Since Pompeii was accidentally rediscovered in 1748, scholars and tourists alike have visited its cobblestone streets in search of glimpses into Roman life before its abrupt destruction by Vesuvius’ eruption. From frescoed brothels adorned with couples in sexual poses to an amphitheater where gladiators clashed against one another – Pompeii is full of fascinating tales and gorgeous art that capture the heart.
What was it like?
Pompeii would have been an active port, shipping goods across Campania and beyond, serving as a centre for business, culture and entertainment with an amphitheatre seating 2000 people; most importantly though it would have been home to homes, temples, cafes and shops as well as its residents.
Pompeii had reached a level of development before its eruption that rivaled much of Roman nobility, leading to population increases, widespread prosperity, and stunning ornamentation of its streets and buildings.
Large villas were often decorated with grand exteriors and lavish interiors, featuring features like peristyles, vine-covered pergolas, beautiful statues, trompe-l’oeil wall paintings of gardens or seascapes, permanent triclinium (dining room), where guests sat at tables on cushioned benches while dishes slid past on small canals – creating the illusion of seclusion or serenity for their guests.
Pompeii boasted numerous impressive public buildings, such as temples, theatres and bathhouses. Furthermore, there was also an enormous street market serving as a hub of commerce and socialisation in Pompeii.
Jobs available ranged from public pig keeping to perfume salesperson and innkeeper. Carpenters, actors and surveyors had higher profit margins – though most had to settle for lower-profit occupations like beggaring: women or children (and sometimes a dog!) who begged on the streets for money.
Pompeii was also home to the Cult of Isis, which was popular with lower classes who believed its promise of life after death was alluring. Although its practices remain unclear, they appear to have included elements from ritualism and funerary elements. Records exist of festivals held for this god; during which 2000 victims’ bodies were preserved through fire-related celebrations; today these can still be seen preserved at Pompeii.
Who lived there?
Pompeii was an active center of trade and industry, sending olives, grapes, wool and fish sauce (garum) out across Roman Empire while receiving in imports such as silk, sandalwood, exotic fruits and wild animals for use in arenas.
On the eve of the fatal eruption, approximately 12,000 people would have lived in the town and an additional 12,000 or so in nearby farms and villas. Crowded streets would have been jam-packed with people, slaves and visitors moving between shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, brothels, small factories and houses of the wealthy – not forgetting 20,000-seat amphitheatre which served as the focal point of public entertainment and sporting events.
Fashion was of great significance in the city, where citizens adorned themselves in expensive jewellery and fine clothes to show their status and wealth. Additionally, many were highly educated citizens, and numerous women ran businesses within its boundaries that ranged from hairdressing salons to taverns.
Pompeii was also an epicenter for learning; the library held a vast collection of books covering every subject imaginable. While Samnite in origin, Pompeii quickly adopted Roman culture – Latin eventually replaced Oscan as its official language – and established a local senate and rebuilt public buildings like theatre and amphitheatre according to Roman plans.
Life was good in Pompeii, yet not without problems. A civil war broke out in 91 BCE which saw Pompeii siding with rebel forces against Sulla’s army; within three years however, Pompeii fell under Rome’s control as Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompei.
Pompeii’s prosperous economy allowed middle class families to afford luxurious villas. They would spend their surplus funds on lavish furnishings and hire servants as needed; some even took in orphaned children like Avianius Felicio into their household; this was typical of ancient society where extended families looked after orphans.
How did they live?
Pompeii was submerged by Vesuvius’ eruption in AD79, with its inhabitants living an average life span comparable to our own. Evidence found in their teeth indicates they ate mostly meat and fish while also taking in plenty of fruits and vegetables for optimal health.
At its height, Rome was a center for commerce within its empire. Trade included olive oil, wine, wool and fish sauce (garum), while imports included sandalwood, silk exotic spices giant clams and even wild animals for use in arenas.
Many Pompeians found work as carpenters, actors, pig farmers, perfume-makers or inn keepers, with low profit margin occupations such as these often difficult for most workers to sustain themselves financially. Some high earners were available, yet for most it was very hard.
Pompeii had six public bathing complexes in its center. Many residents likely used at least one of these establishments on an almost daily basis for personal hygiene; yet at the same time they provided hotbeds of germs and infection due to limited water circulation, no chlorination, and overflowing plunge pools that contained human waste products.
At home, most families dined around a dining table that served as the focal point in their lives and allowed for socialisation among neighbours and friends. It provided the ideal place for them to share stories of recent news.
Paintings at Pompeii demonstrate how families were well versed in national epics, with boys beginning their education with Virgil’s Aeneid from an early age. Education often took place outside the classroom setting in shaded porticos or squares.
As Vesuvius began to release less ash, Pompeians began taking stock. Those who could flee in time may have made it out alive, although it wouldn’t have been easy.
At its initial excavation in the 1800s, scientists utilized skeletal remains examination as a way to reveal fascinating information about ancient Rome. Nowadays, archaeologists working at Pompeii can use advanced computer programs that combine radiologists, orthopaedic surgeons and historians into one team; by using tomography – similar to CAT scanning – their teams can quickly identify cause of death while uncovering information regarding injuries sustained, diet or lifestyles of Pompeian inhabitants.
Why did they die?
Pompeii was a prosperous city south of Rome with a senate and amphitheatre, but also served as an haven for Samnite rebels opposing Roman rule, leading it to live separately for years before suddenly changing in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius’ plug was dislodged, unleashing gas and ash that quickly consumed it all and inundated Pompeii within hours.
This eruption was phreatomagmatic, meaning it involved both explosive volcanic activity and hot water seeping down through fault lines, leading to earthquakes that damaged building foundations and collapsed structures as well as producing pyroclastic surges of superheated gas and hot ash that swept across towns burying and burning many people alive.
Few survivors emerged, as most Pompeian residents perished instantly due to heat and gases released by the eruption. Most died by being crushed under debris while some perished from pyroclastic waves passing through houses and other structures. Bodies from these eruptions have been preserved as plaster casts at Pompeii and Herculaneum so scientists can study them further and understand how victims died.
Body casts of victims of pyroclastic surges have revealed that those caught up in them were asphyxiated by a mixture of hot gases and ash, inhaling too much air as their faces or mouths were covered up to retain as much breath as possible. Some had their hands raised in defense against volcanic rocks and ash blasts.
Not many Pompeians were able to flee Pompei, perhaps due to a lack of awareness and their belief in divine protection from gods, yet even had they known about the risks, they may still not have managed to get out due to chaos caused by an eruption and the destruction of roads by ash and lapilli; additionally many only had access to foot transport preventing their escape at first sign of trouble.