Pompeii

Long ago the Oscans (inhabitants) built a city in the Southern part of Italy which was different from the other towns in Campania. The city was called Pompeii. Many rich and famous Romans go to Pompeii for its beautiful sceneriy, which led them to build villas inside the city. Pompeii became a port city in the early century; there were merchants, artisans and landowners. If you are quite familiar with its location you can clearly see that Pompeii is a nearby city under Mount Vesuvius. According to legends the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is a sign that a wealthy man will soon be deceased. The mountain became a cradle for the inhabitants. It provided fertile lands for its people. Eventually Mount Vesuvius sought something in return. Mount Vesuvius embraced the city of Herculaneum and Pompeii with darkness and misery in the August of 79th AD. There were stories that the wrath of Gods caused the eruption of Mount Vesuvius but no one really knows what made it happen. The entire city was wiped out and buried 25 meters under the thick soils and rocks. The lost city of Pompeii was waiting until someone discovers it. Until one day in the mid-18th century a group of Spaniards came in a deserted place and began digging. Charles Bourbon was the one responsible for discovering Herculaneum. When Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre learned about the discovery their group went to a nearby place from Herculaneum and began excavating. After days of mining and digging their group then was very successful to have found the ruins of Pompeii. Excavations were pursued in the area and they said that Karl Weber directed the first real excavation in 1860. Maybe it was during this time that they found so many artifacts which led the people to conclude that Weber was the first one to really discover the city. Later on the job was continued by Francisco la Vega. Until 1860, Giuseppe Fiorelli led the archeological project. His mission was to find more artifacts that will explain what really happened in Pompeii. Their group discovered wall paintings, buildings and even human bodies. It was also Fiorelli who contributed the most in preserving the lost city of Pompeii. He was very famous for developing plaster casts to reconstruct plants and human bodies. He used this method to preserve the found remains of the people who were trapped inside the House of the fugitives. Thanks to Fiorelli, Pompeii we can now see the remnants of the city. The Disaster On August 24, 79 AD, 1 p.m., Mount Vesuvius erupted, which Pliny the Younger described as an "umbrella pine" shaped cloud which "sometimes looked blotched and dirty, according to the amount of soil and ashes it carried with it". However, as this "cloud" cooled further, solid particles started to rain down on Pompeii. The debris soon became denser and roofs began to collapse, killing some people. When the first phase of the eruption ended, a series of pyroclastic currents followed, which are fast-moving hot gas and rock ranging from 392 to 1,292 degrees Fahrenheit. The ashes reached every corner in the house and killed those who were hiding in it. However, about 10 feet of pumice continued to fell onto Pompeii till August 25, 79 AD, eventually burying the entire city, and probably killing the remaining survivors. Architecture at Pompeii The main public part of the domus of Pompeii included the fauces, an entryway, the atrium, and the tablinum, a space for conducting business. The main private portions included the peristyle and garden and the triclinium or dining room. All components contained intricate decoration. Additional parts included a cubiculum, a kitchen, and open spaces known as alae. Pompeiian houses deviated greatly from the standard model created by historians. Examples demonstrate how the standard elements could be rearranged to fit almost any footprint and the wealth of the patron. The Amphitheatre of Pompeii was the first stone amphitheatre in the Roman world and the largest before the construction of the Colosseum. Its design foresees the construction of the Colosseum one century later, while simultaneously looking back to Greek theatres for its seating. The Temple of Isis exhibits elements of Greek, Roman and Egyptian architecture. Its presence in a Roman city demonstrates religious tolerance and a willingness to incorporate foreign deities into the Roman pantheon. The Suburban Baths, while containing the standard tepidarium and caldarium of all Roman bath houses, has a single dressing room that archaeologists believe was used by both men and women