Pompeii C Questions

Question 1

What evidence suggests that there were many religions in Pompeii?

Answer 1

• in the forum there were temples to the gods of the state religion e.g Jupiter, Apollo
• there was a temple to an emperor Vespasian, showing they practised emperor worship
• they also worshipped foreign deities, which you can tell from the temple to Isis
• there was also the semi-secret cult of Bachus

Question 2

Describe a roman funeral

Answer 2

• the body was laid out in the atrium and people paid their respects
• a coin is placed in the persons mouth to pay Charon to cross the river Styx
• the body was carried in a procession with musicians a professional mourners
• the body was cremated and the ashes were mixed with wine and placed in an urn ans the urn was placed in the family tomb

Question 3

What was a libation?

Answer 3

An offering to the gods

Question 4

Name any two gods/goddesses that had temples in the forum

Answer 4

• Apollo

- Jupiter

Question 5

Who is Isis and how was she connected with Pompeii

Answer 5

Isis was a egyptian goddess who had a temple dedicated to her in the forum

Question 6

Mention an example of a mosaic in Pompeii and what tells you about life in Pompeii

Answer 6

The mosaic is a skeleton carrying wine jugs and the message is to enjoy life while you can because life is short

Question 7

What were household gods called and who would conduct a daily service to these gods?

Answer 7

The household gods were called the Lares. The head of the house would place a libation at the Lararium which was usually found in the atrium.

Question 8

What was the headquarters of this industry called?

Answer 8

It called the Eumachia after the rich prietess who had sponsored the building

Question 9

What was the process of fulling?

Answer 9

• The wool or cloth was cleaned by workers who trod it in a mixture of urine, potash, carbonated soda and fullers earth.
• The cloth was then rinsed in larger vats and then hung over canes or lines in the sun.
• The wool was dyed with mineral or vegetable dyes.
• The colours were made fast by soaking the cloth in vinegar.

Question 10

Why did Pliny write to Tacitus?

Answer 10

Tacitus asked him to give him an account of his uncles death to put in his book.

Question 11

How did Giuseppe Fiorelli make the models of the humans and objects destroyed by the lava?

Answer 11

He poured plaster into the cavaties

Question 12

What was the opening in the roof of the atrium called?

Answer 12

Compluvium

Question 13

Describe the atrium

Answer 13

The main room in a roman house. It contained a central rainwater pool called an impluvium which filled with rain that came through the compluvium.

Question 14

Descirbe the peristylium?

Answer 14

The colonaded courtyard at the back of the house with a garden in the centre.

Question 15

Describe the triclinium

Answer 15

The dining room, where three long sofas were placed around a dining table in the centre.

Question 16

Describe the cubiculum

Answer 16

The bedroom, which only had room for a bed high off the ground and a stool with which to access it.

Question 17

Describe the tablinium

Answer 17

The masters study which linked the peristylium and the atrium

Question 18

Describe the culina

Answer 18

The kitchen, usually situated at the back of the house. There was usually no windows.

Question 19

Describe two ways in which a roman house would have been decorated

Answer 19

• mosaics on the floor often depicted geometric designs, legends, seasons and others such as the unswept floor
• murals on the walls were also used showing landscape, nature and still-life scenes. These were made by the fresco techniques.

Question 20

Describe the tepidarium

Answer 20

The warm room in the baths where the bathers acclimatised themselves to the heat.

Question 21

Describe the frigidarium

Answer 21

The cold room in the baths where the bather may have had a cold bath after the caldarium before dressing.

Question 22

Describe the caldarium

Answer 22

The hottest room in the baths, the walls and floors were heated and people wore clogs on their feet.

Question 23

Describe the palaestra

Answer 23

The sports area of the baths where one could box, wrestle and throw discus

Question 24

What was the underfloor heating system the romans used called?

Answer 24

A hypocaust

Question 25

Explain how a hypocaust worked

Answer 25

Warm air, heated by a furnace circulated under the floor and inside the walls

Question 26

What was a strigil?

Answer 26

A blunt scraper used for removing impurities from the skin in the baths

Question 27

How did Emperor Nero react to the riot in the amphitheatre?

Answer 27

He closed the amphitheatre for ten years, but there is evidence that it had been opened by 62 AD as the emperor was under pressure from his wifes family, who lived in the area.

Question 28

Describe two activites that took place in the amphitheatre

Answer 28

• gladiator fighting

- beast hunts

Question 29

What did a Rhetor do?

Answer 29

He taught rhetoric, or public speaking.

Question 30

Why was the forum so important to pompeiians?

Answer 30

The Basilica was in the forum where court cases and business meetings were held, there was a market, various temples, guildhalls amd notices about upcoming events.

Question 31

Name two buildings besides temples that were in the forum?

Answer 31

• The Eumachia

- The office of the duoviri