Pompeii: Blast from the past

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If I attempt to give a word to describe Pompeii, it would have to be right in the middle of amazing and eerie, which at this time, I hope the word mystifying will suffice. A walk through the streets of Pompeii, in which even some remnants of graffiti are still present on the main road, gives a person the sense of walking through a ghost town, a ghost town from the ancient world. Perhaps the most eerie image of all for me was gazing upon the main town square, the place where leaders and major events were held, all under the watchful eye of Mt. Vesuvius. Speeches about directing life and ceremonies that honor life, all so powerful for humans yet so miniscule compared to the power of nature. The largest threat to this once Roman vacation resort city loomed peacefully on the horizon, until on the day after the festival of the Roman God of fire in 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted. The explosion was so far reaching and so fast that many people were buried alive under hot ash and pumice, trying to escape, or simply waiting for the inevitable. What remains of this city, once the ash and soot were cleared away, is literally a window into ancient Roman life at its height. While it’s amazing to take in such well preserved frescos and statues, it’s also a bit unsettling to look into the faces of the burned victims who still retain their expressions after all these years.
Pompeii was actually lost until around 1599 when it was discovered accidently when digging to divert river. Even once it was discovered, some parts were kept hidden from the public eye due to being such ‘adult content’ that it was feared the Roman culture was simply too hedonistic to be displayed. Around 150 years later, Pompeii was re-discovered and eventually was excavated for all to enjoy and vacation in once again. Pompeii’s history goes back much further then the Roman city though. New digging has revealed much more ancient civilizations, dating back to the 8th century BC. In fact, up until 80 BC., Pompeii resisted Roman rule, finally succumbing though and becoming an important city upon a major trade route. Under Roman rule, Pompeii was rebuilt to a major city, including an amphitheatre, an aqueduct supplying 25 fountains, four public baths and numerous private houses and businesses. Not to mention there of course remains the sturdy Roman roads throughout the city.
Exploring this city in one day is not possible, save unless you like to run marathons and have a photographic memory. Going through the bath houses was probably my favorite part, as the preservation within was remarkable. A few times when bymyslef and walking through a well preserved home wth the outside gardens returned to full life, I found it very easy imagine daily life in this city. The frescos were a real pleasure, although I’m still a bit angry that the best fresco home was closed for renovations when I was there. To be fair though, a major problem for Pompeii is now that it is excavated to enjoy, it is deteriorating much faster than before. The amphitheatre as well was impressive, still in good enough quality to put on solid shows. While only 2/3 of the city is excavated, it is still plenty to see. My advice would be to arrive in the morning, see some major sites, have a lunch outside near the entrance, and then return to finish off what you want to see before you leave. With my afternoon and evening going through this city, I felt like I really had a chance to get a feel for an ancient Roman city much more than I have before. Although going through Pompeii required a long train ride from Rome and a lot of walking around the city, it was certainly worth it and should not be missed for any person who’s curious about life in ancient Rome.

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Photos

Downtown Pompeii, the center of life with Mt. Vesuvius eerily looming within view