Pompeii and Herculaneum Flashcards
“The part of the land that has been covered in dust from the hot ashes…makes for a land of fine vines. For it contains the substance that fattens the soil”.
The Geography of Strabo’ Greek Historian
“A fertile region so blessed with pleasant scenery that If that manifestly the work of nature in a happy mood.”
‘Pliny the Elder’ Well known naturalist
Pompeii was accessed by
7 gates
Eg, Stabia, Vesuvius Gate
Decumani
Main axial roads that crossed Pompeii on east-west axis
Eg, Via Marina
Cardini
Minor roads that crossed Pompeii along the north-south axis.
Insulae
Created by decumani and cardini
City block, groups of houses on one block surrounded by a road.
Characteristics of street
- Raised pathways
- Stepping stones
- Public Fountains
- Deep wheel ruts
The grid pattern design of the roads within P & H were designed according to the principles of the Greek architect Hippodamos. This shows the Hellenic influences on the towns.
Plans and streetscapes of Pompeii and Herculaneum
More than 100 taverns, inns and bars have been located in Pompeii
Decumanus Maximus
Herculaneum main street
A lot of shops, residential, workshop and craft had been mixed together.
Wallace Hadrill
Plinian Phase
column of ash 30km high, appear like a pine tree as described by Pliny the Younger; pumice falls on Pompeii.
Pyroclastic phase
Hot avalanche of pumice, ash and gases
Pyroclastic flow
A hot, high-velocity mixture of ash, gas and pumice that flows like a liquid down slopes and over terrain.
Manner of Death
Pyroclastic flow of lava Toxic gases Trapped in buildings Starvation/dehydration/suffocation Covered in lava, burnt Inhalation of ash Heatwaves (Herculaneum) Roof Collapse Hit by falling Rocks Trampled Suicide
Trade
- Vital aspect of society
- P had a thriving economy with full range of commercial activities
- H was not major trading centre.
- Evidence from graffiti suggests that Pompeii had a large population of foreigners involved in trade.
Commerce
- 600 excavated of privately owned shops, workshops, bars, taverns and inns.
Markets around the forum - Epigraphic evidence of guilds of tradesmen and retailers
Industries
Textiles, Cloth, Wine, Oil, Garum, Bakeries, Metalworking & Pottery
Wine
- Jaskemski thinks it’s an important industry. Jongman disagrees.
- Mainly took place in the area outside the city. In Villas (need more room).
- Stayed in big jars (Dolia)
- Inscriptions say it varied in quality.
Oil
- Villa of Pisanella kept enough storage jars for 5910 litres of Oil
- Used in furniture, cooking, cleaning body.
Garum
- Fish Guts & Salt
- Containers have been found all over the town but only one shop has been found.
- According to Curtis, 70% of Garum consumed in Pompeii was named from Scaurus’s shop.
Bakeries
- 30 bakeries in Pompeii, one street found to have 7 in a row.
- Graffiti from Pompeii suggests that it was bought daily.
- In Bakery of Modestus, 81 baked loaves were found.
Metalworking & Pottery
- Pompeiian pottery has been found in Greece, North America, Germany & Pompeii.
- House of Vetti: painting showing cupids involved in the proves of metalworking.
Political Life (Evidence)
- More than 2000 electoral notices found in P
- Amphitheatre at P inscribed with plaque detailing duumviri paid for it with their own money as a gift to their fellow citizens
- Smaller theatre at P commerates its erection by “decree of the decurions”
Political patronage
Powerful people offered both protection and assistance to individuals in return for their political and social support. (For political and social advancement)
Cursus Honorum
Political career pathway in Pompeii and Herculaneum
Must work up
Aediles x 2 (one year)
Junior magistrate who took care of streets, temples, organisation of games, maintained public order, granted permits, supervised the Macellum.
Duumviri x 2 (one year)
Senior magistrates responsible for law, administration and residency of the ordo decurionum (city council)
Every 5 years organised a census and revised eligible people for council.
Duumviri quinquennales x2 (one year)
Revised the town census every 5 yrs
Had the power to remove other councillors who have
a bad reputation.
Decuriones x 100
Needed to be wealthy, have status, spend money on town, member of ordo decuriones.
Oversaw: city councilor senate, city finance, religious authority and oversee public business
At the comitium, voting took place. People voted in tribes (eg, based on where they lived)
Paavo Castren
Social Structure
Upper strata or US (citizens: Cives): Emperor Imperial family Senatorial order Equestrian orders Rich freedmen Lower strata or LS: Poor free-born citizens Freedmen (Liberti) Slaves (Servi)
Paterfamilia
Male head of the family
Taught young people respect for elders, obligations, religious commitments.
Senators
- Served the emperor in offices throughout the empire.
- Wealth from large estates.
- Hereditary.
- Distinguished by their clothing (toga with a stripe of purple) in Pompeii
Equestrians (Equites)
- Served the emperor in being commanders of the fire service, grain supply and military offices
- Wealth from public offices, trade and banking
- Not hereditary.
- Wore a toga with purple stripe and gold finger ring
- Cicero criticised them for trying to ape (aristocracy).
Freed men (Liberti)
- Previously slaves given freedom by various means
- Wealth from trade/wealth/banking/manufacturing/land ownership
- Cant become senators but can be equestrians
- Poor can be lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers
Slaves
- Performed mostly agricultural and manufacturing work. Also served upper class in their homes.
- Were often from a foreign country defeated in war, or free citizens who sold themselves to pay debts.
- The work of a slave varied,eg, in the house of Gauius Rufus has a small statue of two slaves carrying a sedan chair through the streets.
Poppaea Sabina
- Wife of Emperor Nero
- Status and fame increased when she persuaded her husband to lift the ten-year ban on gladiatorial games.
- Graffiti from time: “Three cheers for the imperial decree, three cheers for the decision of the emperor and the empress. Long Live Empress Poppaea.’
Julia Felix
- Could own property and run successful businesses
- Turned part of her house into public baths, shops and a bar and rented them out. A notice outside her house read: “to let, in the estate of Julia Felix, daughter of Spurius: elegant baths for respectable people, shops with upper rooms and apartments.”
Eumachia
- Patron of the Fullers
- Fullers erected statue of her
- Cause of her own expense she had donated a new building in the Forum to the Fuller’s Collegia (Guild
Forum (P)
- Centre of Pompeiian life
- A large rectangular space measuring 137 meters by 47 meters surrounded by public buildings where political, administrative, legal, commercial, religious and social activities took place.
Religious Function
- Capitolium; Jupiter, Juno, Minerva Triad
- Temple of the Lares: housed statues of imperial army
- Temple of Vespasian: White marble altar
- Temple of Apollo: had a sacrificial altar
Administrative & Political Function
- Civic Buildings:3 buildings opp of Capitolium, offices for the town councils and magistrates.
- Comitium: place where people voted
- Basilica: housed law courts
Economic Function
- Macellum: Marketplace
- Granary
- Building of Eumachia: Had a statue
Forum (H)
Part of the forum in Herculaneum has been located underneath the modern town of Resina, but yet not excavated, however the adjoining basilica has been uncovered.
Basilica (P)
- Home of the court of justice and the centre of the town’s economic life (busiest civic places)
- Used for commercial business as well as legal transactions.
Basilica (H)
The basilica of Herculaneum was either damaged or entirely destroyed by the 62 AD earthquake and was rebuilt by Marcus Noius Balbus. Statues of himself and his family adorn the walls.
Palaestra (P)
- Large open space surrounded on three sides by a colonnade, swiiming pool in the middle
- Gymnastics, exercise (running, discus and javelin competitions.)
Palaestra (H)
- Large sporting complex that occupied a whole block
- In the palaestra stood a grand statue of the town’s patron, Hercules. Surrounding the open grounds were temples to Hermes and Hygeia, meeting rooms and a spacious upper gallery.
Odeon
- A small theatre constructed around 80 - 75 BC.
- Used for more serious musical, lectures, mime and poetry performances. It had seating for about 100 people.
Amphitheatre
- Large oval, circular, or semi circular outdoor theatre with rising tiers of seats around an open playing area
- Used for games, e.g. gladiatorial fights, hunts/battles featuring wild animals
Macellum
- Food market that stood in the north east corner of the forum, it was built a covered market that sold food.
- Fish, meat and possibly vegetables and fruits, lamb, beef, veal, pork and poultry
Private Buildings
- Shops (Tabernae)
- The Atrium House
- The Atrium-Peristyle House
- Creative Atrium-Peristyle House
domus
- House
- Houses often looked inwards, where one can see the very inside of the house when viewed from outside
Shops (Tabernae)
Shops and workshops with one or two roomed residences behind or above.
The Atrium House
Larger shop and workshop residences with three to seven rooms, some with an atrium.
The Atrium-Peristyle House
The average Pompeian house with between eight to thirteen rooms, most with integrated workshops or shops, with architectural features such as decorated atrium, tablinum and peristyle.
Creative Atrium-Peristyle House
The largest houses with integrated workshops and shops with often two atria, two peristyle and richly decorated.
Atrium
Central hall of a house where guests were often greeted.
Impulvium
A small shallow pool which collected and held rainwater in the centre of an atrium.
Peristyle
Garden
Tablinum
Master bedroom
Culina
Kitchen
Cubicula
Bedrooms
Use of houses
Public, private, commercial, politica, social
Leisure Activities
- Boxing/athletic contests
- Social gatherings/banquets/receptions/drinking in bars and taverns
- Gambling/gaming
- Theatre/festival games
- Circus/chariot racing
- Gladiatorial games/beast hunts
- Baths.
Theatres (Evidence)
- Theatres near Stabian Gate + Amphitheatre
- Graffiti shows that actors were very popular.
- There were acts of tragedy, comedy & mimes.
Amphitheatre (Evidence)
Graffiti, wall paintings, various forms of ceramic art, gladiatorial equipment
Gladiators
- Were ‘worshipped’ (loved)
- Popularity evident through graffiti
- Gladiators’ quarters were in the palaestra behind the Great Theatre,many pieces of armour were found here
- Bodies of 4 gladiators found in detention room
Dinner Parties
- Were like a ritual where one would show off their collection of silver and glassware
- Conversation, songs, professional entertainers, dancers, acrobats, actors
Health
- Significant problems in Roman society regarding health/disease
- People turned to magic charms, healing herbs, prayers and religion for cures.
- Most Roman bodies had a high lead content. Lead cooking pots were used and water was flushed through lead pipes
Baths
- Thermae
- Regarded as a social activity in ancient Rome.
Apodyterium
Changing room
Trepidarium
Warm room
Calidarium
Hot room
Laconicum
Sauna
Frigidarium
Cold pool
Hypocaust
Heating system
Water Supply
- Water from the aqueduct flowed into a water tower (castellum) and was siphoned off into three pipes, which supplied different areas of the city.
- Many private homes had access to this supply
- Poorer people got water from fountain
- Lead pipes
Sanitation: Toilets and sewage
- Romans devised a system which involved water running continuously through a drainage channel that moved waste along.
- Public L: people sat side by side on benches above the flowing channel. There was no toilet paper only a sponge on a stick.
Graffiti and how it helps our understanding about daily life
- Pompeii: thousands of scrawls on walls on - public/private buildings. E.g.:
- Advertisements
- Political propaganda/political views
- Quotations, personal thoughts
- Jokes, gossip, threats and vulgarities
gave a voice to people not usually in Ancient sources.
Public religion
presided over by priests.
Private worship
presided over by Paterfamilias
Official cults
worshipped Roman deities
Mystery cult
worshipped foreign deities
Pax deorum
Peace with the gods, protection, looked after
Flamen
specialised priests to a particular god or goddesses
Augastales
specialised priests of the imperial cults
Temple of Vespasian
centre of imperial cult.
Imperial culr
Worship of the emperor
Paterfamilias
head of the household, usually oldest male, and was in charge of private rituals in the house. Daily ceremonies were held, where offerings were made.
Genius
god of male line of descent. Worshipped on birthday of paterfamilias, life spirit
Penates
They were deities of the innermost recesses, the safest area – the heart or core- of the house. Penates were considered protectors of the house and of everything in the house that was necessary for the family.
Lares
household gods who protected the home and the family
Lararium
Household shrine
The most sacred, the most hallowed place on earth is the home of each and every citizen. There are his sacred hearth and his household gods, there the very centre of his worship, religion and domestic ritual
Cicero
Foreign cults
- Met emotional needs of people not met through state religion.
