their loved ones.

Pompeii street

From the day of its formation, Pompeii was actively built. Construction was especially busy in the last 300 years before the tragedy. A huge amphitheater with 20 thousand seats was erected. Its construction dates back to 80 BC. e. Gladiator fights were held in the arena, which was 135 meters long and 105 meters wide. 100 years earlier, ancient builders built the Bolshoi Theater for 5 thousand spectators. Almost simultaneously with the amphitheater, the Maly Theater was built for 1.5 thousand spectators.

The city had many temples dedicated to various gods. There was a forum in the center. This is an area formed from public buildings. It hosted both political and commercial life. The streets were straight and intersected perpendicularly.

The city's water supply was carried out through an aqueduct. This is a large tray on supports. The builders always made a slight slope, and the water ran along it. Life-giving moisture came into the city from mountain springs. From the aqueduct it flowed into a huge reservoir. It was located above residential buildings and had many pipes that ran from it to the houses of wealthy citizens. That is, there was running water available, but only for wealthy people.

The common people were content with public fountains. Pipes from the tank also approached them. But there was one unpleasant nuance. All pipes were made of lead. This naturally affected people's health and affected life expectancy. If people of those times knew about this, they most likely would have made silver pipes. This would have a very positive impact on your health.

In the courtyard of a luxury villa
The quality brickwork is noteworthy

The city was supplied with bread by bakeries. There was textile production. There was a powerful fortress wall and, of course, thermal baths (baths). They were extremely popular in Ancient Rome. In such places, people not only washed, but also communicated, discussing the latest social and commercial news.

Archaeologists even found a lupanarium. This is what brothels were called in the Roman era. In Pompeii it was a 2-story stone building. There were 5 rooms on each floor. It is assumed that there were still 30 single rooms in the city. They were located above wine shops in different residential areas.

If you count, it turns out that no more than 40 prostitutes served clients. 20 thousand people lived in the city. Half of them are men, plus visitors. For such a mass of people there are only 40 priestesses of love. It can be argued that men at that time were much more chaste than the current inhabitants of the planet. Hence the conclusion: the sexual promiscuity of Roman citizens is only a figment of the imagination of unscrupulous historians.

Volcano Vesuvius

What about Vesuvius? This is an active volcano. It is located 15 km from Naples. Its height is 1280 meters. Over the entire history of its existence, it has had 80 major eruptions. According to geologists, Vesuvius was silent for 15 centuries until the significant date in 79. Only in 63 did he become more active. There was an earthquake that destroyed several buildings in the city. An earthquake and an eruption are the same geological process expressed in different forms. But how could the inhabitants of the Roman Republic know about this?

City of Pompeii and Vesuvius

After the tragedy of 79, the volcano fell silent again for more than 1,500 years. Activated in 1631. Lava poured out of a forested crater. She destroyed the small Italian town of Torre del Greco. In this case, 1,500 people died. The volcano was active for 2 weeks.

From that moment on, Vesuvius periodically became active at intervals of 15-30 years. A major eruption began on April 4, 1906. The volcano went berserk until April 28th. At the same time, gas was released and lava flowed. Then a similar scenario, but in a more modest form, was repeated 7 years later. And on March 20, 1944, it happened last eruption. It was comparable in strength to the 1906 eruption.

Thus, it is clear that at first only gases, pumice and hard rocks were released from the volcano. All this was accompanied by strong explosions and tons of hot ash, which covered the ground with a multi-ton mass. Since the 17th century, in addition to gases and ash, lava has flowed from the crater.

In fact, those people who live near Vesuvius are at great risk. But this is a densely populated region of Italy. At any moment it can turn into a place of terrible tragedy. But for now the volcano is “sleeping”, and let’s hope that the next activity will occur only in a thousand years.

Chronology of the death of Pompeii

So, let's go back to '79. A week before August 24, an earthquake struck the city. It was very strong and corresponded to 6 points on the Richter scale. The city, which had barely recovered from the earthquake of 1963, again suffered partial destruction. Half of the inhabitants left it. But the other half remained. People began to clear the rubble and improve the damaged life.

It is possible that looters appeared in the city. They robbed abandoned rich estates. Apparently the administrative authorities were not immediately able to restore order, so the thieves felt quite at ease. The situation was aggravated by the fact that there was no water in the water pipeline. Technical Services could not immediately determine the cause of the accident. It was necessary to go to the mountains and check the condition of the aqueduct there.

It took a week to do everything. Life gradually returned to normal. The morning of August 24 was no different from the previous days after the earthquake. People walked the streets, markets worked. Mount Vesuvius rose majestically in the distance. She looked quite calm, and the townspeople in no way connected the earthquake with her.

The gradual destruction of Pompeii began around one o'clock in the afternoon. At first there were several strong tremors. Then the sound of an explosion was heard, and a black column of smoke appeared over Vesuvius. Gas began to escape from the crater under enormous pressure. It carried away small hard rocks, volcanic ash and pumice (volcanic porous rock). The huge pillar reached a height of 30 km.

Plaster bodies of dead people

This entire mass covered the sky and began to fall to the ground. When even a small pebble falls from a great height, it can kill a person. Therefore, people left the streets and hid in their houses. At the same time, the volcano either intensified or weakened in its fury.

Those residents who, abandoning everything, left the city at noon, remained alive. But the bulk of the population did not even realize the seriousness of the danger. Many considered the roofs of houses to be the most reliable protection.

Volcanic dust mixed with pumice fell to the ground more and more actively. By 4 o'clock in the afternoon it became dark as night. Some roofs of houses began to collapse under the weight of volcanic eruptions. It was impossible to walk the streets. Residents realized that they were being walled up alive in their houses.

As archaeologists have determined, 54 residents took refuge in the basement of a large wholesale warehouse on the day the death of Pompeii occurred. The vaulted ceiling of the room evenly distributed the load created by volcanic dust. Therefore, the shelter was reliable. But people did not take into account that the air was filled with gases harmful to breathing. The situation was aggravated by a pyroclastic flow (volcanic gases and ash with temperatures up to 700 degrees Celsius).

In the depths of Vesuvius, pressure increased sharply. Hot gases and ash rushed out with triple force. Part of the top of the crater could not stand it and collapsed. As a result, the red-hot mass rushed not upward, but to the side and moved towards the city at a tremendous speed of 500 km/h. At the same time, the temperature of the pyroclastic flow reached 300 degrees Celsius.

Everything that came in the way instantly burned. This is how many people who found themselves on the streets of the city at that time died. Archaeologists have found a stable where more than two dozen horses rotted alive. The poor animals were tied up and couldn't get out in time.

A terrible volcanic event significantly accelerated the death of Pompeii. Those 54 people who took refuge in the basement of the wholesale warehouse were suffocated by the hot air. Death was hastened by dust. It entered the lungs and turned into cement there. Two thousand years later these bodies were found. They lay in calm positions. In contrast, those who died on the streets were roasted alive.

Vesuvius Crater

Excavations of the city began in the 19th century. Cavities found in volcanic dust were filled with gypsum. And the emptiness turned into a crooked human body. There were a great many of them. Almost the entire population died. The figure given is 16 thousand people. But this takes into account two other cities: Herculaneum and Stabia.

Thus, the death of Pompeii became the greatest tragedy that happened at the very beginning of the 1st millennium new era. These days, the once beautiful city has been turned into an open-air museum. 75% of its area has been cleared. The rest is still under ash. Now nothing reminds us of the tragedy. The ruins look quite peaceful. Vesuvius also looks peaceful. Looking at him, you can’t say that the culprit of the terrible nightmare was hiding only for a while. But no one knows when the fateful hour will come.

The word “Pompeii” is known even to those who have never been to Italy in their lives. It has long become a symbol of human helplessness before the elemental power of nature. The death of a rich and populous Roman city, buried under the ashes of Mount Vesuvius, is one of the most impressive disasters in human history. Thanks to the famous painting by Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”, it seems like a bright tragic action from the classical theater, where people are like statues, and the elements are inevitable, like fate. Having visited Pompeii, you can touch another dimension of this history - more earthly and concrete.

Pompeii dates back to the 6th century BC. Legend claims that their founder was Hercules himself. In the 5th century, the sprawling port city on the Gulf of Naples became part of the Roman Empire. He was loved by the Roman nobility, who built many holiday villas here, and prospered and grew rich. The geographical location of the city seemed extremely successful: the Via Appia road, passing through Pompeii, connected Rome with the southern part of the country. But Vesuvius was nearby. August 24, 79 AD the volcano has awakened. The monstrous eruption destroyed Pompeii and two nearby cities - Herculaneum and Stabiae - in two days. More than two thousand inhabitants died in the rain of lava and ash in Pompeii alone.

The disaster served Pompeii in a strange way, destroying a thriving city while simultaneously preserving it for eternity. An 8-meter layer of ash “preserved” Pompeii for many centuries, so that at some point the city would appear in the very form in which it met its death. During archaeological excavations that began in the 18th century, streets and houses, household artifacts and objects of art were resurrected from oblivion. A story was emerging both about the horror of the ancient tragedy and about Everyday life, which once seethed here. The fate of Pompeii shocked the imagination of Europeans: real pilgrimages of scientists, artists, and poets were organized to the dead city.

This is not surprising: a trip to Pompeii is a real journey back in time. Here you can see all the attributes of an exemplary Roman city: cobblestone streets, streets with gutters, the remains of a forum, porticoes with columns, the Big and Small theaters, three municipal buildings, numerous baths and, of course, temples dedicated to various gods - from Jupiter to Isis. But perhaps the strongest impression is made by residential buildings with “telling” names: the Surgeon’s House with the medical instruments found in it, the Perfumer’s House, the House of the Tragic Poet, the House of the Faun, the Villa of Mysteries. It’s as if their owners left them yesterday. However, people and animals did not disappear without a trace: casts of their bodies made by scientists can be seen in those places where death overtook the unfortunate ones. Is here and Archaeological Museum, which houses objects found as a result of excavations.

Today, Pompeii is visited annually by more than 2.5 million tourists. Here, like nowhere else, you can feel the juxtaposition of eternity and decay, beauty and decay. The gentle sophistication of the frescoes on the walls of the houses (they are compared to paintings by Botticelli) is adjacent to the distorted poses of frozen bodies. And the silence of eternity reigns over everything, not disturbed even by the voices of visitors. And the silhouette of Vesuvius still rises above the city, as if recalling the fragility of this silence.