The film that I selected for this film review is Pompeii, a 2014 historical disaster movie that was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and written by Janet Scott Batchler and Lee Batchler. The movie was adapted from a 2003 book with the same title that was written by Robert Harris. I chose Pompeii because I heard about the devastating event that took place in the ancient Roman city in various television programs and books. As a result, I wanted to learn more about the event and the daily life of Pompeii before the volcanic eruption occurred. I thought that watching the movie would give me insight about Pompeii and the ancient Roman civilization. In addition, I also chose this film because it features talented actors such as Kit Harington, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Emily Browning. The historical context of Pompeii is the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE that did significant damage to the city of Pompeii and Herculaneum, a town northwest of Pompeii. Before the eruption, Pompeii was an important and lively city filled with thousands of inhabitants. According to Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, the author of Lost City of Pompeii, a book that has detailed information on the city, states, “Estimates of its population run from 6,400 to 30,000 , but most experts think that between 8,000 and 12,000 people lived there year-round” (Patent 14). The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, an active volcano situated near the Bay of Naples, occurred on August 24, 79 CE. The volcanic eruption
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
“The study of Pompeii and Herculaneum provides us with a wealth of sources – However we are faced with issues regarding their limitations, reliability and evaluation.”
Pompeii attracted many people before Mount Vesuvius “froze” the city in time for over a thousand years. In the eighth century BC, Pompeii was for wealthy vacationers who came for the sun and scenery. By the first century AD, Pompeii was for Rome’s most dignified and noble citizens. Pompeii had luxurious houses and paved roads. Daily life included relaxing in the thermal bathhouses which were good for the body and were great social atmospheres. In addition, people spent their days going to the amphitheater to watch gladiator shows and going to the market and town squares. Citizens who lived in Pompeii owned and worked in factories, artisan shops, taverns, cafés and more.
Pompeii was a Roman city that was established in the 8th century B.C. It was located 5 miles from Mount Vesuvius. Many of the citizens were wealthy and had beautiful houses and fancy villas. There was an estimated 20,000 people living there full of slaves, merchants and wealthy families. Nero was to even have a house there in Pompeii. Pompeii was also a trade central transporting goods such as salt, olives, spices and many other goods from other places such as Aceria, and Nola. Earthquakes occurred
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.
First of all the people/residents in pompeii, the people there were on the go all the time. Archaeologist had said, “that pompeii liked bread and wine also women like to wear eye makeup and jewelry.” One resident in particular Diomedes didn’t evacuate when the eruption happened. Diomedes didn’t make it long, since he risked his life staying.
Mount Vesuvius one day erupted in the city of Pompeii and destroyed it. Mount Vesuvius left behind ash and stone that covered Pompeii. The daily life of Pompeii is similar to our daily life today. Their similarities are their jobs, gadgets, and interests.
Pompeii experienced a formidable earthquake in 62 BCE, which damaged the city; presumably, the city would not have completely recovered to its genuine state by the 79 BCE eruption (Seneca, Natural Questions). Some inhabitants left the city forever, so this left abandoned
Mt. Vesuvius caused destruction to the people that lived in Pompeii, on the island of Campania Vesuvius was a volcano that covered the town in ash, and there are still remains left.
The town of Pompeii was located about five miles from the volcano by the turn of the first century A.D. which they later learn may not have been the smartest idea. But the city of Pompeii wasn’t one you would want to run from. Elegant houses and elaborate villas lined the paved streets. Tourists, townspeople, and slaves bustled in and out of small factories, cafes and bathhouses. People gathered in the 20,000 seat arena and lounged in the open-air marketplaces. It was estimated that on the day of the eruption, about 20,000 people were living in Pompeii and the surrounding region.
Mt. Vesuvius, a dormant stratovolcano, had not erupted for over 71, 500 years. The city of Pompeii was isolated from all that was outside of its borders. The only other natural disaster recorded in the area was on February 5, 62 AD, when a major earthquake occurred in the epicenter of Pompeii (Modigliani). This severely damaged the town, causing buildings, temples, and houses to collapse. The society was ignorant to natural disasters, so many were unsure how to react. Because of this, a significant portion of the population evacuated the city after the severe quakes. The towering
Pompeii was a city of ancient Rome. Pompeii as well as Herculaneum and many other villas were destroyed and buried in 4 to 5m of ash and pumice due to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. This happened in 79 AD. Osci found the town in the 6th or 7th century BC. Rome then later on conquered it and made it a colony by 80BC. Approximately 160 years after the eruption, the population rised to 11,000 people, they had a complex water system, an amphitheatre, and a port. The eruption destroyed everything and buried it all under ash making it difficult to find any remains. This evidence was provided from Pliny the Younger who saw the whole thing from a distance and wrote a letter. His uncle was in the city at the time trying to help people make it out. He
In the year 79 A.D. the volcano, Mount Vesuvius, had its’s most famous eruption when it buried the ancient Roman city of Pompeii along with the small neighbouring towns of Stabiae and Herculaneum. The eruption killed two thousand people and left the city buried under millions of tons of volcanic ash. Pompeii was rediscovered again in 1748, by a group of explorers after it laid under a layer of volcanic ash since the explosion. Underneath a thick layer of dust and debris the city was mostly intact. The skeletons, buildings, and artifacts have allowed archeologists to discover a great deal about the ancient world.
The Oscan People establish the city of Pompeii in 7 BC. It was originally established for farming and trading purposes. The soil of the land was rich due to the earlier eruptions of Mount Vesuvius. The Samnite people took over Pompeii and then it was later conquered by the Romans. The Romans made Pompeii an official Roman colony in 80 BC. They named it Colonia Veneria Cornelia Pompeii.
Pompeii provides us with the perfect example of a typical roman city and is arguably the most famous site for archaeologists in the world after the events in 79AD. When considering how far Romanized Pompeii had become by the time of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius it is important for us to take into considerations defining factors that made up Roman cities such as the Political set up, the Governments in place, structure of the city and even the religious aspects of the city, which is all somewhat apparent from Pompeii through discoveries. Within this essay I will compare the defining features that made up a typical Roman city and compare them to what we know of how Pompeii was set up.