What city is now on the site of Pompeii? Death of Pompeii

Mysterious Pompeii, an ancient settlement that preserves the breath of Ancient Rome, today is an open-air museum. An extinct city, today it is coming back to life thanks to the efforts of archaeologists, albeit as a museum exhibit.

Pages of history

Until the eruption of Vesuvius swept away the city from the face of the earth, Pompeii was very highly developed and high-tech for its time settlement.

Pompeii is not quite a Roman city, as is commonly believed. It was founded in the 8th century BC. Oschi tribe - one of the ancient peoples of Italy. The name "Pompeii" from the ancient Oscan language can be translated as "five", the reason for this name lies in the fact that Pompei were founded on the site of five ancient Oscan settlements.

True, there is another version, more likely related to mythology: supposedly in these parts Hercules defeated a powerful opponent and organized a solemn procession in the city on this occasion (Pompe - this is how “Pompeii” is translated from the ancient Greek language).

In Italy it was at that time many Greek colonies, so a little later the Osskis adopted Greek culture and architecture. The latter is especially clearly visible: the first buildings were chaotic, the order of buildings was not respected, and later, under Hellenic influence, urban architecture acquired clearer outlines - strict rows of streets and rows of houses. Moreover, the Oskos did not even suspect that they were building their houses directly on solidified lava...

After numerous battles The Romans gained power over the city.

Pompeii has a very convenient location economically: at the foot of Vesuvius, on the Sarno River. This location allowed the city's residents to use the river for shipping and trade. Residents were engaged in the production of oils, wool and wines, which also contributed to trade and prosperity of the city. And the Appian Way, which passed through the city, was important for the economy and trade.

Gradually Pompei came under the rule of Rome and became a recreation center for noble Roman patricians. The city grew and developed...

Do you dream of visiting Florence, one of the most romantic cities in Italy? Then you should look at the main architectural structure of the city - Palazzo Vecchio. Detailed information .

Tragedy of the city

The first “alarm bell” rang in 62 AD, when the major earthquake. Many houses and temples were destroyed. But the city residents managed to restore everything in a short time and life again flowed along its usual course.

The peak occurred on 24 August 79. On this day, a strong eruption of the Vesuvius volcano occurred, subsequently the city was buried for centuries under a multi-meter layer of ash.

The day before, flakes of ash began to fall on the city, and there was so much of it that they had to constantly shake it off their clothes. The volcano was considered dormant for a long time, so at first none of the residents paid attention to the cloud of smoke and fire escaping from the vent.

Stones began to fall from the sky, and the ashes settled on the houses in such a thick layer that the roofs began to collapse, burying the people remaining in the premises.

More astute townspeople left Pompeii immediately after the first rainfall, and fled to nearby villages. The eruption lasted for about a day. The city was completely destroyed.

It was discovered by accident in the 17th century during the construction of a water pipeline. The honor of discovery belongs to the Italian architect Domenico Fontana, who, while excavating, came across the remains of a wall and well-preserved frescoes near the river. Moreover for a long time they could not imagine that these pitiful remains were the ruins of the mighty Pompeii.

And only when a sign board was found(border pillar), it became clear that here the once majestic ancient Roman city was buried under layers of earth.

Full-fledged excavations began a century later, in the 17th century, and continue to this day, as well as scientific research.

For more information about the Pompeii tragedy and excavations, watch the video:

Sights and interesting places

Today, on the site of the legendary city, you can see only remnants of its former greatness. You can find the Pompei excavation site near Naples. Open-air city-museum attracts many tourists every year.

Pompeii is not only a mass of interesting sights in Italy, but also unique witness to history. Due to the fact that the city was almost instantly covered with ash, all surviving buildings, frescoes, mosaics, sculptures and objects are very well preserved. So, what can you see today in the place where Pompeii is located?

• Forum.

  This building can be called the heart of the ancient Roman city, its social and economic center. At first, on the site of the Forum there was only a trading area, then the market was significantly expanded, and residents began to gather at the market not only for shopping, but also for discussing city events.
  



• Lupanarium.

  “A hot place” in the city, where townspeople came in search of carnal pleasures. The name itself is translated from Italian as “she-wolf” - it was with the help of a wolf-like howl that women of easy virtue attracted their clients. The priestesses of love of that time were quite easy to recognize - hair collected and raised at the back of the head, and a wide red belt on their clothes.

  All rooms for love dates were painted with erotic frescoes. Today some of these frescoes can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Naples. By the way, this was not the only brothel in the city (there were about 30 of them in total), but Lupanarium was the most famous.
  



• Amphitheater.

  A large-scale structure on two levels was intended for gladiatorial fights and various spectacles. Only the outer walls and seats were preserved, but the steps were completely destroyed - they were made of wood and simply did not survive the eruption.
  



• Residential buildings.

  All buildings and residential buildings are very well preserved, almost in their original form (if, of course, you make an allowance for the past tense). The interior decoration of the houses did not differ in aesthetics, but externally they were very richly decorated, painted with frescoes or decorated with mosaic patterns.

  There were almost no windows in the houses (unlike the palaces and houses of rich nobles); they were replaced by narrow openings. There were no street signs either; the name of its owner was simply written on each house (some of these signs are kept in the Archaeological Museum). On the territory of each house there was a stone pool to collect rainwater (such water was considered sacred).
  



• Frescoes found during excavations.

  They contain historical scenes and scenes of Roman entertainment. Almost all of them were transferred to the Naples Museum, and in the restored city you can only see skillfully made copies.
  

• In addition, you can also see Temple of Jupiter, Small Theater, Bolshoi Theater, Stabian Baths, triumphal arches and other surviving buildings of Pompeii.

During excavations it was found a lot of gold jewelry, ceramics. The ceramics were generally well preserved, although the designs and patterns on the pots and jugs were damaged by fire and time.

Several bakeries found – huge stoves, kitchen utensils and other equipment, as well as the so-called thermopolia - taverns. Rarely did any house in Pompeii have kitchens with ovens, so food was delivered from such thermopolia.

Opening hours, ticket prices

• During high season(from the beginning of April to the end of October) you can get to Pompei from 8.30 am, and the closing time is 7 pm (the ticket office closes at 5.30 pm, an hour and a half before closing).
• Low season(this time is from November to March) Pompeii can be seen from 8.30 (9.00) in the morning until 17.00 (the ticket office closes at 15.30).
• Ticket price – 13 euros. They can be purchased at the box office.

There, at the ticket office, you can pick up a guide map, otherwise it’s easy to get lost in all the intricacies of the ancient streets.

• An excursion to Pompeii can be combined with a visit to other ancient cities - Herculaneum, Boscoreale, Villa Stadia and others. In this case the ticket will cost at 22 euros (with discount).
• Groups of schoolchildren and students can visit Pompeii by appointment. None There are no restrictions on the number of groups here.

You can check ticket prices, find out about the schedule of excursions, and also get acquainted with other background information about Pompeii on the official website of the attraction – www.pompeiisites.org

There are no Russian-speaking guides here, and the guide map is offered in Italian or English. Therefore, you can print out information in advance on the Internet about the most significant objects and attractions of Pompeii, and already navigate on the spot, relying on this data.

The excavations of ancient Pompeii are the only place where you can see what the ancient Roman city really looked like. There are many ruins of settlements from the Roman period in the world, for example, but it was thanks to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that the city of Pompeii was preserved in its original form.

We didn't have much luck while visiting Pompeii as it was pouring rain. This page has many photos from the archaeological site. Many of them may seem faded to you, but we never edit photos, relying on relevance even at the expense of beauty.

By the time of the eruption of Vesuvius, the city's population consisted of half the indigenous inhabitants, and the other half consisted of the Romans who moved here. At excavations, ceramics or simply drawings with Greek inscriptions are constantly found, evidence that Greek culture in Pompeii was still widespread.

The architecture of Pompeii has almost completely become Roman; you can be sure that you will visit a Roman city and see how the people of the great conquerors who conquered the entire Mediterranean lived.

17 years after the earthquake in 79, a terrible catastrophe occurred, the Vesuvius volcano began its most powerful eruption. A huge amount of volcanic ash was thrown into the air, covering the nearby area with a layer about 6 meters high. The entire city was buried, only parts of the columns and walls of the tallest buildings remained above the surface.

When excavations began in 1748, engineers discovered that the city of Pompeii had been preserved in its original form and now you can visit it and see with your own eyes how the Romans lived two thousand years ago. Now archaeological work is still ongoing, another 25% of the city has not been excavated.

Where are and how to get to the excavations of the city of Pompeii.

Attention! In Italian the city of Naples is called “Napoli”. Don't forget this when you're looking for the train or bus you need.

There are two routes that will suit you:

First: Train Naples - Sorrento (Napoli - Sorrento). In this case, you need to get off at “Pombei Scavi” station.

Second: Train Naples - Scafati. In this case, you need to get off at Pompei station.

These trains have slightly different routes and stops near the excavations are different.

Both trains can be boarded at several locations. Stations are located near the metro: Porta Nolana (lines 3 and 4), Piazza Garibaldi (lines 3 and 4), Via Gianturco (line 4), San Giovanni a Teduccio (line 4), Barra (line 4), San Giorgio a Cremano ( 3 line). Please note that metro lines 3 and 4 are not underground, they are funiculars.

The most interesting thing you can see is the excavations of Pompeii.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the roads. The pride of the Roman state, some of them, laid two thousand years ago, still serve in Italy. The streets in the city are paved with hewn large stones.

The street had a roadway (in the center in the photo) and sidewalks for pedestrians. Pay attention to the large stones - this is a very interesting Roman invention. The stones were used for pedestrians to cross the street in rainy weather. We appreciated such a system personally; it was raining just at the time of our visit to Pompeii.

In turn, the carts drove freely along the street, the wheels passing between the stones. See more photos of roads in the city in the small photo gallery below.

Not all buildings in Pompeii are in good condition. Some of them will not arouse serious interest among the average tourist. We will talk about the most interesting places in the city.

The most luxurious house in Pompeii belonged to Lucius Cornelius Sulla and his nephew (although this is more guesswork than fact). It is called the house of the faun. At the entrance to the house there is a swimming pool with a bronze statuette of a faun in the center, hence the name. The statue is quite small in size, about the knee length of an adult. Faun is not quite ordinary. Most often this deity is depicted with goat legs and hooves. This sculpture has human legs, but the features and facial expression, hairstyle and pose are exactly the same as what is customary to depict this particular deity. The house had a huge size of 110 by 40 meters. Such a house was a sign of the highest status of the owner, given that it was located within the city walls. Outside the walls it was possible to build an even larger structure, the land there was cheap and there was plenty of it. Only the richest citizen of the city could afford such a mansion inside the walls.

During excavations in the faun's house, a huge amount of jewelry made of gold and silver was found; the most valuable find of precious metals was a gold bracelet in the shape of a snake entwining the owner's hand.

But even more valuable finds were mosaics, of which several dozen were found. All of them were removed and replaced with copies. The originals can be viewed in the Naples Museum. The most valuable mosaic is called “The Battle of Issus”. It shows an important battle between Alexander the Great and the Persians led by King Darius. You can see a photo of the original from the Naples Museum below.

Unfortunately, part of the mosaic was lost forever. The painting itself dates back to 100 BC, that is, it was created more than 200 years after the death of Alexander the Great. Presumably this is a copy of an even more ancient Greek mosaic.

In Pompeii, in the House of the Faun, you can see a copy installed here in 2005. A team of nine craftsmen from the city of Ravenna worked on this copy for two years, led by Severo Bignami. It is impossible to photograph it from above and in its entirety; you will find photos of sections in the small photo gallery below.

On the grounds of the house there was a central building with a pool for collecting rainwater, separate buildings for slaves, a kitchen, a large garden and several other outbuildings. You will find a photo from the faun's house in the small gallery below; the garden, of course, was completely destroyed by the eruption; in the photo you will see a reconstruction of the garden.

In Pompeii, several bakeries with millstones for grinding flour and ovens for baking bread have been preserved. The Romans did not bake bread at home, but bought it right next to the bakeries, which worked almost around the clock. In most houses and apartments of ordinary citizens there was no provision for preparing hot food at all. You will find photos of the bakery in the small gallery below.

The following building in Pompeii falls under the category (18+), so we prohibit those readers who are under 18 years old from reading this part of the article. It is clear that this will not stop anyone, but it was worth a try.

This is a perfectly preserved brothel, which was located on the second floor of the building. Such establishments in Roman cities were not luxurious. Typically, a brothel consisted of several rooms without windows or even ventilation.

The bunks were very small and covered with straw and skin on top. Customers and service staff (we know how to choose decent synonyms) were in a sitting position rather than a lying position. The only decoration of the rooms were frescoes and images of clearly erotic content. See photos in the gallery below.

The large amphitheater was poorly preserved; its steps were made of wood and were completely destroyed by the eruption. It was used mainly for gladiator fights and similar bloody performances for the crowd.

The Maly Theater is better preserved; its benches were made of stone. The small theater most often hosted theatrical performances, debates, or public speaking performances.

The central place of the city was the square, which in Roman cities was called the forum; it served both as a market and a meeting place for citizens on political issues.

Some historians claim that the forum could accommodate all the inhabitants of the city, which is doubtful. The population of Pompeii at its height was more than 20,000 people. In the photo below you see the figures of people, we think that 20,000 people simply won’t fit in the square.

During the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of the city, according to various estimates, from 2 to 16 thousand people died. About 1000 bodies were found during excavations, but in a very interesting form. People were covered with ashes right in the positions in which they died. Voids have formed in the ashes and are filled with plaster to create a cast.

I remember as a child, seeing K. Bryullov’s painting “The Last Day of Pompeii”, I was greatly shocked. The huge one died in a matter of hours. Why? How? For what?
Our family managed to visit Pompeii only in November 2016. I will share my photos and videos with you. Let's try to understand the reasons for the tragic events.

The ancient Roman city of Pompeii in Italy was completely destroyed in 79. Buried under a multi-meter layer of ash and magma as a result of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

The death of Pompeii - why didn’t people leave the city?

It was one of the largest ancient cities, founded in the 6th century BC. Its favorable location on the trade route and fertile lands contributed to its economic prosperity.

Geologists say that the volcano was silent for 15 centuries. He warned people that he was waking up with a strong earthquake in 62, almost completely destroying buildings. But the residents did not move to new places, but began to rebuild it again. Without even suspecting the impending disaster.

And the cruel killer Vesuvius from a height of 1300 meters silently watched the human bustle and waited in the wings. And this hour came on August 24, 79.

Vesuvius warned in advance

A huge, rapidly growing brown cloud appeared above the volcano. At a height of many kilometers it spread out to the sides, covering the sky. This was accompanied by a terrible roar and underground shelves. Every hour, volcanic ash covered the ground with a layer of up to 20 cm.

Human factor

Part of the population managed to leave Pompeii on the first day. There remained stubborn people who did not want to leave their homes and slaves whom their owners left to guard their goods. They tried to hide in houses, not realizing that they were dooming themselves to death.

The roofs of houses collapsed under the weight of falling stones and ash.

The next day, a red-hot heavy avalanche of magma flowed from the volcano, destroying everything in its path. The air was saturated with hot suffocating gas and dust, and when it entered the lungs it turned into cement, people suffocated. A heavy downpour began.

Loose ash, mixed with water, rushed down the slopes in a hot mud stream. Residents, mad with fear, rushed to the sea, those who fell were trampled by those running behind them. Those remaining on the streets were burned alive. On the third day, the clouds of dust cleared. The sun illuminated the terrible picture of the dead cities of Pompeii, Stabia and Herculaneum.

Reconstruction of the bodies of the dead

During excavations, the empty cavities left by the bodies of the dead were filled with plaster and their dying poses were reconstructed.

In this way, up to 2,000 remains were recovered. It is believed that about 15 thousand people died during this disaster.

Currently, 75% of the restored excavations are open. Up to 2.5 million people a year come to see it in the open air.

The remains of an amphitheater for gladiator fights, residential buildings with intact furnishings, frescoes and mosaics have been discovered. Temples, baths, a large number of drinking establishments, brothels and images of the phallus in drawings, figurines and sculptures.

Punishment for...

In Ancient Rome, the phallus was considered a symbol of good luck and a talisman. His images were painted on the walls of various establishments and on street corners. During the excavations, many figurines of the God of Fertility Priapus with a genital organ of enormous size were found.

In 1819, all the objects and frescoes depicting sexual orgies, bestiality and sodomy (homosexuality) found in the ruins were collected in the Secret Cabin of the Archaeological Museum.

Until 2000, this collection was available for viewing only to a narrow circle of people belonging to high society. Now it is open in the Naples Museum, for everyone who wants to get acquainted with this side of the life of the Romans of that era.

Judging by the assortment and number of exhibits, brothels and drinking establishments, the residents were far from chastity and led a cheerful lifestyle. Maybe the disaster that occurred was a punishment?
Present tense

We saw this city on a gray rainy day. Our short amateur video will give you an idea of ​​the destroyed city.

Vesuvius, the culprit of the terrible disaster, now looks quite peaceful and is again waiting in the wings. The longer he sleeps, the more catastrophic his awakening will be. The passing centuries have erased the memory of the past tragedy and people continue to settle in its vicinity.

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A nice mountain located just a few kilometers from the linecities Naples , 1281 meters high, at first glance looks harmless until we know its name, -Vesuvius . The only active volcano on mainland Europe is one of the most dangerous on our planet. For especially non-believers, residents of the city of Naples will recommend a trip to the coast of the Bay of Naples, where three ancient cities rested for centuries under meter-long layers of ashHerculaneum , Stabiae AndPompeii , whose vigorous activity ended on August 24, 79 when the volcano began to speak in full force.
20 years before the famous earthquake, the volcano raged and shook the nearby villages so much that their residents had to rebuild them. Even large cities experienced significant destruction. But, human memory is too short, the lush vegetation and fertile soil on the slopes of the mountain attracted more and more settlers, and so with great speed, towns and cities multiplied and expanded. Since 62, the residents of “Privezuvye” felt regular tremors, but did not seriously express their fear that one day a fire-breathing giant would wipe out Pompeii, which at that time was an ancient Roman metropolis, from the face of the earth. In 74, Spartacus and his fellow gladiators hid from their pursuers among the riotous greenery of the volcano. Not a single person expressed concern about the “troubled neighbor.”
City of Pompeii was founded inVIcentury BC and in 89 BC. It was taken by Sulla, one of the dictators of the Roman Empire, after which it was considered a colony of Rome. It was located at the intersection of trade roads connecting Southern Italy and the capital, and thanks to such an advantageous location, it flourished. Here was everything that could indicate a large metropolis of the eraRoman Empire : temples, theaters, baths. Pompeii should even risk being called the “ancient Roman Barvikha”, since the Roman patricians willingly built villas for themselves and went out to relax, or even stayed to live, basking in a kind of ancient resort.
Founding of a nearby cityHerculaneum attributed to Hercules, who accomplished his feat not far away, and decided to commemorate this with the founding of two cities (the second was Pompeii). The city was located directly on the coast, took over the port function of nearby cities and also developed safely and quickly. But, by 79, no more than 4,000 people lived in the city, since in 62 it suffered severe destruction, and most of the inhabitants left it.
Stabiae was conventionally called a city, becauseRoman Emperor Sulla destroyed it in 89 BC, and it remained simply a populated area. They did not rebuild the city, but those Romans who were “denied” a place in the “Pompeian barvikha” settled down here.
Life in these ancient cities went on as usual. And on a warm August day, the 24th, when the townspeople went to the market to shop, some went to the Temple of Jupiter, some played with children, some went to the local amphitheater, which was large enough to accommodate the entire populationPompeev , watch the gladiator fights, how, quite unexpectedly, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius began to occur. A huge cloud of hot smoke with stones and ash, reaching a height of 33 kilometers, rushed into the sky. “Yes, a terrifying sight. Yes, it’s hard to breathe, but it’s not so tragic,” the townspeople thought at that moment and continued to go about their business. After the explosion of the western part of the volcano and its collapse into the crater, accompanied by an incredible sound effect, those who were able to appreciate the tragedy of the situation began to leave the city. And many left the city, leaving mostly only slaves to guard the houses, old people unable to move, and, of course, those who decided simply not to leave their home, but to wait out the natural disaster behind the wide walls of their home.
An ancient Roman writer famous at that time,Pliny the Elder , commander of the galley fleet, went to the village of Stabia to observe the raging elements. But he was unable to sail back because of the low tide; while waiting for the situation at sea to improve and helping and calming the frightened citizens, he suddenly stopped breathing. According to his nephew, Pliny the Younger, he suffocated in sulfur dioxide on the night of August 26.
According to the current opinion of scientists, an irreparable blow to the cities was caused by pyroclastic flows of high-temperature (800 degrees) volcanic gases, ash, stones, capable of reaching speeds of up to 700 kilometers per hour. It was they who caused the death of most of the inhabitants of Herculaneum, although they overwhelmed the city only 18-20 hours after the start of the eruption. All townspeople had the opportunity to leave the dangerous place, as most did.
How many inhabitants of Pompeii died? There are no exact statistics. But it is assumed that the number of victims reaches 2000 people. INStabiae AndHerculaneum there were fewer of them because they themselves were much smaller.

Pliny the Younger , nephew of the deceased Pliny the Elder, subsequently described: “The panic-stricken crowd followed us and (like any soul maddened with horror, any proposal seems more prudent than its own) pressed on us in a dense mass, pushing us forward as we went out... We froze in the midst of the most dangerous and terrifying scene. The chariots that we ventured to take out shook so violently back and forth, although they were standing on the ground, that we could not hold them up even by placing large stones under the wheels. The sea seemed to roll back and be pulled away from the shores by the convulsive movements of the Earth; definitely the land has expanded significantly, and some sea animals have ended up on the sand...

Finally, the terrible darkness began to dissipate little by little, like a cloud of smoke; daylight appeared again, and the sun even came out, although its light was gloomy, as happens before an approaching eclipse. Every object that appeared before our eyes (which were extremely weakened) seemed to have changed, covered with a thick layer of ash, as if snow.”

Residents who survived the terrible tragedy did not dig up multi-meter layers of ash and lava in order to free the bodies of their dead relatives. They were remembered much later, in the 18th century. century when excavations began. Hunters for ancient rarities and gold began to appear onexcavations ancient cities which are still ongoing today.
The dying Pompeii were stuck in piles of small stones, then they were covered by a rain of ash and, exhausted, suffocated under it. The hot downpour, which wet the bodies of the dead, formed a mess on their surface that penetrated even into the folds of clothing, into all the depressions on the body, even into wrinkles. After the bodies decomposed, cavities appeared, which, on the advice of the Italian scientist Giuseppe Fiorelli, they suggested filling it with plaster. Thus, the result was sculptures that preserved the position of the body at the time of death, even the terrifying expression of their faces, which before World War II were exhibited in a small Pompeii museum at the Sea Gate. And now you can look at the unfortunate sculptures writhing in horror and pain in Pompeii. A garden once bloomed at this place, but now it is called Garden of Prisoners.
In 2014 it was already 70 years since the fire-breathing mouth volcano Vesuvius did not produce any major eruptions. However, according to modern scientists, the longer his silence, the stronger the blow and the more tangible the destruction will be.

Pompeii is one of the oldest cities in Italy, located at the foot of Vesuvius in Campania - a fertile region of the Apennine Peninsula with loose volcanic soil and a mild climate.

Ancient Campaign (from the book of Mau)

It is not known exactly when Pompeii was founded, but we know that archeology dates the fragments of the Temple of Apollo - one of the oldest buildings in the city - to the end of the 7th century. BC. Another ancient building of Pompeii - the Doric temple - dates back to the beginning of the 6th century. BC. and probably served as the cultural center of the Greek emporium. But the Oscans can be considered the true founders of the city (the oldest inscriptions of Pompeii were made in the Oscan language). The venerable age of Pompeii is also confirmed by the results of excavations by Amedeo Maiuri and Stefano de Caro: archaeologists date the early city walls and the remains of gates found in the 6th region to the middle of the 6th century BC. - the main building material of this time was tuff.

In the VI century. BC e. Pompeii was one of the cities of the union of Etruscan cities formed in Campania, led by Capua. However, the sources telling about this period do not say anything specific about the town - Pompeii does not stand out in any way from the rest of the Campanian cities. The Etruscan period ends in the middle of the 5th century. BC. - primacy in the region passes to the Samnites. The history of the change of peoples in Campania is given by Strabo in his “Geography” (V.4.8.): “Immediately adjacent to Naples is the Hercules fortress, lying on a cape jutting out into the sea, and so open to the blow of the south-west wind that this makes the settlement surprisingly healthy This city and the next one, Pompeii, past which the Sarn River flows, were once ruled by the Osci, then by the Tyrrhenians and Pelasgians, and then by the Samnites. However, the latter were driven out of this area."

As a result of the Samnite wars of the late IV-early III centuries. BC e. prosperous Campanian cities turn into Roman allies and are deprived of the right to an independent foreign policy, which, however, has little effect on their economy. The first written mention of the city dates back to this time - Titus Livius in his “History of Rome from the Foundation of the City” (IX, 38, 2) under 311 BC. talks about the “landing” of Roman sailors: “At the same time, Publius Cornelius, to whom the Senate entrusted the coastal regions, led the Roman fleet to Campania, and the shipmen, landing at Pompeii, set off to ravage the Nuceria possessions.” The Romanization of Pompeii begins, but more than two centuries must pass before its final completion. The chronicles of these centuries did not preserve any mention of the city, and the next time Pompeii appeared in Roman history was in the 1st century. BC.

In 89 BC, during the Allied War, Lucius Cornelius Sulla led the siege of Pompeii, but was forced to retreat - the city managed to hold out. During this turbulent time, the city wall was additionally fortified with 12 towers. True, this did not save Pompeii; later Sulla managed to break the resistance of the residents, and then place about 2 thousand veterans of his army who had served in the city as colonists. Pompeii received the status of a Roman colony with the new name Coloniae Corneliae Veneriae Pompeianorum.

Traces of Sulla's battering guns on a section of the city wall of Pompeii

Rome's dominant position in the Mediterranean contributed to the development of maritime trade and the emergence of new markets in the East. The invention of cheap, locally made concrete and the widespread use of slave labor led to a boom in construction. The empire paid special attention to civil architecture: water pipelines and bridges, baths and amphitheatres, villas and multi-storey residential buildings were built. The creation of excellent roads throughout Italy contributes to the development of overland trade and interregional connections. Cities are being intensively built up with shops, markets and other premises for exchange and trade.

In the 1st century BC e. Pompeii is turning into a well-maintained cultural center. An amphitheater for 20 thousand spectators, an Odeon, and numerous private buildings are being built, and streets are being paved. The city is actively decorated with sculptures, mosaics, and frescoes created at a high artistic level.

February 5, 62 AD The first bell of the impending catastrophe sounded - a powerful earthquake occurred in Campania with an epicenter in the vicinity of Pompeii. The city was destroyed, and Nuceria, Herculaneum and other nearby towns were also badly damaged. Naturally, for such a seismically active zone as Campania, earthquakes are not uncommon, as Seneca notes in his treatise “Naturales Quaestiones” (VI, I, 2): “... it is true that Campania has never been free from the threat of such disasters, but they happened so many times without causing any harm that the fear of them passed..." However, this time the power of the elements exceeded the scale known to the generation - the Pompeians even captured its consequences in art: the lararium in the house of the Pompeian banker Lucius Caecilius Jucunda depicts a whole series of buildings of the city during an earthquake.

Bas-relief from the house of Jucunda

The next 15 years of Pompeii were filled with feverish construction activity - city residents restored what was destroyed by the earthquake and even laid new buildings. One of the largest buildings in Pompeii after the earthquake - the Central Baths - was never completed by 79 AD. In many houses, archaeologists found traces of reconstruction, cosmetic repairs, renovation of paintings and mosaics. Everything indicated that the inhabitants of Pompeii, despite the cruel blow of nature, did not take Vesuvius into account in their future plans for life.

Mild tremors of the 70s. AD The townspeople took it very seriously - the cracks in the walls served as the reason for another renovation of the interiors of houses and other restoration work in the city. Many indications of another construction boom have been found: valuables in rich houses are stacked in locked utility rooms, tools, amphorae with lime, and pots of paints are laid out in rooms ready for decoration. Everything indicates that the earthquake preceding the eruption did not cause panic among the Pompeians, and they prepared for the usual restoration of what was damaged by the elements.

But on August 24, the history of the city is suddenly interrupted - the hitherto dormant Vesuvius wakes up and brings down all sorts of products of volcanic activity onto the surrounding area. Tremors, flakes of ash, stones falling from the sky - all this took the inhabitants of Pompeii by surprise. People tried to take refuge in houses, but died from suffocation or under the rubble. Death overtook some in public places - in theaters, markets, forums, churches, others - on the streets of the city, others - already outside the city limits. However, the vast majority of residents still managed to leave the city.

Bryullov K.P. The last day of Pompeii. 1833

The eruption of Vesuvius lasted all day. Pompeii was covered with a multi-meter layer of ash and lapilli. The nearby towns of Stabia and Octavianum suffered the same fate. Herculaneum, located on the other side of the volcano, died a little later - on the next day it was destroyed by a powerful pyroclastic wave, and the rain that began after the eruption washed away the ashes from the slopes of Vesuvius, and the destroyed city was flooded with mud flows - mudflows and lahars.

Dust and ash hung in the sky like a black veil for three days. An investigative commission that arrived at Vesuvius found that the towns were irretrievably lost. For some time, the surviving people wandered through the ruins, trying to find their property, but soon they too left the dead city.

They forgot about Pompeii until the 16th century, until in 1592-1600, when digging underground tunnels to divert water from the Sarno River to the villa of Count Tuttavilla under the leadership of the Italian architect Domenico Fontana, several inscriptions were found, as well as fragments of colored wall paintings, which, however, were unknown to anyone It didn’t occur to me to connect it with Pompeii, although one of the inscriptions contained two perfectly preserved words “decurio pompeis” (which was interpreted as the name of the owner of the “found villa” - Pompey, but in fact it was a mention of one of the city positions).

Fountain tunnel to drain water from the Sarno River

The assumption about the identity of Civita and ancient Pompeii was first made by the German antiquarian Holsteinius, who visited the town in 1637, but was perceived negatively by the public. Another inscription with the name of the city, found in 1689, sparked discussions in the scientific world. The architect Pichetti again suggested that the site was somehow connected with Pompey, while the historian Bianchini stated that the inscription directly points to the location of the ancient city of Pompeii.

One of the Pompeii inscriptions in Oscan language

In 1748, the head of the excavations in Herculaneum, Joaquin de Alcubierre, as a military engineer who controlled the work and maintenance of all royal military facilities, received a message about the discovery of some ancient objects in the town of La Civita near the city of Torre Annunziata, where the royal gunpowder factories were located. Assuming that the Stabiae buried by Vesuvius were also located there, Alcubierre transferred several workers from Herculaneum to Civita. In technical terms, working here turned out to be easier - the layer of volcanic material is three times smaller and not as hard as in Herculaneum.

However, three months of work in Pompeii did not satisfy Alcubierre with the number of things found, and the excavations were curtailed for a while, and the workers returned to Herculaneum. From the Stabii, in documents of those years prepared by Alcubierre himself, a plan for a section of the amphitheater has been preserved.

They returned to Pompeii again in 1750. Alcubierre's newly appointed assistant, Karl Weber, undertook to explore the city villa of Julia Felix, already known since 1748. Over the next 7 years (in 1757, Julia's property was filled up after the removal of things suitable for the king), Weber was able to draw up a detailed plan of the entire complex, indicating the exact locations of all finds, linking this plan with inventory lists. Even later - probably in 1759 or 1760 - he also prepared axonometric documentation of the Villa Julia Felix. All this time, Pompeii was conventionally considered Stabiae (despite the work in the real Stabiae and Gragnano).

Only 15 years after the start of regular excavations - on August 18, 1763 - the border pillar of Pompeii was discovered (more details in the chapter on excavations of 1748-1798), which made it possible to accurately determine the object of interest of archaeologists.

Thanks to its sudden and rapid destruction, Pompeii is the best preserved ancient city. Since the entire furnishings of the houses remained untouched under a layer of solidified lava, Pompeii became an important and valuable source of information about the life, way of life, urban structure, culture and art of the Roman Empire in the 1st century. n. e.

To date, 3/5 of the city has been opened (they decided to leave the rest to future generations): defensive walls, gates, necropolises, blocks of residential buildings with mosaics, frescoes and sculptures in excellent preservation, two forums, an amphitheater and two theaters, temples and much more. The Pompeii lighting project is being implemented.

Fragment of a three-dimensional map of the ruins of Pompeii. National Archaeological Museum of Naples

(c) Yully Uletova

Reasonable attempts are now being made to push the date of the eruption forward by 2 months - to October 79 AD.

The date itself in Pliny's letters, indicated as nonum kal. Septembres, was translated as August 24, but now the translation tradition can be revised in favor of non(as) Novembr(es) or nonum kal (endas) Decembres, which moves the eruption date to the end of October, the beginning of November, or even the end of December.

In favor of the “autumn version,” archaeologists give the following arguments:
- ripe fruits, including grapes, found during excavations;
- warm clothes on some victims and braziers in the premises;
- jugs full of wine in a rural villa in Boscoreale;
- a silver coin from the House of the Golden Bracelet (where the title of Titus was minted with the indication "imperator XV", which could not have happened before the beginning of September).