Photo report from Pompei, Italy (Pompei Italy). Ruins of Pompeii Pompeii where

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.

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 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 Stefania fulling shop- 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):

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 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.

Everyone has known Pompeii since childhood - the famous ancient city that died from the eruption of Vesuvius and was buried alive under lava and ash. Italy has attracted me since childhood, but for some reason it never occurred to me that I would visit the ruins of the famous Pompeii. And now this day has come. We arrived from Pompeii. The first thing you see is the entrance to the city, which was once a port. It should be noted that now the sea probably begins not a few kilometers away from this place - this is how the coastline has changed in 2000 years.

Vesuvius erupted in August 79 AD. and it lasted 2 days. On the first day there were rapid emissions of toxic smoke from the volcano, which very quickly covered all nearby territories, including Pompeii. Many simply suffocated from this smoke on the first day. They say that just one breath was enough to burn your lungs and die. Those who managed to escape and escape began to return to the city after the smoke cleared. And this was their fatal mistake - in ancient times people did not know for sure that smoke emissions were a harbinger of a volcanic eruption. And then on the 2nd day the volcano began to erupt, and then all those who managed to survive the first day and returned to the city already died. This is such a sad story.

Most houses look something like this - destroyed walls, remains of stoves, dishes, floors.

And this is the central square of ancient Pompeii (ancient, because now there is a new, modern Pompeii nearby, an unremarkable provincial settlement) - the Forum. Or rather, what is left of it is columns, restored walls, temple arches.

The panda really liked it here :)

The guidebook says that when the city was found, excavations began and the first crowds of tourists poured here - everything here looked less destroyed. More than 50 houses were open for visiting. But tourists are like that, everyone likes to touch, break off a pebble as a souvenir, etc. - as a result, half of the houses that were of interest turned into the same sad ruins, and then it was decided to delimit visits for tourists, install fences, and completely close some areas to tourists.

And this is Vesuvius. Visually, it is quite far away, but apparently the killer wave travels over long distances.

Now Vesuvius does not have a peak; instead, a crater has formed. But before the eruption it was one mountain with a peak and it was higher than it is now. At the moment, Vesuvius is considered an almost extinct volcano and it will never make such a terrible eruption again. But nevertheless, there are small tremors from time to time. Experts have installed sensors to monitor the volcano’s action, and if it suddenly decides to do something again, people will immediately know about it and will be able to prevent so many victims.

City water tap - I don’t know if it’s a new product or left over from ancient times with minor modern modifications in the form of a tap. But people here drink water and wash themselves. I didn't take the risk.

Deserted streets of Pompeii.

And this is the next street - it’s full of tourists.
Thanks to the lava and ash that covered the city by 5-6 meters (and in some places by 8 meters), Pompeii is almost the only ancient city that has survived to this day in its original form and is a unique historical monument. Even now, looking at the ruins, it’s hard to fully imagine what everything looked like here 2000 years ago.

In some wealthy houses, swimming pools, inscriptions, mosaics and drawings on the walls have been preserved. It is immediately clear that not ordinary people lived in such a house.

We came across the Maly Theater

Next door to it is a forum. This was probably also where people concentrated in the ancient city.

Remains of an ancient theater. Well preserved!

All places are numbered with steel plates. I suspect that small chamber performances are still staged here today.

Oh, and these are the modern inhabitants of ancient Pompeii - evil dogs! They wander around the ruins and you can stumble upon them anywhere. Touching and feeding them is highly discouraged, because... Dogs are wild and can bite.

Judging by the picture on the wall, this is another wealthy house. True, the air conditioner, chair and door are, of course, a remake =)

And this house looks like a dyeing workshop or a bathhouse.

Another well preserved house

A mosaic with a dog in the doorway is quite original. I wonder if a real, live dog lived here?

And the architects left this for us - so that we can see how buried the city was and how it is being excavated step by step.

Photos of excavated skeletons. Including the dog! Maybe the same one who lived in a wealthy house?

And these are public baths.

Water was poured into vessels, and bathhouse visitors drew water from them for bathing procedures.

And this is the Grande Palestra - it looks like a large garden or a training ground, or like a forum.

We walked right through the city, and at the very end there is a large ancient amphitheater.

In some places inscriptions have been preserved. Gladiator fights, competitions and other spectacles that the ancient inhabitants loved to attend were probably held here.

Go ahead. In general, if you believe the guidebook, then almost the central place in the city is occupied by the lupanarium - an ancient brothel. And almost at every step there are phalluses painted on the walls of the house that indicate the direction to it. But alas, we walked right through the city, but never got to Lupanarium, and have not yet noticed a single phallus. Maybe they were looking somewhere in the wrong place or going somewhere? And so we decided to return to the entrance through another part of the city. Maybe we'll get lucky here!

Hooray! We found the first pointer to the lupanarium. True, he did not point anywhere, but simply drew a male genital organ looking up at the house. By the way, the lupanarium was completely in the opposite direction.

Here's another one. True, we never met them again :)

If you have watched at least one scientific documentary about Pompeii, then this figurine should be familiar to you (for example, I bought myself a magnet with its image). This is the most famous house in Pompeii (though probably after the lupanarium) - the House of Faun. This Faun statue is a copy, and the house is named after it.

It was a prosperous house, with its own garden!

And this is probably a painting about the battle of Alexander the Great (or a copy of it).

Next to the House of the Faun are the Baths of the Forum

Well preserved

Cafeteria built into an antique house

During excavations, as soon as they came across the remains of people, they made a small hole, filled it with plaster and the result was a cast of a person buried alive under a layer of lava and ash.

But these guys received less honor - they were simply loaded into boxes and placed on the street behind bars.

Next door - jugs

We are again at the city's Forum Square

Oh, and this is the same lupanarium. We finally found it! It turned out to be a very small building with only 4 tiny rooms. The beds and pillows are stone, not very comfortable. The size of the beds is also small - from them you can judge the height of the people who once lived here.

Famous pornographic drawings on the walls of the lupanarium

Well, that’s all, the lupanarium was the last point to visit. Next we decided to go to the necropolis to the museum of unearthed human remains. Our guidebook said that it was located near the entrance to Pompeii, but as we later found out, it moved and is now located not far from the Amphitheater, i.e. in the opposite part of the city. Since the path was long (the city itself is not so small, and wandering through the ruins in 35-degree heat is not so easy) - we had to come to terms with the fact that we had already seen several skeletons and plaster casts of people - and in general that was enough for us.

At lunch we were served beer in a jug like this - a mojito!

From the Pompei Scavi railway platform, excursion buses depart every hour to Vesuvius - and what a convenience - I looked at Pompeii and went to the volcano itself to visit it, the hero of the occasion. We were first transported by bus for about 30 minutes, then transferred to these armored specialized vehicles, where we had to buckle up in each seat, and on it we got almost to the top of the volcano, as far as possible. Further - only on foot. Now, we're on our way.

It should be noted that from the point of view of shoes we were not prepared - it is not very convenient to climb a mountain in flip-flops, even on paved paths. Volcanic crumbs constantly get stuck between the fingers and cause a lot of inconvenience when walking.

Pompeii is somewhere there, to the left, where the green piece is in the photo. If you consider that there used to be water there, then you can mentally move the coastline and imagine what it looked like before (I suspect that before the volcanic eruption)

I don’t remember why we’re having so much fun in this photo. But by this time we were already tired of climbing the mountain.

And this is the path that the lava makes for itself as it descends.

We are all higher!

Hurray, we finally reached the crater! This is what the volcano looks like at the top.

Vesuvius Crater.

In some places, hot air is still coming out of the volcano. Although it is practically not dangerous, it is still active.

Can you imagine what it was like here 2000 years ago?

Vesuvius was not my first mountain, but it was the first volcano that I climbed, even if it was not so active. This very thought was very impressive and exciting.

Yes, this is a view of the opposite side of the coast. Somewhere here near the bay is Naples. By the way, the eruption of Vesuvius did not reach Naples in due time - it was too far away.

What can I say - it’s nice to walk along the volcano. It's worth the money to visit a historical place, and even a volcano!

It’s an amazing thing - some people prefer to build temples, churches, make sacred places on volcanoes - I don’t know why, like closer to God? Volcanic eruption - divine intervention? I wonder if these people studied geography well at school?

I have a happy face, don't I?

Let's go back. Our time is running out, we need to get into the car, otherwise it may leave without us.

Pompeii is definitely a place worth visiting. I don’t regret at all that we came here, we spent the whole day on it, we were tired, but we were very pleased. We had to go back to Naples - by train for about 50 minutes. Bye-bye Vesuvius and Pompeii!

Agree that there are places in the world that you want to visit no matter what.. One of these places for me was the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy.

And in today’s article I will tell you a lot of interesting things about the city of Pompeii, about what is invented and exaggerated and about what is shocking in reality, we will walk (video at the end of the article) through the streets, we will discover secrets that you could collect for a long time on the RuNet , and now you can find out from my article. It will be informative and interesting, enjoy reading and viewing.

Pompeii today photo

Pompeii destroyed by volcano

Perhaps this is the most famous tragedy in the world associated with a volcano, so it is no secret that it was Volcano Vesuvius that caused the death of the city of Pompeii. But there are a lot of legends and exaggerations around this story, which we will understand along the way...

Volcanic eruption in Pompeii

In fact, Pompeii is located quite far from the crater, so I understand the residents of the city who found it difficult to believe that the consequences of a natural disaster could take their lives. Moreover, people did not know such a thing as a volcanic eruption and did not understand the danger of such a neighborhood.

What does Pompeii mean?

Pompei is the Italian word for the city, which was founded in the 6th century BC by the Osci (ancient Italian people). The city was formed as a result of the union of five settlements.

Where is Pompeii:

Pompeii location relative to Vesuvius

If you look at the map above, you will see that Vesuvius is located between Pompeii and Napoli (the city of Naples), so the tragedy that claimed the lives of the city of Pompeii in 79 could have done the same to the inhabitants of Naples. And judging by the historical chronicles, not only should it, but it could, since the direction of the wind played a big role in the fact that the eruption took place in Pompeii. Usually the wind blew towards Naples, but on this particular day everything was different.

Pompeii how to get from Naples

The distance between cities is less than 25 km. You can get there in many ways, from taxi or car rental to the cheapest - train. We are familiar with this train firsthand, as we traveled on it from Sorrento to Naples. The route just includes a stop in the city of Pompeii.

Further in the section of attractions of the city of Pompeii, I posted a photo of one of the main streets. These streets are notable for many nuances, from high curbs to strange infantry crossings. As you understand, this cannot be depicted in the photo, so again I invite you to see and hear everything in the video.

Many tourists, arriving in Pompeii, rush to see a small house with the strange name Luponarium. This is a brothel of that time. I don’t even know how to explain such a rush of tourists in this direction... Perhaps this is due to the fact that, according to one version, Pompeii did not die by accident and the volcanic eruption was God’s punishment for the depraved lifestyle of its inhabitants, who indulged too much in love pleasures and lost their true values...After such legends, tourists can’t wait to see what this depravity was about that caused the death of an entire city... As for me, these are just tricks to lure tourists and exaggerated stories, because, you see, at all times and in All cities in the world have such establishments and there are those who regularly visit them, but this does not mean that curses and natural disasters should be sent to them. The only thing I agree with is that many tourists are simply interested in seeing what brothels were like in ancient times. In order not to bore you with expectations, I tell and show the main thing (the rest is on video).

Lupanarium photo

The photo below is an image on the wall of a lupanarium. There are many such images here (above eye level along the entire perimeter of the corridor inside). These are not just lewd pictures - this is a menu. Well, yes, the menu, because if you come to a restaurant, then you have to choose from what they are ready to offer you, so, sorry for the frankness, but here everything is the same: you choose how you want to indulge in love pleasures from the pictures.

The lupanarium building is small. In the middle there is a corridor with a menu, and on the sides there are rooms with stone beds, on which everything happened. In addition to the fact that the beds are made of stone, there is another striking feature - the length of the beds is no more than 170 cm. This is because the height of people at that time rarely exceeded 160 cm. Yes, this is interesting) For me personally, this was the most interesting thing in our visit to the luponarium, the rest is more interesting to those who have something to compare an institution of this kind with.

Pompeii people in ashes

When you walk around the city, there is no feeling of celebration and fun, because you initially understand that you are walking along streets along which people who suffered death ran in agony. Thanks to the voids that were discovered during the excavations of the city, it was possible to restore the postures in which people died and even the expressions of their faces, disfigured by horror. Behind bars on one of the main squares, finds that give you goosebumps are displayed like museum exhibits. For example, this figure of a boy who curled up in despair and died here. On the right in the photo you see a bowl that is now filled with coins, but I didn’t throw it through the lattice fence, because, to be honest, this idea makes me cringe... I don’t know for what purpose this bowl was installed next to this poor young man, but I don’t like the way tourists adapted it at all. I am for the tradition of throwing coins into fountains, but people, this is not a fountain, this is the face of death and a city in which 2,000 people died... Why are you throwing coins? Do you want to come back here? Or is it alms for a dead child? Sorry for being emotional, but this is blasphemy.... A show that the masses support. I didn’t support him, and you decide for yourself, but just be aware of why you put your hand through the bars and try to get a coin into this bowl...

Pompeii photo from excavations

Archaeologists continue their work tirelessly and another quarter of the way to explore the city has not been completed. Maybe new discoveries will surprise us and open up new facets of city life, we’ll look forward to it.

Pompeii finds

In addition to human figures, there are figures of dead animals, as well as dishes and interior items of that time.

After visiting the city of Pompeii, we went to Villa Mysteri, which recently opened after restoration. It is truly a great pleasure to see one of the richest and most beautiful houses, which has preserved stunning pieces of art and luxurious interiors to this day. I will not describe Villa in the article, but I suggest you finish and watch the video, which will answer questions not covered in the article.

I really enjoyed our visit to the city and I am very grateful to our guide, who wished to remain behind the scenes, but who immersed us in an amazing world with an interesting history, of which we became a part.

See you on the pages of the AVIAMANIA website and the AVIAMANIA YouTube channel.

Pompeii video

In 79, the awakening volcano Vesuvius instantly covered the city with a cloud of ash, under the weight of which the roofs of buildings collapsed. The city was destroyed in the blink of an eye, turning into stone for many centuries. Almost two millennia later, the city was discovered and gradually began to be dug up, revealing the typical life of an ancient Roman city.

Two cities bear the name. The first is a very lively small town, the second is the same famous Pompeii, destroyed in a matter of hours by the eruption of the formidable Vesuvius. The living city of Pompeii has existed for only 150 years. It grew up during the beginning of the excavations of Pompeii, becoming, in fact, a hotel city for millions of tourists who came to see the dead city.

Unlike the lesser known city, Pompeii is home to crowds of tourists, especially before lunch. So be prepared to encounter long queues to enter. In addition, Pompeii is much larger than Herculaneum, so it will take a long time to walk here. In the summer heat, don't forget comfortable shoes, sunscreen, a hat and water, as there is very little shade.

Pompeii weather:

Getting to Pompeii:

• Train timetable Naples - Pompeii(direction )
• Train timetable Pompeii - Naples(direction )
• Train timetable Naples - Pompeii(direction Poggiomarino)
• Train timetable Pompeii - Naples(direction Poggiomarino)

Buses to Pompeii:

Trains to Pompeii: approx. 50 minutes on the way

Practical information:

Ticket to Pompeii:

• Entrance to the archaeological area of ​​Pompeii: 11 €, preferential - 5.5 €
• Combo ticket(5 archaeological zones: Pompeii, (Ercolano), Oplontis, Stabia and Boscoreale) - 20 € , discounted 10 €.
• EU citizens under 18 years old - free.
• The entrance to Pompeii is covered

Entrance to the ruins: Porta Marina Superiore - Piazza Anfiteatro - Viale delle Ginestre (Piazza Esedra)

Working hours:

• from November 1 to March 31: from 8:30 to 17:00 (last entry at 15:30)
• from April 1 to October 31: from 8:30 to 19:30 (last entry at 18:00)

History of Pompeii

Unlike most cities in southern Italy, Pompeii was not founded by the Greeks - the first inhabitants of these places were Italic tribes. It is believed that in the 9th-8th centuries BC. They built a city on solidified lava, not knowing either the origin of this “foundation” or the reason for the exceptional fertility of the lands of the Sarno Valley fertilized with volcanic ash - at that time Vesuvius “slept”. During the era of Magna Graecia, the inhabitants of Pompeii had close relations with the nearby Greek colonies and they adopted religion, culture and way of life from their neighbors.

Two centuries later, the Greeks were replaced by the Samnites, and in the last years of the 4th century BC. The era of Roman rule began. Pompeii became part of the Roman state, maintaining relative autonomy. Under Roman protectorate, the city grew rapidly, its population increased sevenfold over two centuries. At the same time, the Pompeii were not particularly flexible: if the Italian tribes united and rebelled, the inhabitants of Pompeii, as a rule, joined them. In 74 BC. Spartacus took refuge with seventy rebels on the top of Vesuvius, and then, twisting ropes from vines, descended and defeated the Roman pursuers.

Trade, navigation, and crafts (especially the production and dyeing of fabrics) successfully developed in the city. Roman aristocrats built luxurious villas in Pompeii, but more in the neighboring one. Spacious dwellings were erected by local merchants and entrepreneurs who became rich. The inscriptions preserved on the walls of the houses indicate that the townspeople led an active social and political life.

It would seem that nothing foreshadowed the tragedy, but in 63 “the first bell rang” - a powerful earthquake occurred with its epicenter near Pompeii. Many public buildings collapsed, the water supply system was severely damaged, and city residents were buried under the collapsed houses.

Emperor Nero wanted to ban living in Pompeii, but the stubborn Pompeii defended the right not to leave their homeland and began to restore the city. The dire warning of an impending disaster was not taken into account. And 17 years later, on August 24, 79, a second disaster struck the inhabitants of Pompeii: a volcanic eruption destroyed Pompeii and the small settlements around it in a matter of hours.

As a result of lengthy archaeological excavations, an open-air museum arose on the site of the lost city.

Petrified figures of people in the dead city of Pompeii

Sights of Pompeii

At the entrance (at the tourist office) be sure to pick up a map of the excavations. It's easy to get lost in Pompeii.

Porta Marina Gate

The inspection starts from Porta Marina gate. City street via Marina paved with stone slabs, in which the carts pushed deep ruts. To properly organize traffic, city residents installed special stones with guides for wheels. On these same stones, during the rain, it was possible to cross from one sidewalk, lined with lava slabs and raised 20 cm above the roadway, to another, without getting your feet wet.

Antiquarium

Just outside the gate on the right side via Marina is located Antiquarium(lat. antiquarium - “repository of antiquities”), where some finds from excavations and plaster castings of the bodies of dead townspeople are collected.

Forum

Via Marina leads to a complex of buildings forum. Usually the forum was located in the center of the ancient city, but in Pompeii it was greatly shifted to the southwest, since it was not easy to find a large, flat area on the frozen surface of the lava flow. The forum was surrounded on all sides by buildings with porticoes; between the columns there were statues of famous people of that time, from which pedestals with inscriptions have been preserved. adjoined the forum from the west Temple of Apollo(Tempio di Apollo, VI century BC, rebuilt in the 1st century). Those who decorated the temple have been preserved statues Apollo and Diana (the originals are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Naples).

Temple of Jupiter

To the north of the temple of Apollo was the main sanctuary of Pompeii - Temple of Jupiter(Tempio di Giove, II century BC). It was destroyed by the earthquake of 63, and by the time of the next disaster they had not yet managed to restore it. In addition, on the forum there were Lar temple(Tempio dei Lari) And Temple of Vespasian(Tempio di Vepasiano), city administration buildings and the Comitium, where elections were held, a market, food warehouses, the Chamber of Weights and Measures and public toilets.

Stone triumphal arches in honor of the emperors Drusus and Tiberius they were once lined with marble.

Thermae of the Forum

To the north-west of the Temple of Apollo there are forum baths(Terme del Foro). After the earthquake of 63, they were the only ones that continued to function properly. The baths built under the dictator Sulla had women's and men's sections, each of them consisted of an apodyterium (locker room) and halls: frigidarium (with cold water), tepidarium (with warm water) and caldarium (with hot water). Here you can see the water supply and heating systems and admire fragments of decorative paintings that decorated the vaults and walls.

The northern façade of the baths overlooks the main ancient axis of Pompeii ( decumanus) - via Terme- via della Fortuna- via di Nola. On the nearby streets, buildings typical of a Roman city have been preserved: from profitable “apartment” houses of the poor (insul) to luxurious private mansions, sometimes occupying an entire block, with peristyles, fountains and richly decorated rooms.

House of the Tragic Poet

Opposite the term is up to m tragic poet(Casa Del Poeta Tragico) with the famous mosaic floor, which depicts a rehearsal of the play. In front of the entrance there is a mosaic image of a dog with a caption Cave canim ("Be aware of dogs!").

House of the Faun

A little further east on via della Fortuna costs up to m faun(Casa del Fauno), named after the small bronze figurine of the Dancing Faun, which decorated one of the peristyles of this aristocratic villa. The famous mosaic “ Battle of Alexander the Great with Darius"(kept in the Archaeological Museum of Naples).

House of the Vettii

Having passed from via Terme to the north along perpendicular to it via di Mercuriotwo quarters, you can explore houseApollo(Casa del Apollo), a folding c via Termeon at the first intersection to the east on Vicolo di Mercurio - up to m Vettiev(Casa dei Vettii). This is a most valuable monument of Pompeian painting (there are three different “Pompeian” painting styles) and a “museum of everyday life” of wealthy citizens. At the end of the excavations, the building needed only minor restoration, after which it appeared in its original form. The paintings on mythological themes are perfectly preserved (“ Ariadne and Dionysus», « Hercules strangling snakes") and a frieze with graceful miniatures " Cupids busy at work».

The image of Priapus located at the entrance with scales in his hand, on one bowl - a bag of gold, and on the other - a huge phallus, makes a stunning impression on an unprepared person. The life-loving Pompeians treated this organ with respect. It was believed that the image of the male reproductive organ could ward off evil spirits. Some researchers explain the purpose of small images of phalluses carved on Pompeian pavements with sacred purposes, but there is a version that these are just pointers to the nearest brothel (lupanarium), to which Vettiev leads west from the house vicolo Storto.

Lupanarium

Lupanarium(Lupanare) stands at the intersection with via della Fortuna. A well-preserved brothel from the inside looks rather gloomy and looks more like a prison dungeon than an entertainment establishment - tiny dark rooms, narrow, short stone beds and small frescoes. It is believed that the paintings on the walls not only created the right mood for visitors, but also served as instructions - with their help, foreign sailors who did not speak Latin explained themselves to prostitutes. Despite their unpresentable appearance from the point of view of a modern person, ancient brothels were popular among representatives of different classes of the empire.

Triangular Forum

From lupanarium, keeping the general direction south, along vicolo Storto, via degli Augustali, via dei Teatri you can go to Triangular Forum(Foro Triangolare). Many shops and workshops, taverns and drinking establishments have been preserved (dishes and coins thrown in a hurry by the last visitors remained on the tables in the taverns, images of dishes offered in the establishment are often painted on the walls), mills and bakeries. The standard of the latter can be bakery Modesta(Forno di Modesta), one of the largest in the city. In it, archaeologists discovered millstones, a sales counter and petrified bread. The triangular forum was built back in the Samnite era.

towered on it Doric temple(Tempio Dorico, VI century BC), dedicated to Hercules. Along the north-eastern side of the square there were Samnite palaestra(Palestra Samnitiana), Grand Theatre(Teatro Grande) And gladiator barracks(Caserma dei Gladiatori). The palaestra served as a place for sports activities for aristocrats before a similar large structure was built on the outskirts. The Great Theater for 5,000 spectators (2nd century BC, rebuilt under Augustus), made according to the Greek model, stood on the hillside. The majestic mountain range on the horizon served as a natural backdrop. Nearby there is a gladiator barracks with canteens, closets where the fighters lived, and a rectangular courtyard for training.

East of the Bolshoi was located Maly Theater, or Odeon(Teatro Piccolo o Odeon). Next to him stood a small Temple of Zeus Melichios, which, after the destruction of the large sanctuary in the Forum Square, served as the main place of worship of Zeus, and nearby - an elegant Temple of Isis(Tempio di Iside), considered one of the best examples of ancient architecture. Not long before the disaster, the temple was rebuilt and thanks to this, it was perfectly preserved.

Amphitheater

Walking from the Maly Theater to the east, you can first look around m Cryptoportica(Casa dei Criptoportico), where plaster casts of people who died during the eruption are exhibited, and then get to Great Palaestra(Grande Palestra), built in the 1st century. Next to her is a huge amphitheater(Anfiteatro), which could accommodate at least 12,000 spectators. The building, in the arena of which performances were staged and gladiator fights took place, was built in 80 BC. and may have served as a model for later amphitheaters in Rome. The palaestra and amphitheater are located on the eastern edge of the excavation area.

Villa of Mysteries

TO Villa of Mysteries(Villa dei Misteri) from the railway station you can walk along viale della Villa dei Misteri, following it to the north-west. There are magnificent wall paintings preserved here, made in the spirit of the cult of Dionysus, telling about marriage (possibly the mistress of the house). It is known that the cult, prohibited in Rome by decree of the Senate, was preserved in the province, and the paintings of the Villa of the Mysteries give the key to the mysteries of the Dionysian rites. The figures are painted in full height on a characteristic red “Pompeian” background.

Pompeii: Villa of the Mysteries - paintings in Dionysian style on a characteristic red background

Pompeii Map

Tourists visiting Southern Italy and its pearl, the city of Naples, have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views, including the majestic mountain, located just a few kilometers from the city limits.

The mountain, only 1281 meters high, does not look intimidating, especially if you don’t know its name - Vesuvius. It is the only active volcano in continental Europe and one of the most dangerous volcanoes known to mankind.

For those who do not find the appearance of Vesuvius frightening, local residents will advise a trip to the coast of the Gulf of Naples, east of Naples. There are three ancient cities there - Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, life in which ceased on one day, August 24, 79, when the volcano began to speak in full force.

In the 1st century AD, serious and systematic observations of volcanoes, including Vesuvius, were not carried out. And it’s unlikely that they would have helped - Vesuvius has not been active since the Bronze Age and was considered extinct long ago.

In 74 BC Spartacus and the gladiators who joined him at the very beginning of their uprising hid from their pursuers precisely on Vesuvius, covered with lush vegetation.

Local residents did not feel any threat from the proximity to the volcano.

"Ancient Roman Rublevka" was founded by Hercules

The largest of the ancient cities adjacent to Vesuvius was the city of Pompeii, founded in the 6th century BC. In the city, which was considered a colony of Rome after the capture of the Roman dictator Sulla in 89 BC, according to modern estimates, about 20 thousand people lived. It was an important point on the trade route between Rome and southern Italy, and such a favorable location was one of the reasons for its prosperity.

In addition, Pompeii can be called something between an ancient resort and the “ancient Roman Rublyovka” - many noble citizens of Rome had their villas here.

Nearby Herculaneum, like Pompeii, was founded in the 6th century BC. Its founding was attributed Hercules, who performed one of the feats in these places and “celebrated” this event by founding not even one, but two cities (the second was Pompeii).

The city, located directly on the seashore, was used as a port for a long time and developed successfully. However, by 79, the best time for Herculaneum was already in the past - the city was badly damaged by a powerful earthquake that occurred in 62, and by the time of the new disaster no more than 4,000 people lived in it.

By 79, Stabiae was considered a city only conditionally. The once fairly large settlement was virtually completely destroyed during the “visit of Sulla” in 89 BC, as a result of which Pompeii lost its independence.

The city was not restored, but representatives of the Roman aristocracy from among those who did not make it to “Rublyovka” in Pompeii chose it for their villas.

End of the world after lunch

Less than 20 years before the eruption of Vesuvius, a large-scale earthquake occurred in this area. A number of villages near Herculaneum and Pompeii were completely destroyed, and there was very serious destruction in the cities themselves.

Human memory, however, can quickly erase unpleasant memories. Over the course of 17 years, much of what was destroyed was rebuilt. This is especially true for the city of Pompeii, which has become even better than before. The attractions of the city were the Temple of Jupiter, the forum and the amphitheater, which could accommodate almost the entire population of Pompeii.

Life in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae went on as usual until August 24, 79. Moreover, on this day people flocked to the Pompeii amphitheater to watch gladiator fights.

The eruption began on the afternoon of August 24 and came as a complete surprise to residents of nearby towns and villages. Vesuvius threw a huge cloud of hot ash into the sky. The thermal energy released by the volcano during the eruption was several times greater than the energy released during the bombing of Hiroshima. The cloud of stones, ash and smoke reached a height of 33 kilometers. The western part of the volcano exploded and fell into an expanded crater.

Despite the horror of what was happening, for city residents the disaster was not at all lightning fast. Ash fall, although it made breathing difficult and made it difficult to move around the city, was not a fatal phenomenon. Everyone who was able to assess the impending threat began to quickly leave the cities that were in danger. But not everyone could objectively assess the degree of danger.

Save yourself, whoever wants to

Famous ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder, who in 79 held the post of commander of the galley fleet in Misenum on the shores of the Gulf of Naples, with the beginning of the eruption, attracted by its grandeur, headed to Stabiae in order to observe the violence of the elements and help the victims. Arriving in Stabia a few hours later, he was unable to leave due to the low tide. While calming the frightened inhabitants and awaiting changes in conditions at sea, Pliny the Elder died suddenly. According to one version, the cause of his death was sulfur fumes.

From his nephew's letters Pliny the Younger It is known that the disaster developed over a long period of time. Pliny the Elder, for example, died on the night of August 26, that is, more than a day after the start of the eruption.

According to researchers, the fatal blow to Pompeii and Herculaneum was dealt by pyroclastic flows - a mixture of high-temperature (up to 800 degrees Celsius) volcanic gases, ash and stones, capable of reaching speeds of up to 700 kilometers per hour. It was pyroclastic flows that caused the death of most of the people remaining in Herculaneum.

However, these flows hit the cities no earlier than 18-20 hours after the start of the disaster. All this time, the city residents had the opportunity to avoid death, which, obviously, the majority took advantage of.

It is very difficult to establish the exact number of victims of the disaster, because numbers of different orders are called. But, according to modern estimates, most likely, out of 20 thousand inhabitants of the city of Pompeii, about two thousand died. In Stabiae and Herculaneum the number of deaths was lower due to the fact that they themselves were much smaller than Pompeii.

Pliny the Younger did not witness what happened in Pompeii and Herculaneum, but he left evidence of the panic at Misenum, which survived the disaster: “The panic-stricken crowd followed us and (like any soul maddened with horror, any proposal seems more prudent , than her own) pressed on us like a dense mass, pushing us forward when we came out... We froze in the midst of the most dangerous and terrifying scene. The chariots that we ventured to take out shook so violently back and forth, although they were standing on the ground, that we could not hold them up even by placing large stones under the wheels. The sea seemed to roll back and be pulled away from the shores by the convulsive movements of the Earth; definitely the land expanded significantly, and some sea animals found themselves on the sand... Finally, the terrible darkness began to gradually dissipate, like a cloud of smoke; daylight appeared again, and the sun even came out, although its light was gloomy, as happens before an approaching eclipse. Every object that appeared before our eyes (which were extremely weakened) seemed to have changed, covered with a thick layer of ash, as if snow.”

Canned history

After the first impact, a second wave of pyroclastic flows followed, which completed the job. Pompeii and Stabiae found themselves under a layer of ash and pumice 8 meters deep; in Herculaneum the layer of ash, stones and dirt was about 20 meters.

Who died in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae?

Among the victims of the eruption were many slaves, whom their owners left to guard their property. Elderly and sick people who were unable to leave the cities due to their condition died. There were also those who decided that they would be able to wait out the disaster in their own home.

Some of the victims of the eruption, having already left the city, remained dangerously close to it. They died from poisoning by gases released during the rampage of Vesuvius.

Huge masses of ash and pyroclastic flows “mothballed” the cities and those who remained in them, in the state in which they were at the time of destruction.

The surviving residents did not attempt to excavate the site of the tragedy, simply moving to a new location.

The lost cities were remembered only in the 18th century, when, after a new eruption of Vesuvius, workers in this area stumbled upon ancient Roman coins. For some time, the territory became a paradise for gold miners. Later they were replaced by hunters of rarities in the form of statues and other historical relics.

Full excavations of the city of Pompeii have begun Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli. It was he who discovered that voids had formed in place of the bodies of people and animals buried under a layer of volcanic ash. By filling these voids with plaster, it was possible to reconstruct the dying poses of the victims of the eruption.

Giuseppe Fiorelli began the systematic work of scientists in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, which continues to this day.

As for Vesuvius, 2014 marks 70 years since its last major eruption. However, scientists are convinced that the longer he is silent, the more powerful his next blow will be.