POMPEII A town destroyed by Vesuvius on August 24th/25th AD 79

Peter MountfordPhD Student

University of Melbourne

An Overview of the Lecture

• My personal experiences and impressions.• Ancient literary sources. • The character of the region and the town.• A brief history of the excavations.• Problems facing the archaeologists.• The exhibition itself.• Daily life in Pompeii.

Bay of Naples, Italy

Misenum

Cumae

Herculaneum

Pompeii

Stabiae

BaiaeNaples

Vesuvius

Sorrento

Capri

Ischia

Positano

Vesuvius and its surrounds

Wall-painting of Vesuvius

Oplontis – Villa of Poppaea

Oplontis – reception room

Herculaneum

Herculaneum - street

Herculaneum – House of the Beautiful Courtyard

Pompeii

Pompeii

Wall-painting – harbour of Pompeii

• Earliest signs of occupation seem to date from C7th/6th BC.

• Origins may be Oscan (local Italian people), Etruscan or Greek with Samnite participation.

• Earliest part of the town in SW corner.• A flourishing town by late C3rd BC.• Loyal to Rome during Hannibal’s invasion.• Fought against Rome in the Social Wars 91-88 BC.

• Besieged by Sulla and forced to surrender.• Spared from destruction.• Became a Roman colony – Colonia Cornelia

Veneria Pompeiana.• Governed by duumvirs and a town council.• Damaged by an earthquake in AD 62.• Rebuilding still in progress when the town was

buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.

House of the Fugitives

Some of the fugitives

More of the same

Ibid - Casts of dog and wild boar

Victim of the eruption in the storeroom by the forum

Victim in the macellum

House of M Lucretius Fronto – Wall-painting of Mars and Venus

House of the Ceii

Caecilius

Pompeii

Pompeian street

Large theatre

Small theatre or odeon

Gladiators’ barracks and training ground

Amphitheatre with Vesuvius in the background

Amphitheatre

Wall-painting – Riot in the amphitheatre in AD 59

Palaestra – exercise area

Palaestra and swimming pool

Bar - thermopolium

Temple of Apollo

Apollo

Forum baths

Stucco ceiling in the Forum baths

Brothel

Bakery of Modestus

Wall painting - bakery

Carbonized loaf

Wall-painting - builders

Marble plaque – metal workers

Weights and measures

Writing implements

Silver dinnerware

Lady’s wood and ivory vanity box

Pompeii

Houses of Octavius Quartio/Loreius Tiburtinus, Venus and Julia Felix

House of Loreius Tiburtinus - terrace

House of Loreius Tiburtinus – outside dining room - Narcissus

House of Loreius Tiburtinus - garden

House of Loreius Tiburtinus – terrace and fountain

House of Loreius Tiburtinus

House of Venus – garden peristyle

House of Venus – the painting which gives it its name

House of Venus

Beware of the dog – House of the Tragic Poet

House of the Faun

Atrium and impluvium of House of the Faun with the statue which gives it its

name

The Faun

Alexander mosaic

House of the Vettii

House of the Vettii - Priapus

House of the Vettii - Lararium

House of the Vettii - kitchen

House of the Vettii

House of the Vettii

House of the Vettii

House of the Vettii

House of the Vettii – reception room

House of the Vettii – dining room – cupids racing chariots

Ibid – cupids working in perfumery

Ibid – cupids working as flower-sellers

House of the Vettii – reception room

House of the Vettii – reception room

House of Vettii – peristyle garden

ibid

ibid

Hose of the Vettii – peristyle garden

Herculaneum gate, street of tombs, Villas of Diomede and Mysteries

Villa of the Mysteries

Room of the Mysteries

Room of the Mysteries

Room of the Mysteries