Pompeii is an ancient city in Italy. Pompeii - a city buried alive

The word “Pompeii” is known even to those who have never been to Italy in their lives. It has long become a symbol of human helplessness before the elemental power of nature. The death of a rich and populous Roman city, buried under the ashes of Mount Vesuvius, is one of the most impressive disasters in human history. Thanks to the famous painting by Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”, it seems like a bright tragic action from the classical theater, where people are like statues, and the elements are inevitable, like fate. Having visited Pompeii, you can touch another dimension of this history - more earthly and concrete.

Pompeii dates back to the 6th century BC. Legend claims that their founder was Hercules himself. In the 5th century, the sprawling port city on the Gulf of Naples became part of the Roman Empire. He was loved by the Roman nobility, who built many holiday villas here, and prospered and grew rich. The geographical location of the city seemed extremely successful: the Via Appia road, passing through Pompeii, connected Rome with the southern part of the country. But Vesuvius was nearby. August 24, 79 AD the volcano has awakened. The monstrous eruption destroyed Pompeii and two nearby cities - Herculaneum and Stabiae - in two days. More than two thousand inhabitants died in the rain of lava and ash in Pompeii alone.

The disaster served Pompeii in a strange way, destroying a thriving city while simultaneously preserving it for eternity. An 8-meter layer of ash “preserved” Pompeii for many centuries, so that at some point the city would appear in the very form in which it met its death. During archaeological excavations that began in the 18th century, streets and houses, household artifacts and objects of art were resurrected from oblivion. A story was emerging both about the horror of the ancient tragedy and about the everyday life that once seethed here. The fate of Pompeii shocked the imagination of Europeans: real pilgrimages of scientists, artists, and poets were organized to the dead city.

This is not surprising: a trip to Pompeii is a real journey back in time. Here you can see all the attributes of an exemplary Roman city: cobblestone streets, streets with gutters, the remains of a forum, porticoes with columns, the Big and Small theaters, three municipal buildings, numerous baths and, of course, temples dedicated to various gods - from Jupiter to Isis. But perhaps the strongest impression is made by residential buildings with “telling” names: the Surgeon’s House with the medical instruments found in it, the Perfumer’s House, the House of the Tragic Poet, the House of the Faun, the Villa of Mysteries. It’s as if their owners left them yesterday. However, people and animals did not disappear without a trace: casts of their bodies made by scientists can be seen in those places where death overtook the unfortunate ones. There is also an archaeological museum, which houses objects found as a result of excavations.

Today, Pompeii is visited annually by more than 2.5 million tourists. Here, like nowhere else, you can feel the juxtaposition of eternity and decay, beauty and decay. The gentle sophistication of the frescoes on the walls of the houses (they are compared to paintings by Botticelli) is adjacent to the distorted poses of frozen bodies. And the silence of eternity reigns over everything, not disturbed even by the voices of visitors. And the silhouette of Vesuvius still rises above the city, as if reminding of the fragility of this silence.

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 of 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 viewed 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.

Tourists visiting Southern Italy and its pearl, the city of Naples, have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views, including the majestic mountain, located just a few kilometers from the city limits.

The mountain, only 1281 meters high, does not look intimidating, especially if you don’t know its name - Vesuvius. It is the only active volcano in continental Europe and one of the most dangerous volcanoes known to mankind.

For those who do not find the appearance of Vesuvius frightening, local residents will advise a trip to the coast of the Gulf of Naples, east of Naples. There are three ancient cities there - Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, life in which ceased on one day, August 24, 79, when the volcano began to speak in full force.

In the 1st century AD, serious and systematic observations of volcanoes, including Vesuvius, were not carried out. And it’s unlikely that they would have helped - Vesuvius has not been active since the Bronze Age and was considered extinct long ago.

In 74 BC Spartacus and the gladiators who joined him at the very beginning of their uprising hid from their pursuers precisely on Vesuvius, covered with lush vegetation.

Local residents did not feel any threat from the proximity to the volcano.

"Ancient Roman Rublevka" was founded by Hercules

The largest of the ancient cities adjacent to Vesuvius was the city of Pompeii, founded in the 6th century BC. In the city, which was considered a colony of Rome after the capture of the Roman dictator Sulla in 89 BC, according to modern estimates, about 20 thousand people lived. It was an important point on the trade route between Rome and southern Italy, and such a favorable location was one of the reasons for its prosperity.

In addition, Pompeii can be called something between an ancient resort and the “ancient Roman Rublyovka” - many noble citizens of Rome had their villas here.

Nearby Herculaneum, like Pompeii, was founded in the 6th century BC. Its founding was attributed Hercules, who performed one of the feats in these places and “celebrated” this event by founding not even one, but two cities (the second was Pompeii).

The city, located directly on the seashore, was used as a port for a long time and developed successfully. However, by 79, the best time for Herculaneum was already in the past - the city was badly damaged by a powerful earthquake that occurred in 62, and by the time of the new disaster no more than 4,000 people lived in it.

By 79, Stabiae was considered a city only conditionally. The once fairly large settlement was virtually completely destroyed during the “visit of Sulla” in 89 BC, as a result of which Pompeii lost its independence.

The city was not restored, but representatives of the Roman aristocracy from among those who did not make it to the “Rublevka” in Pompeii chose it for their villas.

End of the world after lunch

Less than 20 years before the eruption of Vesuvius, a large-scale earthquake occurred in this area. A number of villages near Herculaneum and Pompeii were completely destroyed, and there was very serious destruction in the cities themselves.

Human memory, however, can quickly erase unpleasant memories. Over the course of 17 years, much of what was destroyed was rebuilt. This is especially true for the city of Pompeii, which has become even better than before. The attractions of the city were the Temple of Jupiter, the forum and the amphitheater, which could accommodate almost the entire population of Pompeii.

Life in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae went on as usual until August 24, 79. Moreover, on this day people flocked to the Pompeii amphitheater to watch gladiator fights.

The eruption began in the afternoon of August 24 and came as a complete surprise to residents of nearby towns and villages. Vesuvius threw a huge cloud of hot ash into the sky. The thermal energy released by the volcano during the eruption was several times greater than the energy released during the bombing of Hiroshima. The cloud of stones, ash and smoke reached a height of 33 kilometers. The western part of the volcano exploded and fell into an expanded crater.

Despite the horror of what was happening, for city residents the disaster was not at all lightning fast. The fall of ash, although it made breathing difficult and made it difficult to move around the city, was still not a fatal phenomenon. Everyone who was able to assess the impending threat began to quickly leave the cities that were in danger. But not everyone could objectively assess the degree of danger.

Save yourself, whoever wants to

Famous ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder, who in 79 held the post of commander of the galley fleet in Misenum on the shores of the Gulf of Naples, with the beginning of the eruption, attracted by its grandeur, headed to Stabiae in order to observe the violence of the elements and help the victims. Arriving in Stabia a few hours later, he was unable to leave due to the low tide. While calming the frightened inhabitants and awaiting changes in conditions at sea, Pliny the Elder died suddenly. According to one version, the cause of his death was sulfur fumes.

From his nephew's letters Pliny the Younger It is known that the disaster developed over a long period of time. Pliny the Elder, for example, died on the night of August 26, that is, more than a day after the start of the eruption.

According to researchers, the fatal blow to Pompeii and Herculaneum was dealt by pyroclastic flows - a mixture of high-temperature (up to 800 degrees Celsius) volcanic gases, ash and stones, capable of reaching speeds of up to 700 kilometers per hour. It was pyroclastic flows that caused the death of most of the people remaining in Herculaneum.

However, these flows hit the cities no earlier than 18-20 hours after the start of the disaster. All this time, the city residents had the opportunity to avoid death, which, obviously, the majority took advantage of.

It is very difficult to establish the exact number of victims of the disaster, because numbers of different orders are called. But, according to modern estimates, most likely, out of 20 thousand inhabitants of the city of Pompeii, about two thousand died. In Stabiae and Herculaneum the number of deaths was lower due to the fact that they themselves were much smaller than Pompeii.

Pliny the Younger did not witness what happened in Pompeii and Herculaneum, but he left evidence of the panic at Misenum, which survived the disaster: “The panic-stricken crowd followed us and (like any soul maddened with horror, any proposal seems more prudent , than her own) pressed on us like a dense mass, pushing us forward when we came 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 expanded significantly, and some sea animals found themselves on the sand... Finally, the terrible darkness began to gradually dissipate, 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 by snow.”

Canned history

After the first impact, a second wave of pyroclastic flows followed, which completed the job. Pompeii and Stabiae found themselves under a layer of ash and pumice 8 meters deep; in Herculaneum the layer of ash, stones and dirt was about 20 meters.

Who died in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae?

Among the victims of the eruption were many slaves, whom their owners left to guard their property. Elderly and sick people who were unable to leave the cities due to their condition died. There were also those who decided that they would be able to wait out the disaster in their own home.

Some of the victims of the eruption, having already left the city, remained dangerously close to it. They died from poisoning by gases released during the rampage of Vesuvius.

Huge masses of ash and pyroclastic flows “preserved” the cities and those who remained in them, in the state in which they were at the time of destruction.

The surviving residents did not attempt to excavate the site of the tragedy, simply moving to a new place.

The lost cities were remembered only in the 18th century, when, after a new eruption of Vesuvius, workers in this area stumbled upon ancient Roman coins. For some time, the territory became a paradise for gold miners. Later they were replaced by hunters of rarities in the form of statues and other historical relics.

Full excavations of the city of Pompeii have begun Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli. It was he who discovered that voids had formed in place of the bodies of people and animals buried under a layer of volcanic ash. By filling these voids with plaster, it was possible to reconstruct the dying poses of the victims of the eruption.

Giuseppe Fiorelli began the systematic work of scientists in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, which continues to this day.

As for Vesuvius, 2014 marks 70 years since its last major eruption. However, scientists are convinced that the longer he is silent, the more powerful his next blow will be.

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. The residents, mad with fear, rushed to the sea, and 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 excavations, many figurines of the God of Fertility Priapus with a huge genital organ 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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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 Livy 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 surpassed 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, some - on the streets of the city, some - already outside the city limits. However, the vast majority of residents still managed to leave the city.

Bryullov K.P. 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 not discovered by 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 possession 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).