The physical environment:the geographicalsetting, natural features and resources of Pompeii
andHerculaneum.
Pompeii and Herculaneumlocated in Campania in southern Italy. The geographicalsetting and
naturalfeatures of Vesuvius o Largely flatlands with occasionalmoundsformed by lava o High point of area is
Vesuvius(1277m) and has a 11kmcircumference. o Very fertile soil[Florus], idealfor growing crops and grazing
animals o Hotsprings o Sarno Riverflowed through the Campanian region. o Both towns were onlooking the
sea which facilitated trade with other parts ofthe Mediterranean.
Climate o Pleasant – hot dry summers with sea breezes andmild wet winters. o Annualrainfall on coastis
about 845mm(lowerthanNSW today)
Resources o Olives: oil is extracted and used in perfumes, cooking, bread, lighting and heating o Grapes:
used tomake wine e.g. atthe Villa ofthe Mysteries. This wine was known forits potency, notflavour[Pliny the
elder]. o Otherfruits: peaches, apricots, lemons, cherries, plums, pears and figs. o Crops: wheat, barley and
cabbages. o Trees: willow, alder, beech and oak. o Volcanicmaterial: pumice was used for building roads and
houses. o Fish: plentiful and was used tomake garumsauce. o Wool: Senecamentionsthat a flock of 600
sheep were killed by the 62AD earthquake.
There were 8 entrancesto the town.Names based on where gateslead to,for exampleHerculaneumgate,
Marine gate. Towers atregularintervals along the walls. Fiorelli(1860) devised a numbering systemto
identify housesmore easily as opposed to dubious namesthat are based on whatisinside the house,for
example theHouse ofthe Faun. o Town divided into nine regions[REG] This wasthe 1 st number noted by
Roman numerals o The 2 nd numberis aHindu‐Arabic number and identifiesthe insulate o The 3 rd numberis
also aHindu‐Arabic number and identifiesthe specific building. In Pompeii,themain streets‘decumani’
intersected with the side streets‘cardini’ Houses were builtright up to the street. Stepping stones on road
were placed perhaps when itrained to provide access acrossstreets. They were designed to allow cartsto
easily pass.
Herculaneum AsHerculaneumislargely unexcavated, itissmall and does not use region numbers,
justinsulae and building numbers. Houses are larger perhaps due to being a porttown andmany Roman
Senators owning houses here. For example, MarcusNonius Balbus. More double story houses perhaps due
to the views and trying to catch the ocean breeze. Herculaneumhad walls howeverthey weren’t as
extravagant as Pompeii.
Similaritiesto both towns: Townslaid outin rectangular blocks or‘insulae’ giving thema grid‐like pattern.
This was a phil‐Hellenic influence. There is no sense ofzoning,thatis,separate areasforindustry,
commercial, recreational and residential areas. There were gutters Streets were paved and notmade of
dirt.
The Nature of Sources and Evidence
The range of available sources, both written and archaeological, including ancient writers, official
inscriptions, graffiti, wall paintings,statues,mosaics, human and animalremains.
Pliny the Elder wrote aboutthe physical attributes of Campania,fish, medicinal plants,Gardens of Pompeii
and otherfacets of commercial life. o Pliny the Younger wrote to Tacitus about his account ofthe eruptions of
Vesuvius and the reactions and fates ofthe people. Pliny’s account however was 25 years afterthe eruption
and itis biased in the sense that Pliny tried to glorify his uncle. In thisregard, itmay not be entirely accurate
though we have archaeological evidence to support/refute what he says. o Strabo talks aboutthe geography
and climate of Campania. o Seneca talks aboutthe Earthquake of 62AD. o Dio Cassius:He writes aboutthe
eruption of Vesuvius based on the account of people living aroundNaples and other cities of Vesuvius.His
account was in MedievalGreek and hence itstranslationmay lead to some ambiguities. (2012) All Rights
Reserved 3 of 20 Formore info, go to www.hscintheholidays.com.au Nevertheless,some ofthe things he
saysseemfarfetched liked people gathered inmassesin
Official Inscriptions: o Sources are evidence forthe structure of government, prominentfamilies, financial
contributionsto construction of public buildings as well as economic and political aspects ofsociety. o One
example isthe riot between the Pompeiians andNucerians atthe Pompeii amphitheatre 59AD whereNero
banned gladiatorial contestsfor 10 years.
Graffiti o Came in twomain types, inscribed or painted. o Most were propagandamessagesto urge citizensto
vote for a particular candidate though some were to promote gladiators. There is an issue with
theirinterpretation asthey appearfragmentary and ambiguous. o Othertopicsincluded, love, Roman
bars,recreation and advertising women at brothels. o By advertising/promoting a candidate for office or win as
a gladiator, a client‐patron relationship was developed: “PopidusNatalis, client, with the worshippers ofIsis,
proposes Cuspius Pansa as aedile”. o Messages were scratched onto the walls of houses. Itseemsit was an
accepted practice and citizens were not annoyed atthis due tomany positivemessages being left on the
walls. o We do have an issue with the dates of when the graffiti wasinscribed though in Ancienttimes,
perhapsthis could be distinguished by the ‘freshness’ ofthe work if it wasinscribed into the cement. o By the
countless number ofinscriptions, itis clearthat Pompeii was a lite
Statues/Sculptures o Were in bronze ormarble o Useful
indicator ofsocialstatus
Wall Paintings(Frescoes) o Categorised into ‘Four Pompeian Styles’ devised by Augusto Mau. o It was
aHellenistic influence. o Depictedmythologicalsceneslike ‘The Sacrifice ofIphigenia’fromtheHouse ofthe
Tragic Poet.
Mosaics o Ranged fromgeometric patternsto complex designs and are composed of thousands oftesserae
(tiny chips of coloured glass orstone). o Found on floors,rooves, columns and walls. o
Depictedmythologicalsceneslike in theHouse ofthe Faun (Alexander vs Darius atIssus) o Also in theHouse
ofthe tragic Poetin the Vestibulum“Cave Canum”.
Human and animalremains o Skeletalremains, bones and casts are a valuable source ofinformation about
victims. We can inquire into a victim’ssex, age, appearance, height, health, diet, occupation and cause of
death. o Skeletons are preserved in good condition due to being covered by 20mof pumice and ash. o
Unearthed remains are preserved by either epoxy resin or plaster casts. (2012) All Rights Reserved 4 of 20
Formore info, go to www.hscintheholidays.com.au o The Biselsisters, namely Sara have conducted research
into victims however theymake spurious conclusions. Many oftheir conclusions are based on
skeletalremainsfound on the beach atHerculaneumthough theirsample size issmall and notindicative ofthe
entire population. o In terms of animalremains, dog and pig casts have beenmade indicating perhapsthese
animals were farmed and consumed by the people of Vesuvius. Also horses,mules and goats.
The limitations,reliability and evaluation ofsources. Due to the carelessness ofthose who have tried to
excavate Pompeii and Herculaneumin the past,much ofthe evidence has been destroyed orstolen, leading
tomany gapsin our knowledge which prohibits usfrommaking conclusive deductions on the lives of people in
Vesuvius. Atsome pointsin time,there has been little documentation. With tourismand exposure to the
elements, artefacts/houses/remains have been lost. We are limited by the lack of archaeological written
evidence in terms ofletters, poems and stories.Our conclusions aremainly based on the tangible evidence
which may be only partially true. Herculaneumhas been partially excavated and hence there are gapsin our
understanding. Thismeansthatthe conclusions wemakemay be false. Many ofthe skeletalremains aremixed
togetherso analysis on demographics may bemisleading
Campania was an unstable volcanic region, prone to earth tremors and otherseismic activity. The people had
no understanding of nature or warning signs ofthe impending danger of Vesuvius. No exact date forthe
eruption can bemade by the archaeological evidence due to it being ambiguous. The eruption however wasin
79AD. Pliny to Tacitus: The appearance ofthe explosion waslike a pine tree asitrose to a great height and
then spread out. It appeared white, dirty and blotchy due to the mixture of Earth and ash. Buildings were being
blown away fromtheirfoundations and shaking violently. Dio Cassius: People believed thatthe world was
being wasted away into chaos. People fled though some remained in the theatre. Eruption destroyed allfish
and birds. The ash even reached Syria and Egypt. Sigurdsson: In the 1980’s, he examined the grain
sizesin the volcanic strata to reconstructthe phases ofthe eruptions. The two phases, The Plinian andNuee
Ardente are fromhis work.He also concluded thatmo
The eruption had two phases: o Plinian phase: Initial explosion, greatthrust of cloud of ash/pumice/gases
fromthe craterformed the 33kmhigh eruption column. It deposited upon Pompeii and was 2.5mhigh.
ForHerculaneum, only light ash and pumice feel due toNW winds blowing the cloud towards Pompeii.
Whilstsome people tried to flee atthistime and were struck down by large rock (2012) All Rights Reserved 5 of
20 Formore info, go to www.hscintheholidays.com.au fragments or collapsingmasonry,these people were
aminority. The majority took refuge whereverthey could. o Pyroclastic phase: Pyroclastic flows covered
Pompeii. They were formed afterthe collapse ofthe eruption column. These were hot avalanches of pumice,
ash and gasesthat were very destructive.Herculaneumwas overwhelmed by a series of pyroclastic surgesthat
were travelling atspeeds up to 200km/h followed by flows. These had far greater consequencesto Pompeii.
Causes of death: o Baxtersays ofthe 41 bodies he analysed, about half were consistent with asphyxiation
and thermalshock. o De Carolis and Patricellisuggestthrough collapsing buildings and the accumulation of
ash/debris. o For people struck by the pyroclastic surges,they were killed instantly.
The economy:trade, commerce, industries, occupations Pompeii and Herculaneumwere relatively small
places and therefore had small local economies. Trade: o Vital aspect of both Pompeii andHerculaneum o
Pedlars came all across Campania onmarket day to selltheirmanufactured merchandise like shoes as well
as plants. Perfumes, dyes and clothes also sold. o Most well known exports were wine, olive oil and
garumsauce. o Pompeii imported lampsfromthe northern parts of Italy, pottery fromGaul, oilfromsouthern
Spain, wine fromSpain, Sicily and Crete and furniture from Naples
Commerce: o 600 excavated privately owned shops, workshops, bars,taverns and inns. o Basilica was a
law court and a place where businessmanmet clients and signed contracts. Mention Iucundus. Markets: o On
both sides ofthe forumand were regulated by two aedilesto ensure the marketsran smoothly, goodsmeasured
and priced accurately, quality maintained and city regulations were upheld. o Macellum:North Eastside
offorum. Specialised in the sale offish andmeat. Coins have been found dating back toNero’stime indicating
thisis amarket. Fish scalesfound in underground channelsindicating this was a fishmarket. There was also a
smalltemple forsacrificial banquets or as an auction room and amoney changing place. o Olitorium: Sold
cereal and cropsto individuals and bakeries. Mensa ponderia measured foodstuff. o Market day was on
Saturn’sDay. Travelling Pedlars across Campania sold manufactured goodslike shoes
whilstlocalfarmerssold agricultural and garden products. o Coinage: quadran lowest coina
Industry: o Centre oftextilesindustry. Fullones would bleach, dye,spin and weave wool. Wool
wassold fromthe Building of Eumachia in the Fori Civili. (2012) All Rights Reserved 6 of 20
Formore info, go to www.hscintheholidays.com.au [Moeller]Perhaps, asJongman notes,the
textile industry was not aslarge. Example: Fullery of Stephanus. o Wine: Villassuch asthe
Villa Regina had a torculariumand 18dolia were found forthe storage and fermentation of wine.
o GarumSauce: Curtissuggests 28% of all fish sauce came fromAulus Umbricius
Scaurus’shop. o Thermopolia: 200 in Pompeii. Found in great numbers near entrances
perhapsto nourish famished travellers. Largestthermopolia found in Herculaenum. o
Cauponae: Mostfamousis Asellina’sInn.Cooley saysthat cauponae are presentin every
insulae. o Bakeries: 28 in Pompeii, 2 inHerculaneum.Ovens are likemodern pizza
ovensthough they are small. Evidence: carbonised loaves have been found in ovens. Bakery
of Popidius Priscus at Pompeii and the Bakery of Sextu
Occupations: o Banking: Wax tabletsin house of CaecilliusIucundus which showed record of
businesstransactions. o Architects: named on inscriptions on theatres at Pompeii,for example Marcus
Artorius Primus. o Other occupationsincluded door‐keeper, engraver,farmer, goldsmith,
blacksmith,mason,musician, porter,sign‐writer,surgeon,teacher and wagon driver.
Socialstructure:men, women,freedmen,slaves Men: o Senatorial Elite: Romans who visited Pompeii
andHerculaenumasthey had villas here. Cicero the orator had a villa at Pompeii whilst Caesar’sfather‐in‐ law
Lucius Calpurnius Piso and proconsul MarcusNonius Balbus had villa’sin Herculaneum. o Local Elite:these
were wealthy landowners and traders who dominated local government. o Themiddle class: Thisincluded all
freebornmalesthat were artisans, shopkeepers and businessman. Money was earned also by libertinithat
stayed in the shops oftheir owners. An example isthe slaves oftheGarum saucemerchant AulusUmbricius
Scaurus.
Women o Social Status of women in the family [Cantarella and Jacobelli] Women could notmarry
unlessthey had the consent oftheirfather ‘paterfamilias’ Upon theirfather’s death, daughters could
inherittheirshare ofthe estate of equalterms with sonsupper class women became rich and psychologically
and socially emancipated. Women could not dispose oftheir property. o Social Status of women in society
[Cantarella and Jacobelli]: Women became rich due to inheriting property fromtheirfamily membersthat
weremale and died in wars. E.g.Julia Felix Often women were sold asslavesto earn somemoney and avoid
dowries. (2012) All Rights Reserved 7 of 20 Formore info, go to www.hscintheholidays.com.au Some
received public honoursfortheirlife like the tomb of Mamia. In regard to education, 20% could read/write. For
example the poet Sappho. Women were not confined to their houses o Marriage [Cantarella and Jacobelli]:
Though a lifetime unionmany ended in divorce with up to three sub
Freedmen ‘libertini’ o These were slaves who have beenmanumitted. o Manymaintained a connection to
their original owners which was due to a patron‐clientrelationship. E.g.Umbricius Abascantus. o Many took
the names oftheirmasters,for exampleUmbricious Abascantus. o Whilstthey could not become
senators,many became quite wealthy. The Vettii brothers have a luxurious house. Also Pompeiian wax
tablets describe that PoppaeaNote had slaves, being once a slave herself.
Slaves o Bradley statesthatslavesthrough capture and auction or as an offspring of a slavemother belonged
to theirmasters. o Cameron saysthat 40% ofthe population wasslaves. o Worked in theirmasters
businesses,see freedmen o Some had to have been paid otherwise they would not be able to buy their
freedom. The vastminority however could not afford to do this. o Jobsincluded child carers,tutors, wet‐nurses
and administration dutiesif they were educated.
Local political life Self‐administeringmunicipalitiesmuch likemodern local governments. Whilst
Pompeii was generally a self‐governing town,they were subjectto imperial decree by Rome. This
wasthe case whenNero banned gladiator contestsin 59ADfor 10 years. Onlymale citizens could vote
(2012) All Rights Reserved 8 of 20 Formore info, go to www.hscintheholidays.com.au Women could
not hold any position in political office. People in positions of power often had great wealth. The
wealthy and powerful used their position to develop strong patron‐client relationships with citizensto
gain for both, political and economic power. o PopidiusNatalis, client, with the worshippers ofIsis,
propose Cuspius Ponsa as aedile. Whilstmuch graffiti isfound in regard to potential candidatesfor
office, we do not know forsure whether certain candidates were successful.[James Franklin]
Apartfromthe status of dictator,the Comitia voted annually on the following positions: o Aediles:these
were th
Leisure Activities o The Emperor Claudius designated 159 days yearly for holidays o Latin word forleisure
is‘otium’ o Activitiesincluded gambling, dining, partying.Others enjoyedGreek/Latin literature, exercising in
the palaestra,swimming pools. Also public baths, theatres and gladiator contests.
Food o 18Dolia found in the Villa Regina for holding wine. o Generalfood found includes, bread thatis
carbonised, oil, wine, cheese, nuts,figs,seafood, grapes, barley, honey, eggs and fruit. o Biselsaysthattheir
diets were lacking in redmeat perhaps due to the amount ofseafood they would have consumed. Through
dental work on excavated bodies, people lacked sugarin their diet which kepttheirteeth healthy. They were
well nourished people despite their deficiency inmeat. o Pliny the Eldertells us ofGarumsaucemade fromfish
gutsthat was dominated by AulusUmbricious Scaurus. Thisis evidentthroughmosaics found in his house.
Dining o Fromthe number ofthermopolia found in Pompeii andHerculaneum, itis clearthat Vesuvian
citizens often ate out. Thisis also supported by the lack of culina in houses. o Hotfood provided by
thermopolia o People ate by standing up due to limited seating o They ate 3meals a day –
breakfast‘ientaculum’, lunch ‘prandium’ and dinner‘cena’ o Cena wasthe biggestmeal and was eaten
overthree courses – i.e. was a banquet. o Banqueting was perhapsintroduced by the Etruscansthatshowed
Pompeiian’s how to enjoy food and drink. o Sweets weremade forthemore extravagant banquetslike the
Satyricon by Petronius.
Clothing o Most clothing items have perished through there are pieces offabric,shoe leather and pinsfound. o
Clothes denoted rank and status o The Roman toga on the statue ofNonius Balbus was worn on formal
occasions. o Cuirass worn byHolconius Rufussignifies he was amilitary tribune. o Men of high rank in the
army would wear a loose tunic down to the knee and a belt. They had parallel purple stripes on front and
back. Widerstripe ‘latic lavius’for higherranks Narrow stripe ‘angusticlavius’forlowerranks. o Woman wore
stola, depicted byNonius Balbus’mother. They also wore woollen head bands‘vittae’ and palla to view head
when going out. symbolised chastity and honesty
Health o Itis easy to determine the age ofinfants due to theirtooth development o The bonesshow that
26‐30 years and 40‐50 years are the common age groupsin the towns which is nottypical of ancient
populations which tend to havemore infants and young adults. o Based on ancient writers and their own
data,the Biselsisters attribute the low birth rates with successful contraception and abortion techniques:
Soranusremarksthatthe cervix was clogged before intercourse with woollen spongestreated with honey to
preventseminal penetration. Others endured strenuous exercises and laxatives. o Dental health betterthan
today perhaps due to lesssugarin diet,seafood that provided fluorine and the abrasive nature offoods
consumed however only a few hundred skeletons have been analysed. SEE 3.2 (2012) All Rights Reserved
10 of 20 Formore info, go to www.hscintheholidays.com.au o Slight periodontal disease amongst older
population. o Lack ofredmeatmeant 1/3 of population had anaemia,though thisis
Baths o Those with time visited the bathsregularly tomeetfriends, political allies and business
associates. o Hot baths‘thermae’ developed here. o Establishmentsinclude the Stabian, Forum, Central and
Sarno baths. For Herculaneum,the Surburban and Central baths overlooked the sea. o Men were designated
4 days whilst women 3 days ofthe week to go to the baths.Genders did notmix. o Julia Felix had her own
private bathsfor “elegant and respectable people” o Food and prostitutes broughtfor pleasure. o Three types
of baths:the caladarium(hotroom),the trepidarium(warm room) and the fridgedarium(coolroom). o There was a
central changing room. o A strigil was used to cleanse skin by scraping dirt off. o Oils were applied
andmassages were given. o The bathsfunctioned by a hypocaustwhere hot airfromunderground heated
furnaces would circulate in the bathing area. Water Supply o Aqueductsran through Pompeii
andHerculaneum. E.g. Aqua Augustus o Water entered a watertower‘castellumaquae’ and flo
The Influence ofGreek and Egyptian cultures: art, architecture,religion The Romans were nevermerely
imitators and rather assimilated various cultures, techniques and ideasto produce something vibrant and
unique. Art o Influenced byGreek, Etruscan, Italian and Egyptian works. o Greek: Mosaic ofthe battle of
Alexander andDarius atIssusin theHouse of the Faun. o Egyptian: Fresco found in theHouse ofthe Faun
representsflora and fauna found along theNile River. o In considering artssuch as poetry and philosophy,the
Villa ofthe Papyri has many papyrusscrolls written inGreek. o Greek poetry found with linesfromHomer.
Architecture: o Columns: Doric:House ofthe Tragic Poet Ionic: Around the Temple of Apollo, Corinthian:
Peristyle courtyardsin private homes of Pompeii, Temple of Fortuna Augusta. o The triangularforumhad the
shape oftheGreek Acropolis. o There is a SamniteHouse atHerculaneum. Religion o The people of Pompeii
andHerculaneumwere polytheistic. o The Capitoline Triad wa
Investigating, Reconstructing and Preserving the Past
Changingmethods and contributions of nineteenth and twentieth century archaeologiststo our understanding
of Pompeii andHerculaneum
Overtime, a variety of archaeologistshave investigated Pompeii andHerculaneum, some driven by nationalismwhilst others by external
influences and putting self interests before the site’s welfare that hasleftthe townsin a fragile state,requiring prompt attention in regard to
preservation and conservation.Nevertheless,they have all contributed to ourimproved understanding of Pompeii andHerculaneum.
Priorto 1860, Bourbon rulerstunnelled through the sitesin search oftreasure to adorn their houses. They had no respectforthe ancient
culture and destroyed thousands of artefacts and buildings, leaving the sitesin a fragile state. Fiorelli, driven by nationalism, brought
beneficiary changesto the towns. o For Pompeii, he developed a scientific numbering systemto identify buildings by region, insulae
and building numberto remove ambiguities of previous namesthatrelied on the contents of buildingslike theHouse ofthe Faun o
Published findingsthatincreased global awareness. o Conductedmeticulou