The Life Of A Roman House Of Pompeii

On August 24th in 79 AD at approximately 1300 a cloud appeared over the Roman city of Pompeii. This was all the warning the residents had before the nearby volcano, Mount Vesuvius, erupted. Huge quantities of scalding hot ash, pumice and lava pebbles were thrown into the sky. This then cascaded down across an extensive area. Pompeii was buried under 14 to 17 feet of ash and pumice, and the nearby seacoast was drastically changed. Herculaneum was buried under more than 60 feet of mud and volcanic material. Some residents of Pompeii later returned to dig out their destroyed homes and salvage their valuables, but many treasures were left and then forgotten. The remains of 2,000 men, women, and children were found at Pompeii. After perishing

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

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

These materials aren’t like the materials that we would use in our homes now but, they’re very sturdy and comfortable. Inside a Greek home you would have multiple bedrooms, a woman’s sitting area, a men’s dining room, a bathing room, and one or more storage room depending on the size of the house. The central courtyard was very demanding at the time because it had the most privacy which was good because the women could only be out for a certain time under the permission of their husbands.

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

Most of the Italian municipalities in their time had a Forum, a square in their town where the political, commercial, and social lives are all intertwined. Not only did it act as a social meeting place for the residents, but it also functioned as the primary religious and economic sector of the city. In Pompeii the Forum was a large area measuring at around 157 by 38 metres, not including all the surrounding buildings (Unfortunately in Herculaneum, the forum is still uncovered). The Forum was lined with the most important buildings in the city. (See figure 1) In Pompeii particularly, the forum held the Municipal offices (A), Basilica (B), Temple of Apollo (C), Forum Olitorium (vegetable market) (C), Latrines (public toilets) (D), Temple of Jupiter (E), Macellum (marketplace) (F), Temple of the Lares (G), Temple of Vespasian (I), Building of Eumanchia (J), and a Comitium (voting house) (K). On the western side of the forum, there is a pedestal, built for outspoken orators. This served as a location where people could express their views on current situations, usually political.

The main purpose of the Roman Perystile was of a garden or a beautiful arranged place, where people were able to have walks or spend time outside the house on their own property. The columns were built with two aims, the first one was for supporting the roof, and the second one to create a beautiful architectural space, filled with specific roman details. Contrarily, for the Mesopotamians, this place were designed only for technical and functional purposes that were supposed to bring sun light and fresh air into the house, or to keep the temperature cool.

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)

The Romans and Greek houses were similar, yet different. The Roman houses usually composed of many stories, but many of the Greek houses didn’t, due to their lack of concrete. The Romans had many rooms in their houses, usually each for a specific purpose. Greeks, on the other hand, had many of their rooms dedicated to gods, and only a few rooms. Many Greeks had their houses made out of pebbles, clay, or mud, which had to be kept up, since it would wear away and disintegrate. Greek houses were planned around a courtyard with a garden and statues in it.

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.

How would you have lived in pompeii? Many people died startled to death holding their children. The horrifying disaster ruined so many lives. Pompeii had several similarities to our life today.

To make travel easier, the Romans built roads which would aide the travel between villas and the city and the city’s baths were located south-east of town. Temples and their Doric architecture existed throughout Rome, her colonies and provinces and was used for the worship of Roman gods. Unlike temples, basilicas were situated in the center of town and was used as meeting halls, as well as conducting administrative

Although most who used Roman public facilities were not educated, and remained largely unfamiliar with the world outside the capital city, the patrons were not necessarily concerned in accommodating to public use (Martin, 34). In deriving their building construction from Greek culture, the patrons were neither concerned with the artists they may have plundered from. The Roman elite wanted to build "ideal cities," to create imposing buildings that impressed both inhabitants and visitors with a sense of noble magnificence. For instance, Cicero wanted to have a gymnasium built, a place where students of philosophy would study (Martin, 30). With deliberation, those who designed the buildings crafted marble facades and set out consistent rows of colonnades. Many forms of architecture, such as libraries, public baths, temples, and fountains, began to emulate the Greek style that inspired most of the patrician class (Martin, 35). Roman replica series of Greek artwork extended to both sculptures and architectural works, and the Romans, who first collected Greek artwork as war booty, used certain sculptures and conventions to create different replica series

Another smaller atrium can be accessed through a doorway on the right of the primary atrium. This atrium contains the house's lararium, or a shrine to the family's Lares. This lararium depicts the Genius of the household making a sacrifice and surrounded by two Lares. Underneath is a large snake, a symbol of beneficence and prosperity. (Guzzo, 1998: 60)