Pompeii
[Writing from Naples, Italy - Saturday, 18 June 2005]
Sue found the train station, and the train from Naples to Pompeii. We walked down to the train station from the hotel, which was about 1/2 mile. The train ticket to Pompeii, round trip, was 3.90 Euro (about 5 bucks). Between the two of us, with our limited Italian, and other people's limited English, we managed to get on the right train. We arrived at the station at 10:37. The train left at 10:39. We never thought we'd make it, so we were prepared to wait for the next train, but we got tickets very quickly, went downstairs, and walked onto the train. There were even two seats next to each other. Try that at New York's Penn Station.
The ride out was very easy, but we could tell it was going to be a hot day. I forgot to take the water bottle out of the mini-bar in the room, but Sue had hers. 1/2 liter was not going to be enough water.
We got to the Pompeii in about 35 minutes, and made our way past the street vendors and food shops towards the entrance. I took my camera out, and Sue bought a 2 liter water bottle to drop in the bag in its place. It was a good thing, too, because it was hot today - about 95. There weren't many Italians there, compared to Americans, Brits, and Germans. I suppose the locals know better than to go to Pompeii on the weekend. It cost 10 Euro each to get in, but it was well worth it!
We made our way up past the suburban baths and through the Porto Marina into the city itself. Pompeii started out as a small villiage in about 80 B.C., and grew steadily because of its favorable location. By the time of its destruction in 79 A.D., it had become a thriving walled city under Roman rule. If it weren't for the August 24 eruption of Vesuvius, it probably would have passed un-noticed into history, like hundreds of other Roman towns. There are a number of entrances to the city, but the tourists enter through Porto Marina. We looked at a few houses and a bakery on the
way in, but we figured we'd have ample time to see similar things.
I never realized the extent of the city of Pompeii. It's huge. We ended up spending over 5 hours there, and didn't see half of it. Actually, I'd be surprised if we saw 1/3 of it.
The first place we explored in any detail was the Basilica.
The Basilica is the headquarters of the court, and was also the center of business activity. It had a heavy gabled roof, which was supported by thick central columns. The arrangement was a cental nave with two narrow aisles at the sides.
Across the street from the Basilica is the Temple of Apollo. The Temple was built in about 2 B.C. It was badly damaged in the earthquake of 62 A.D. (which foreshadowed the eruption of 79), and much of the original architecture was changed when it was rebuilt.
In this image you can see the sacrificial alter in front of the steps, and the steps to the raised dias that held the actual temple. The temple, though was thoroughly destroyed by the eruption. Only a few columns remain, and the base of Apollo's statue inside. The white column to the left holds a sundial.
This is a better view of the steps, the sacrifical alter, and the bottom parts of the original temple. You can also see Vesuvius in the background. It was originally a single cone that was 2,200 meters high. This summit is only 1,270 meters high. The top half was blown off during the 79 A.D. eruption, and it rained down on Pompeii and the surrounding area. Pompeii itself was buried under 7 meters of ash and rock. By comparision, 20 centimeters of ash is sufficient to collapse a modern roof (10 if it rains on the ash).
After we looked at the Temple of Apollo we snuck down the south end of the Forum:
It was very crowded with tour groups, so Sue and I decided to just randomly wander around the city. This is really the way to see it if you know something about Roman architecture and urban planning.
We went across the south end of the forum and turned right on the Via Delle Scuole (that's Sue walking along on the left).
Here's a nice view from the other end, looking past the forum to Vesuvius. You can imagine the panic in the city when the mountain exploded, given how close it is (and that's only the remaining half).
We could look in the gates at one of the house restoration projects. Obviously, they can't let the tourists into the house, since touching the paintings will damage them. We can see some great detail in here, though.
We walked down these side streets until we came to the theater district. I know Mouse will want to know about the theaters, so we spent a great deal of time here. The entrance to the theater district is a triangular forum of Hellenic design. The portico consists of these columns:
The outside of the theater doesn't look like much, though it is interesting.
The inside, though, is spectacular! I couldn't belive it when I stepped out into this sunken building. It can seat 5,000 people.
Directly behind the large theater is the quadriporticus, where the gladiators had their quarters. I was very impressed with how well this structure has withstood time.
On our way down to the quadriporticus, we passed the Temple of Isis.
There was a long set of stairs down to the quadriporticus, and we could look down into the gladiator's quarters.
Then we could walk around inside.
Just East of the large theater is the small theater.
When they first began excavating Pompeii, they found hollow places in the rock. They quickly realized that these were the cavities left over when a body encased in ash would decay away. The researchers were able to pour plaster into these hollow spaces, then excavate around them to see the shape of the bodies.
One of the major roads in Pompeii is the via dell'abbondanza. It runs east from the forum.
I wanted to pick up the virtual geocache that's at the northwestern edge of the city, so Sue and i walked back through the forum and headed in that direction.
Along the west side of the forum is a storehouse with antiquities recovered from the site, along with more body casts.
Looking South from the steps next to the Temple of Jupiter.
On the way to the cache, we passed a bakery.
In the back is, pretty obviously, an oven. The other two objects in the foreground are flour mills. The one in front is missing the grinding stone; that's the hourglass-shapped object on top of the other cone. The grinding stones are hollow. You would pour grain in top, then use a piece of wood as a handle to turn the stones. They would grind the grain into flour, which would pour out the bottom onto the ledges. Roman bread was unleavened flatbread, which they would bake like pancakes in the ovens behind. The ovens were heated by a fire in the lower compartment.
One of the houses (the House of the Tragic Poets) has a "beware of dog" mosaic in tile at the entrance to the house.
We were getting very tired and sunburned at this point, so we headed back out through the forum. Here's a view of the Temple of Jupiter with Vesuvius in the background.
Sue found the train station, and the train from Naples to Pompeii. We walked down to the train station from the hotel, which was about 1/2 mile. The train ticket to Pompeii, round trip, was 3.90 Euro (about 5 bucks). Between the two of us, with our limited Italian, and other people's limited English, we managed to get on the right train. We arrived at the station at 10:37. The train left at 10:39. We never thought we'd make it, so we were prepared to wait for the next train, but we got tickets very quickly, went downstairs, and walked onto the train. There were even two seats next to each other. Try that at New York's Penn Station.
The ride out was very easy, but we could tell it was going to be a hot day. I forgot to take the water bottle out of the mini-bar in the room, but Sue had hers. 1/2 liter was not going to be enough water.
We got to the Pompeii in about 35 minutes, and made our way past the street vendors and food shops towards the entrance. I took my camera out, and Sue bought a 2 liter water bottle to drop in the bag in its place. It was a good thing, too, because it was hot today - about 95. There weren't many Italians there, compared to Americans, Brits, and Germans. I suppose the locals know better than to go to Pompeii on the weekend. It cost 10 Euro each to get in, but it was well worth it!
We made our way up past the suburban baths and through the Porto Marina into the city itself. Pompeii started out as a small villiage in about 80 B.C., and grew steadily because of its favorable location. By the time of its destruction in 79 A.D., it had become a thriving walled city under Roman rule. If it weren't for the August 24 eruption of Vesuvius, it probably would have passed un-noticed into history, like hundreds of other Roman towns. There are a number of entrances to the city, but the tourists enter through Porto Marina. We looked at a few houses and a bakery on the
way in, but we figured we'd have ample time to see similar things.
I never realized the extent of the city of Pompeii. It's huge. We ended up spending over 5 hours there, and didn't see half of it. Actually, I'd be surprised if we saw 1/3 of it.
The first place we explored in any detail was the Basilica.
The Basilica is the headquarters of the court, and was also the center of business activity. It had a heavy gabled roof, which was supported by thick central columns. The arrangement was a cental nave with two narrow aisles at the sides.
Across the street from the Basilica is the Temple of Apollo. The Temple was built in about 2 B.C. It was badly damaged in the earthquake of 62 A.D. (which foreshadowed the eruption of 79), and much of the original architecture was changed when it was rebuilt.
In this image you can see the sacrificial alter in front of the steps, and the steps to the raised dias that held the actual temple. The temple, though was thoroughly destroyed by the eruption. Only a few columns remain, and the base of Apollo's statue inside. The white column to the left holds a sundial.
This is a better view of the steps, the sacrifical alter, and the bottom parts of the original temple. You can also see Vesuvius in the background. It was originally a single cone that was 2,200 meters high. This summit is only 1,270 meters high. The top half was blown off during the 79 A.D. eruption, and it rained down on Pompeii and the surrounding area. Pompeii itself was buried under 7 meters of ash and rock. By comparision, 20 centimeters of ash is sufficient to collapse a modern roof (10 if it rains on the ash).
After we looked at the Temple of Apollo we snuck down the south end of the Forum:
It was very crowded with tour groups, so Sue and I decided to just randomly wander around the city. This is really the way to see it if you know something about Roman architecture and urban planning.
We went across the south end of the forum and turned right on the Via Delle Scuole (that's Sue walking along on the left).
Here's a nice view from the other end, looking past the forum to Vesuvius. You can imagine the panic in the city when the mountain exploded, given how close it is (and that's only the remaining half).
We could look in the gates at one of the house restoration projects. Obviously, they can't let the tourists into the house, since touching the paintings will damage them. We can see some great detail in here, though.
We walked down these side streets until we came to the theater district. I know Mouse will want to know about the theaters, so we spent a great deal of time here. The entrance to the theater district is a triangular forum of Hellenic design. The portico consists of these columns:
The outside of the theater doesn't look like much, though it is interesting.
The inside, though, is spectacular! I couldn't belive it when I stepped out into this sunken building. It can seat 5,000 people.
Directly behind the large theater is the quadriporticus, where the gladiators had their quarters. I was very impressed with how well this structure has withstood time.
On our way down to the quadriporticus, we passed the Temple of Isis.
There was a long set of stairs down to the quadriporticus, and we could look down into the gladiator's quarters.
Then we could walk around inside.
Just East of the large theater is the small theater.
When they first began excavating Pompeii, they found hollow places in the rock. They quickly realized that these were the cavities left over when a body encased in ash would decay away. The researchers were able to pour plaster into these hollow spaces, then excavate around them to see the shape of the bodies.
One of the major roads in Pompeii is the via dell'abbondanza. It runs east from the forum.
I wanted to pick up the virtual geocache that's at the northwestern edge of the city, so Sue and i walked back through the forum and headed in that direction.
Along the west side of the forum is a storehouse with antiquities recovered from the site, along with more body casts.
Looking South from the steps next to the Temple of Jupiter.
On the way to the cache, we passed a bakery.
In the back is, pretty obviously, an oven. The other two objects in the foreground are flour mills. The one in front is missing the grinding stone; that's the hourglass-shapped object on top of the other cone. The grinding stones are hollow. You would pour grain in top, then use a piece of wood as a handle to turn the stones. They would grind the grain into flour, which would pour out the bottom onto the ledges. Roman bread was unleavened flatbread, which they would bake like pancakes in the ovens behind. The ovens were heated by a fire in the lower compartment.
One of the houses (the House of the Tragic Poets) has a "beware of dog" mosaic in tile at the entrance to the house.
We were getting very tired and sunburned at this point, so we headed back out through the forum. Here's a view of the Temple of Jupiter with Vesuvius in the background.
posted by Unknown at 7:07 AM
<< Home