Pompeii Flashcards
Why was Pompeii such a good place to live?
- There was a volcano nearby, meaning that the soil was fertile and crops could grow easily.
- It was located near the sea which was good for trade.
- There was an abundance of timber resources.
- The settlement was on raised land which was good for defence.
- The river provided drinking water.
- It was a good place to breed sheep.
- There were good transport links to other places.
- The climate was good.
What was the history of Pompeii?
Pompeii was founded in 750BC by a tribe called the Oscans. After this, the greeks took over. Another Italian tribe called Samnites fought the Greeks over Pompeii, and the Romans took over. In 79AD (the time of the eruption) the population of Pompeii was 20,000.
What were the disadvantages of Pompeii as a settlement?
- It was located right next to a volcano, which would come to erupt and wipe out almost the entire population.
- The weather could get too hot.
What was an inn?
An inn was like a hotel. There were many as there were lots of tourists in Pompeii and people would stay there as they passed through on a journey.
What was a thermopolium?
A thermopolium was like a cafe or restaurant. They were very common and were the Roman equivalent to to burger king or other fast food joints.
Why didn’t many people have kitchens in their homes?
- Many people had wooden houses which could burn down if there was an oven in the house. This is why thermopolia were so common and widely used.
- Thermopolia were very cheap.
Where were thermopolia located?
Thermopolia were usually located at the front of someone’s house
What were the main features of thermopolia?
What else could you do in a thermopolium?
As some thermopolia were also brothels, there were rooms available to rent for short periods of time.
What evidence is there to prove that some thermopolia were brothels?
There was grafitti on the walls which suggested this.
What foods were on offer at a thermopolium?
- Wine
- Water (which was often used to dilute wine)
- Lentils
- Fruit juice
- Cheese
- Milk (this is a possibility)
- Salt
- Bread
- Honey
- Meat (partucularly lamb)
- Olives
- Fish
- Soup
- Fruit & vegetables
- Garum (fermented fish sauce)
What would olive oil be used for?
Everything: they would’ve used it to put on bread (like we do for butter); they’d’ve used it for cooking; they even used it for washing.
What was garum and how was it made?
Garum was a fish-based sauce that the Romans would put on food or eat by itself.
It was made by cutting up fish and putting it in a pot. They they’d leave the pot in the sun for a month.
What evidence is there of Roman food?
Loaves of bread were recovered after the eruption and plaster casts of bread were recovered.
Posters showing food that would’ve been used for advertising were recovered, showing what types of food were sold.
What was the amphitheatre?
The amphitheatre was a place in Pompeii where people would fight eachother (or animals). It was very important for entertainment and very popular.
What were the main features of the amphitheatre?
- It was a circular shape.
- There was tiered seating. (Rich ,em would set at the front, which was separated. Slaves and children would sit at the very back).
- There were access areas at both ends for people/animals to enter and exit. Dead bodies would’ve been dragged out from here.
- About 20,000 people could fit (which is the approximate population of Pompeii).
- It was free as the person who organised the fight paid.
- Rich men would be given special tickets to sit at the front in the best seats.
- Slaves, foreigners and women would sit at the back.
- The seats were built quite high up to prevent the audience from being attacked by wild animals/angry gladiators.
What were the 6 main types of entertainment?
- Gladiators (1 man v 1 man)
Most popular form of entertainment
People risked their lives, but the result of each fight wan’t necessarily death.
- Man v animal
Sometimes it would’ve been deer
Sometimes it would’ve been more dangerous animals
- Animal v animal
Could’ve been different animals
1 bear v 2 lions was very popular (usually the bear won)
- Man v criminal
A form of execution
Untrained men v gladiators
- Animal v criminal
Sometimes the criminals had weapons
- Criminal v criminal
This was a possibility
Why was there a riot?
A man called Regulus from Nuceria (a small town near Pompeii) put on a show in the amphitheatre in Pompeii (there wasn’t one in Nuceria). The Pompeiians didn’t like the show, so small groups began rioting. As a punishment for this, the amphitheatre was closed for 10 years.
What types of entertainment were there?
Fights, which took place in the amphitheatre.
Plays, which took place in the theatre.
How big was the theatre?
It could hold 5,000 people.
What were the main features of the theatre?
- It’s shape was a semicircle.
- There were wooden poles with canvas sheets on them to shield people from the sun.
- Sailors would’ve pulled these ropes.
- The seats were tiered.
- There were marble seats at the front for rich men.
- There was a space for scenery behind the stage.
- Around the stage there was an empty space for the orchestra and dancers.
Why did actors always wear masks in the theatre?
- There would’ve been boys playing girls.
- The masks had an exaggerated mouth, which also acted as a megaphone.
- Some people played multiple characters.
What kind of plays were there?
- Tragedies
- Rustic farce
- Comedies
- Pantomines
What was the plot of a rustic farce?
There wasn’t really a proper storyline
The characters were people who lived in the countryside.
The humour based on violence.
The plays were very insulting.
The jokes were non-intellectual.
Rusic farces tended to Greek plays translated into Latin.
What was the plot of a comedy?
There was a rich old man who had a son who was very social. There was a ‘cheeky slave’ who would watch out for the son when he got into trouble. There was also a pretty slave, who the son would fall in love with. However, as the son was rich he wasn’t allowed to marry the pretty slave, but by the end of the play it would turn out that the slave was actually an aristocrat and could marry the son.
What would the characters in a Roman comedy typically wear?
The old man would wear a grey wig.
The son would wear a black wig.
The cheeky slave would have a red wig.
The pretty slave would have a blonde wig.
What was the most common type of Roman play?
Comedies were very popular.
Describe the plot of a pantomine.
There would usually be one actor on stage not saying anything, as the story would be told using music. The actor would have two masks. The plot was that one of the characters would fall in love with the other, however they weren’t loved back.
What was a famous Roman pantomine and what was its plot?
Echo and Narcissus
Narcissus was very good looking. He liked hunting and had no interest in relationships. All of the girls in town were in love with him. One day, a forest nymph called Echo saw him and fell in love with him, however he refused her, leaving her heartbroken because he’s so mean. She is so heartbroken that she loses the ability to speak, and just follows him around - the only thing she can do is repeat what he says. Eventually, she loses the will to live. One day, Narcissus sees his reflection in the water and falls in love with himself. He goes to touch his face but every time he does, his reflection becomes distorted. In some variations of the story he falls into the water and drowns.
How did the Romans feel about pantomines?
They thought that they were sad and would cry.
What was common for any Roman play?
Every performance had music and songs. People would ofter join in with the singing and if an actor forgot his lines, a crowd member would probably finish them.
How would the crowd react to a play?
If they liked it, they would applaud.
If they didn’t like it, they’d throw fruit/veg/rocks/sharp objects.
From an architectual perspective, what was interesting about the amphitheatre in Pompeii?
It was the first permenant, stone structure in the Roman world.
What was special about the thermopolium of Asellina?
It was also a brothel.
What was the apodyterium?
The changing room in the bath.
What was the palaestra?
An outdoor gym.
What was the tepidarium?
A room in the baths with tepid water. It was room temperature. People would’ve cleaned themsleves in here from the Palaestra.
What was the caldarium?
A hot room in the bath with a hot water pool. They would’ve cleaned themselves in there by rubbing oil on themselves and scraping it off with strigilis. Here, women would’ve plucked their hair. Hot water opened people’s pores.
What was the frigidarium?
A cold room in the bath with cold water. It would’ve closed theiir pores after the calidarium.
What were the main activities in the palaestra?
- Running
- Weightlifting
- Bowling
- Long jump
- Ball games
- Wrestling
Who went to the baths?
As they were very cheap, everyone could go. However, mostly men went to the baths. Boys would’ve gone with their fathers and girls went with their mothers.
What were the baths important for, other than hygeine?
The baths became a very social place where men would do business. As women didn’t have to do business with people, they were there for less time.
What did people wear to the baths?
Nothing.
What else was there in the baths?
- Toilets
- Thermopolia
- Statues of the Gods
- Cubby holes (which acted as lockers to put things in. You would pay a slave to stand in front of it and guard it)
- A library
- Private rooms which you could rent out.
How deep was the water in the baths?
You would be able to sit n the water and your head wiouldn’t go under.
How did the Romans heat the water in the baths?
Slaves would burn wood under the ground. The hot air would heat the floor and the walls of the baths, and was carried around by a hypocaust system.
What was the layout of the forum?
What part of the forum does each number represent?
- Temple of Jupiter
- Macellum (provisions market)
- Sanctuary of the city lares
- Temple of Vespasian
- Building of Eumachia (fullers hall)
- Cornilium (voting hall)
- Duovors (chief magistrate) office
- Council chamber
- Aediles (junior magistrate) office
- Basillica
- Temple of Apollo
- Control of weights and measures
- Cereals market
- Public toilet
- Commemorative arches
What did the excavations look like before Fiorelli changed the methods?
What did the excavations look like after Fiorelli changed the methods?
What did Vesuvius look like before the eruption?
What did Vesuvius look like after the eruption?
The top was completely blown off!
What was the layout of a typical Roman house?
