Pompeii : A visit to a 2700-year ancient Roman City

Pompeii was an ancient Roman city built around 7th Century BCE (for comparison, three centuries before Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya). About 2.5 hours away from Rome by train, a visit to Pompeii is a must if you are interested in seeing how Romans lived in ancient times.

Unknown to the residents of Pompeii, they were living in the valley of Mount Vesuvius, seething with activity below the serene mountain top. In 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted, burying the city in 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash and rubble. Pompeii remained forgotten, till it was rediscovered in 1599 CE. Due to the absence of air, moisture, wind, and human pillaging, it is perhaps the best preserved ancient Roman city.

As I was going down the escalator to Roma Termini train station, I was struck by all the advertisements for English language learning. 

Advertisements while going down  an escalator in Rome Termini train station.

In India, we bemoan the English language as the colonial invaders' tongue, heap all our evils on it, and take a parochial pride in developing our own tongue (of which we have at least 22). In several other countries that have never been ruled by Britain, there is an enthusiastic support to learn English, so that you can be understood internationally. 

Advertising signs often reflect the voice of the people (vox populi). Maybe there is something to be said for English as the de facto Lingua Franca of the world. The language of science, of university education, of international diplomacy and commerce. In any case it isn't a British language any more. 

Trains and train stations throughout Italy (and in Europe as in Russia or China) are well organized, with directions labelled clearly, which is a refreshing change from India.

Standing in line in the mid-afternoon hot sun at Pompeii Scava waiting for the gates to open post lunch. It can be very hot and sweaty even in autumn. 

The central square in Pompeii was massive and this was only the first half.

The second half of the square. At the far end, you can see the columns of the Temple of Jupiter. In the distance on the horizon, you can see Mt. Vesuvius, 8 kms away.  Before Mt. Vesuvius erupted, the sea came right up to Pompeii which was a Port city.

This was the position of the man when he died, suffocated by volcanic ash and smoke. During excavation, liquid plaster was pumped into the spaces left by decayed human bodies so it recreated the exact human posture at the time of death.

A mother and child caught by the volcanic eruption. The mother held her child till the last moment, trying to protect it from the ash and smoke. Even if it was two millennia ago, it moves me to see such love even in death.

All the crowds were converging at this place, and there was a huge line to get in. When I entered, I found it was a brothel, with erotic scenes of coitus plastered (literally!) on every wall. There were multiple small rooms with stone beds, with different sexual positions describing the various services offered to patrons. 

Even 2500 years ago, humanity evidently had the same motivations and desires, as it does today. Notice the fair skin color of the prostitute, and the dark tone of the patron. There weren't any paintings with the opposite colors. Evidently, color and racial discrimination existed even at that point and the patrons paid for fair colored women. 

 This was a public bath house, ornately decorated.

 This is an aqueduct arch. The ancient Pompeians carried water from down the hillside of Vesuvius through a system of high arches and substations, so water pressure could be maintained. The arch had a water tank hidden at the top. This water system was supplemented this source through rainwater catchments on top of roofs stored in subterranean cisterns. You can see original lead pipes at places.

The houses were often elaborately decorated, with wall to wall paintings. This scene shows what the original Pompeii looked like at the time it was painted.

A fast food place. Pompeians did not seem to be as fond of cooking for themselves, given their tiny houses. The holes in the counters hold pots, and there are places like these which are common.

The three circular stones in the middle of the road are stepping stones to cross the road, because the streets were flooded with water every day to wash them. A single stone meant a narrow one-way street. Two stones meant a two-way, and these three stones, a wide main street. The sidewalks were elevated to hide the lead plumping

Fresco-secco paintings decorating a house.

Inside another house in Pompeii

I was struck by this fresco, that showed a deer taken aback, startled by a barking dog. The artist seems to have captured the instant from memory. Observe the angle of bent legs of the deer, the raised front paw of the dog, the overall composition with both the figures kept in the right half, and empty space on the left, the small bush on the left providing a counter-balance.