LIFE IN POMPEII

by Robin Benzle

On August 24 in the year 79 AD, at about 1:00 in the afternoon, Mt. Vesuvius erupted an enormous quantity of lapilli (small rock fragments), lava and poisonous gas, taking the population by surprise.  It lasted about 12 hours.  In the town of about 12,000 people, between 1,000 and 2,000 perished, the rest fled and Pompeii itself was destroyed forever.  The only documentation of the event was two letters written by Pliny the Younger when he was there with his famous uncle, Pliny the Elder.  The Elder lost his life during the eruption. 

-THE LAST ERUPTION IN POMPEII HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE 7^TH CENTURY BC BEFORE POMPEII EXISTED.  IN 62 AD, A VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE DESTROYED OR DAMAGED MANY BUILDINGS.

-POMPEII WAS FIRST SETTLED IN THE 4^TH CENTURY BC BY GREEKS AND ETRUSCANS. BY 89 BC, ROMANS HAD BESIEGED THE AREA, LED BY CORNELIA POMPEIANORUM.  IT BECAME A VERY PROSPEROUS TOWN WITH MANY WEALTHY RESIDENTS.

-MARRIAGES TYPICALLY LASTED ONLY A SHORT TIME.  THE AGE WAS 12 FOR FEMALES AND 14 FOR MALES.  BECAUSE SO MANY MEN DIED IN WARS, THE WIVES WOULD INHERIT MONEY AND POMPEII HAD MANY WEALTHY AND POWERFUL WOMEN.  THEY RAN BUSINESSES AND BECAME VERY ENGAGED IN POLITICS (ALTHOUGH THEY COULDN'T VOTE).

-AT HOME, MEN AND WOMEN WOULD WEAR BELTED TUNICS; THE MEN'S SHIN-LENGTH, THE WOMEN'S ANKLE-LENGTH.  WHEN THEY WENT OUT, MEN WORE A HEAVY WHITE WOOL TOGA, WRAPPED AROUND THE LEFT ARM ALLOWING THE RIGHT ARM TO BE FREE.  IT HAD SO MANY FOLDS, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PUT ON.  WOMEN WORE A STOLA, A LONG, LOOSE BELTED GARMET OF DIFFERENT COLORED MATERIALS.  THEY LOVED JEWELRY AND WORE RINGS BRACELETS, NECKLACES AND ANKLE BRACELETS.  THEY NEVER WORE HATS.  FOOTWEAR WAS IDENTICAL FOR BOTH SEXES - SANDALS SIMILAR TO TODAY'S STYLES.

-HOUSES (THERE WERE ABOUT 800) WERE BUILT WITH AN ATRIUM AND POOL IN THE CENTER WITH AN OPEN CEILING TO COLLECT RAINWATER.  ALL OTHER ROOMS (BEDROOMS, RECEPTION ROOMS) WERE BUILT AROUND IT.  THERE WAS LITTLE FURNITURE - INSTEAD MANY BUILT-IN CUPBOARDS, BEDS AND TABLES MADE OF WOOD, STONE, MARBLE OR BRONZE - OFTEN ELABORATELY DECORATED.  THEY LIKED HAVING NUMEROUS CHAIRS.  DECORATIONS CONSISTED MOSTLY OF WALL PAINTINGS AND STUCCOES DEPICTING LANDSCAPES, FLYING CUPIDS, GARLANDS, GLADIATOR SCENES AND EROTIC SCENES.  FLOORS WERE MOSTLY MOSIAC, SOMETIMES BLACK AND WHITE GEOMETRIC DESIGNS.  IN SEPARATE SERVANTS QUARTERS WERE THE KITCHEN, LATRINES, STABLES AND FOOD STORAGE AREAS.  ONE OF THE BIGGEST HOUSES IN POMPEII WAS 9,000 SQUARE FEET.  THE WEALTHY LIKED TO HAVE VILLAS ALONG THE COAST - THERE WERE ABOUT 100 OF THEM WITH THINGS LIKE OLYMPIC-SIZED SWIMMING POOLS, THERMAL BATHS AND MUCH STATUARY.

-RELIGIOUS LIFE WAS INTENSE AND COMPLEX.  THEY HONORED ENTITIES LIKE JUPITER AND JUNO, THE GOD APOLLO, VENUS THE GODDESS OF LOVE AND BACCHUS THE GOD OF WINE.  THEY ALSO BELIEVED MAGICAL POWERS LIVED INSIDE OBJECTS.  THEY WOULD SACRIFICE ANIMALS TO THE GODS - THE ENTRAILS WERE BURNT IN HONOR OF THE GODS AND THE MEAT WAS DIVIDED AMONG THE PEOPLE TO BE COOKED AND EATEN AT BANQUETS.

-POMPEII HAD THREE PUBLIC BATHS WHICH WERE A BIG PART OF DAILY LIFE FOR MANY.  NOT ONLY DID THEY EXERCISE AND WASH, BUT PEOPLE CAME TO SOCIALIZE AND CONDUCT BUSINESS.  YOU COULD ALSO GET OILED AND MASSAGED.  THERE WERE CHANGING ROOMS WHERE VALUABLES WERE GUARDED BY SERVANTS, A COLD WATER POOL, A SAUNA AND A HOT BATH (HEATED BY HOT AIR IN THE WALLS AND FLOORS).

-IN THE CITY STREETS, HORSES AND CARRIAGES WERE USED MOST OFTEN.  THERE WERE ALSO CARTS PULLED BY MULES AND OXEN.  MOST STREETS WERE ONE-WAY.

-THE TYPICAL BREAKFAST CONSISTED OF A CUP OF MILK OR WATER, A PIECE OF CHEESE AND BISCUITS DIPPED IN WINE (YEAST WASN'T YET DISCOVERED, SO BREADS WERE VERY HARD).  LUNCH WAS OFTEN COLD LEFTOVERS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE; OR EGGS, FISH, VEGETABLES AND MUSHROOMS.  DINNER WAS EATEN IN A RECLINED POSITION ON COUCHES MADE OF STONE.  IN UPSCALE FAMILIES, SLAVES WOULD CUT THE FOOD SO KNIVES AND FORKS WEREN'T NEEDED.  A PERSON WOULD HOLD THE PLATE IN HIS LEFT HAND AND PICK UP THE FOOD WITH HIS RIGHT.  DINNER WAS THREE COURSES:  THE FIRST WAS VEGETABLES, OYSTERS AND EGGS.  THE SECOND WAS MEAT, FISH, MORE VEGETABLES AND SOMETIMES AN ELABORATE ROAST.  THE THIRD COURSE WAS FRESH AND DRIED FRUIT AND PASTRIES, WASHED DOWN BY LOTS AND LOTS OF WINE.  SOMETIMES, TO AVOID BECOMING TOO DRUNK TOO QUICKLY, PEOPLE WOULD VOMIT - EVEN RIGHT ON THE FLOOR, WHICH CULTURALLY NO ONE FOUND DISTASTEFUL.  A SAUCE CALLED GARAM, MADE FROM CRUSHED FISH AND SALT WAS USED TO FLAVOR MANY DISHES.

-POMPEII WAS A BUSTLING TOWN WITH 600 SHOPS, TAVERNS AND INNS.  THERE WERE 200 TAVERNS AND MORE THAN 30 BAKERIES.  GAMBLING WAS POPULAR IN THE TAVERNS (WHICH WAS ILLEGAL), AS WELL AS PROSTITUTION (WHICH WAS LEGAL).  THE BAKERIES DID EVERYTHING FROM THE MILLING OF THE WHEAT BY DONKEY-POWER TO THE END PRODUCTS.  SOME OF THE FANCIER BREADS HAD SPICES, EGGS AND HONEY.  THEY ALSO MADE TWO KINDS OF PIZZA - SOFT, AND CRUNCHY.  OTHER SHOPS SOLD RAGS, GLASSWARE, VASES, SILVER AND PERFUME.  THE LOCAL FOOD MARKETS SOLD THINGS LIKE LAMB, BEEF, VEAL, PORK, CHICKEN, SOLE, RED MULLET, TURBOT, STURGEON, CLAMS, CEREALS, CABBAGES, ONIONS, FIGS, GRAPES, OLIVES AND OLIVE OIL.  PROSPEROUS INDUSTRIES IN TOWN WERE CERAMICS, TEXTILES (CLOTHES WERE ALWAYS WASHED IN HUMAN URINE), LEATHERWEAR; AND CRAFTSMEN LIKE MARBLE WORKERS, CARPENTERS, MOSIAC SPECIALISTS, GOLDSMITHS AND GEMSTONE CUTTERS.

-MAIN FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT WERE GLADIATORIAL CONTESTS, WILD ANIMAL HUNTS AND CHARIOT RACING IN POMPEII'S AMPHITHEATRE, WHICH HELD 20,000 SPECTATORS.  THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES FEATURING TRADGEDY AND COMEDY WERE POPULAR.  ACTORS WORE COLORFUL COSTUMES AND MASKS WITH A FUNNEL-SHAPED OPENING FOR THE MOUTH TO AMPLIFY SPEECH.  SOME SHOWS WERE X-RATED WITH STRIP TEASES BY FEMALE ACTORS.  ATHLETICS WERE BIG - GYMNASTICS, JAVELIN AND DISCUS THROWING, HORSE-RACING, WRESTLING AND BOXING (IN BOXING, GLOVES WERE REINFORCED WITH METAL.  THERE WERE NO REST PERIODS AND ONE FOUGHT UNTIL SOMEONE WAS KNOCKED OUT.  YOU COULD TWIST JOINTS, BREAK BONES OR EVEN STRANGLE THE GUY - BUT BITING WAS NOT ALLOWED).

FINALLY, A BIT A GRAFFITI FOUND IN ONE OF THE TAVERNS: 

"CHEERS!  WE DRINK LIKE WINESKINS"