Life In Pompeii

The private and public leisure activities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were largely abundant. Many activities could be participated in and were used often. These include Drama performances, gladiatorial games, drinking, gambling, brothels, exercise, gardens, baths and food and dining. All these were an important part of Pompeian and Herculaneum life. They were seen as important to keep the body and mind healthy in most cases. Though some opposed some of the activities like brothels, gambling and drinking. But all give a important look into the life of those in Pompeii and Herculaneum before the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius which completely destroyed

Members of Pompeii and Herculaneum were usually expected to partake in religious rituals as they believed that

Ancient Rome is one of the greatest and most influential societies in the history of the world. From the basic rules of how the Roman Empire is set up to the infrastructures in the city, the strict hierarchy of Roman social structure can be reflected clearly all over the whole ancient Rome. In fact that “public architecture presents people with the official view of a society and provides the background against which its individual markers live their lives.”1 With the great desire of Roman for entertainment and their special taste for blood, the amphitheatre is considered as the most popular and most representative type of the entertainment building in the ancient Roman culture. And

Archeologists all over the world work towards not only discovering the tracks left behind by societies millions of years ago, but also make an effort to save those footprints for future generations. However, conservation and preservation of archaeological sites can prove to be as arduous as discovering them, or may be more. As a historical site is discovered, it becomes the responsibility of the government and everybody who has to play a role, to secure that site and to not let it deteriorate. Doing so is now also made part of law in many countries and it comes as no surprise when preservation of historical sites is the prime goal of numerous international organizations. Pompeii is one of the most popular historical sites that have been a point of concern for not only Italy’s government but also UN itself. In this paper we try develop an insight of barriers that restrict the development of restoration. Pompeii is an ancient Roman town near the modern Naples, which was first discovered in the 18th century, after it had been destroyed by a volcanic eruption, courtesy of the close standing Mount Vesuvius during the first century. This area and the closer one of Herculaneum was covered in about 20 feet of ash when it was discovered but much of the objects had been able to survive, specifically the ones below the city, as there had been no exposure to air or moisture. This destination is of great importance for the present world as it provides a quality insight into the ‘Pax

In ancient Pompeii, there were many important establishments in the Forum. It was seen as the primal hub of the town, and due to the busy trading nature, a commercial centre for exchanging foreign goods was a necessity. However in Herculaneum, being a quiet fishing village, the structure of the Forum would have been very different to that of Pompeii.

Over the past centuries, since its discovery in 1749, many archaeologists have contributed to our understanding of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Archaeologists were initially focused on excavating, most of which were improperly done causing extensive damage. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli introduced new excavation methods; those succeeded him include August Mau, Vittorio Spinazzola and Amendo Maiuri. Now attention has shifted towards conservations and restorations which are reflected in the works of Fausto Zevi and Pier Guzzo.

Most of these attributes were derived from the Grecian culture around 210 BC and disseminated all over Rome (Nardo, 60). Not only did the people contribute to the arts, but so did the government, which built bronze statues of the emperors or Gods, like the statue of Marcus Aurelius in 175 AD, and decorated the currency with elaborate drawings (Hinds, 172). A lasting example of the Roman taste of the arts was preserved in Pompeii after the volcanic eruption. According to written documents, a museum owned by two wealthy businessmen in Pompeii was available for public viewing, which displayed the gratitude of the people of Pompeii toward their own culture (Hinds, 178).

In first century AD, the baths were a place of leisure time during many Romans daily routine.  People from almost every class, men and women ( but not children) could attend the public baths or thermaes3, which could be compared to modern day fitness clubs. Public baths were not only for cleaning purposes only, but in many ways, the baths were the ancient Roman equivalent of community centres. The baths were only part of what the thermae (large bath complex)

What was the average life like in the ancient Roman empire? Living from 8 b.c. to 5 a.d. was very different from today. Although we may not know many things about their lifestyle, we also know a number of things of the average Roman’s life. Although the life of each individual differred vastly, life had similarities for everyone. The life of an average Roman citizen, was in its own, a life, with not much true arguable pleasures. However if taken right, could have been a life worth living.

In many societies religion has played a major role in their development, and the Roman Empire was no different (Roman Religion, Definition by Donald L. Wasson published on 13 November 2013). Michael Grant summarises Roman Religion for us when he says;” Roman religion was largely concerned with ritual, not faith or belief. The Romans did not have a personal relationship with their Gods nor did their religion offer them doctrine or an explanation of the World. They were Polytheistic; they worshipped many Gods” (Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum 2001, Michael Grant, pg.56). Within this paper my aim will be to show how Pompeii’s religious spaces compared to that of other Roman Towns, from the Roman Colonisation of Pompeii era onwards. I will identify some of these religious spaces and evaluate their purpose within Pompeian society. I will also identify how these spaces impacted upon the daily life of the Pompeian’s and how they contributed to the new Identify and establishment of Pompeii as a new Roman Colony.

The town itself had many temples devoted to their gods. The city even had an amphitheatre, which is the oldest of its kind dating back to 80 BC. The people of Pompeii had a serene living condition and well function social classes.

The Romans' everyday routines explain how funerary customs played a central role in society from the late Republic to early Empire. More importantly, examining the rituals will illustrate if there was a connection to the increasing popularity of inhumation at that time. There was a blurred line between life and death that made it appear as if there was a paradoxical attitude towards death. The observation can be made that death was an end to a person's physical life on earth but it did not stop the deceased from being a part of the Roman society.7 Keeping the memory of the deceased alive was vital in family homes. For this to occur the dead could not be cremated; the funerary rites to follow would not allow it because the physical body was necessary. The idea of honoring the recently deceased as an ancestor was stressed in society.8 The funerals of Roman aristocrats were quite extravagant and the deceased aristocrats were treated as if they were still a part of the living. This wouldn't be possible with a cremated body, so another option was to properly clean the body for the display in the atrium of the family household before the final disposal of the

Although most paintings in Pompeii were of the prosperous class, there are still some paintings of the less exalted. These paintings weren’t as frequent as the murals that the wealthy had but they still represented the superiority of men. In the taverns catering to the lower classes there were frescos painted on the walls giving insight into the life of the less exalted. In the painting “Scences in a Pompeii Tavern, In the first picture, it shows a prostitute, kissing a man, while the caption above reads: “I don’t want to, with

BibliographyCorbishley, Mike. Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Rome. New York: Facts on File, 1989.

House of the Vettii The House of the Vettii belonged to two freedmen, Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus, who amassed a fortune through a flourishing business. The House of the Vettii is not unusually large for the time or social standing of its owners, but it is obvious that the Vettii were affluent Pompeian citizens and the house compares to the other large, lavish houses found in Pompeii. (Mau, 1899: 315) Excavated in the late 19th century, the house is most notable for its remarkably well-preserved frescoes, beautiful garden and large triclinium. The rooms included in the house and the decoration in the various rooms reflect trends in Roman domestic architecture and art in