Ruins of Pompey. The death of Pompeii - little-known facts about the tragedy of the ancient city of Pompeii, the volcano Vesuvius destroyed

Another lie of official historians or Not the last day of Pompeii

The author, exploring the supposedly ancient Roman city of Pompeii destroyed by a volcano, proves that all traditional history must be put to rest. Strictly within the framework of the same traditional history - what happened in Pompeii equates 79 AD with 1631.

As a result of many years of research, the author came to the sensational conclusion that Pompeii disappeared from the face of the earth not in the 1st century AD, but as a result of the powerful eruption of Vesuvius on December 16, 1631. This version was confirmed in written evidence from contemporaries of this eruption. As it turned out, there is a lot of evidence of the mention of Pompeii as a medieval city and even as a contemporary of the Renaissance. The author's position is supported by numerous photographs from his expeditions to the scene.

PREFACE

Everyone knows that on August 24, 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted, and as a result of this eruption, the ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii were buried. But how did this dating come about? Who, how and when decided that Pompeii died from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 1st century AD? All official literature, textbooks, tourist guides, the entire Internet are replete with reprinted from each other almost word for word, a fairy tale about Pliny the Younger’s letters to Tacitus, where he describes the eruption of Vesuvius, which allegedly led to the death of Pompeii. Why a fairy tale? Because even without asking questions about the reality of Pliny and Tacitus as historical characters and discrepancies in the dates and texts of translations from different years, it is enough to pay attention at least to the fact that Pliny the Younger does not mention Pompeii and Herculaneum in his letters, nor as coastal cities , nor, especially, as those who died together with his uncle, Pliny the Elder, as a result of the same catastrophe.

It should be noted that in all early printed editions there is no concept of “in which year” the eruption occurred, and only later, when the years of life of the characters mentioned by Pliny are coordinated with the chronology of the Ancient World, accepted according to other ancient authors, does a year appear.

The description of the death of Uncle Pliny the Younger in his letters to Tacitus is more like an excerpt from a work of fiction. Pliny the Elder, seeing an unusual cloud over Vesuvius, immediately ordered a light fast galley - a liburnik - to be equipped and invited his nephew to sail with him to Stabia, but he refused. Just before setting sail, Pliny the Elder receives a letter from the wife of his friend Tascius, in which she asks for help. Her house was located at the foot of Vesuvius, in Retina (In other versions, Retina, or Resina, turns out to be the name of this woman). The roads were covered with a thick layer of ash and tuff. The only way to escape was across the bay. Pliny immediately changes the plan and orders the preparation of quadriremes - heavy galleys with four rows of rowers on each side. Pliny's quadriremes quickly passed most of the Bay of Naples and entered a zone of thick ashfall. Fiery fragments of pumice and small angular pieces of lava fell on the ships. It was no longer possible to land somewhere in the area of ​​modern Torre Annunziata - the shore rose several meters. Pliny decides to sail to Stabia to Pomponian, the son of his friend and patron Pomponius Secundus. Stabia (now Castellammare) was only 8 - 10 km from Pompeii, but the ash fall there was not yet severe.

Arriving at the shore and quickly loading Pomponian's things onto the quadrireme, Pliny could not sail away immediately - there was a headwind (north or north-west). He decides to stay overnight at Pomponian's house. It cost him his life. Pliny was sleeping, and the house was shaking from frequent underground impacts. Due to the continuously falling ash, it was impossible to open the doors. Early in the morning, Pliny the Elder went to the seashore. It was pitch black, with light and porous pumice constantly flying from above. He lay down on the spread out sail, putting a pillow over his head to protect him from the falling pumice. The air became hotter, and everyone felt the increasing smell of sulfur. Pliny rose with the help of two of his slaves and immediately fell dead, dying suddenly, apparently from a heart attack.

Gaius Suetonius Tranquiilus in “The Lives of the Twelve Caesars” gives another version of the death of Pliny the Elder:

“Commanding the Misenian fleet, during the eruption of Vesuvius, he rode on a Liburnian galley in order to more closely explore the causes of the event, but a contrary wind prevented him from returning, and he was covered with ashes and dust, or, as some believe, was killed by his slave, who, exhausted from heat, asked to hasten his death.”

The famous Russian historian Tatishchev (books 1-4, 1768 - 1784) writes about Pliny Secunda the Elder: “This glorious philosopher was born in the year of Christ 20th, consequently, before the end of Strabo’s life. He died in the year of Christ 76 on Mount Vesuvius, which, out of curiosity, wanting to explore, he suffocated from smoking it.”

In 1631, history repeated itself. On December 16th, the eruption began and the population of nearby towns and villages fled in panic towards Naples. Ash and volcanic bombs littered the area around Vesuvius. The next day, following the destructive flows of mud - lahars, lava flows rushed to the sea. On December 18, the eruption subsided and on December 19, just like Pliny, the evacuation of survivors by sea was organized. According to various sources, as a result of this eruption, from 4 to 18 thousand people died.

After the '79 eruption, various sources place up to eleven eruptions between 202 and 1140. But for the next 500 years, until the December eruption of 1631, there was no more or less reliable information about the eruptions of Vesuvius. It looks like the volcano, which was active with enviable regularity, suddenly calmed down, accumulating strength for as much as 500 years! Beginning in 1631, Vesuvius continued to disturb the inhabitants of Campania with its activity until the last eruption in 1944.

Could it be that Pompeii died precisely as a result of this December eruption of 1631? Is there any documentary evidence of this relatively late natural disaster? Are there any further parallels with the above description of Pliny the Younger? It turns out that there is such evidence and quite a lot of it.

The book Alcubierre, R., et al., Pompeianarum Antiquitatum, published in Naples in 1860, contains diaries of excavations for the period from 1748 to 1808. It, among other things, describes the artifact under inv.no. 16, discovered on August 16, 1763, in the form of a statue with an inscription attributed to Svedius Clemens, which mentions Pompeii and supposedly kept in the Naples Museum.

LOCA PVBLICA A PRIVATIS

POSSESSA T. SVEDIVS CLEMENS

TRIBVNVS CAVSIS COGNITIS ET

MENSVRIS FACTIS REI

PVBLICAE POMPEIANORVM

So, in fact, this statue is not there and no one knows anything about it. It is not in the museum's catalog of "ancient inscriptions" either. In addition, according to this book, the inscription was on the pedestal of some travertine statue, and in Pompeii today there is an ordinary stone on a raised platform in the middle of the road with the same text! How can this be? And like this. It was necessary for the millions of tourists who visit Pompeii every year to at least somehow “documentarily” confirm that the city they are rushing to from all over the world is really the same Pompeii.

Or maybe it was originally, when they excavated Pompeii in the 18th century and wondered - what did we unearth? - a misunderstanding occurred, conscious or not, but a MISUNDERSTANDING, an ERROR and since then, unfortunately, all scientific works, dissertations, historical and near-historical opuses are based solely on this misunderstanding?

The history of the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum is a separate extensive topic that requires special detailed consideration. Therefore, here I will only touch on it lightly, without going into detail or critically analyzing the primary sources. I will only dwell on the key points, inconvenient for some researchers, which are hushed up in every possible way or, on the contrary, blurred out by adherents of the classical version of the death of Pompeii on August 24, 79 AD.

In the encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron, the famous papal architect-engineer Domenico Fontana is mentioned as the first involuntary discoverer of Pompeii, who, among other things, became famous for the completion of the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican, the transfer and installation of the Egyptian obelisk in its main square and the construction of the Palazzo Reale in Naples .

“In the Middle Ages, even the very place where Pompeii was located was forgotten, and for one and a half thousand years it hid unknown to anyone under the ash and later soil layers that covered it. In 1592, the architect D. Fontana, while constructing an underground canal that still exists today to deliver water from the Sarno River to Torre Annunziata, came across Pompeian ruins, but no attention was paid to them.”

The aqueduct was commissioned, in the late 1500s, by Count Sarno, from the architect Domenico Fontana, with the purpose of supplying water to Torre Annunziata. From the early 1900s, it was used by peasants as an irrigation channel to irrigate fields and functioned until the 1960s, when use of the canal ceased and it fell into disrepair.

From these words we can conclude that the engineer Fontana was engaged in mining and tunneling work to lay a tunnel at some depth and, in the process of this work, came across the roofs and walls of houses buried under a multi-meter layer of ash in the city. It seems that there is nothing surprising here, unless you ask the question, how, purely technically, did he manage to walk almost two kilometers in volcanic soil, which was not at all fragrant, emitting methane and carbon dioxide, without forced ventilation of the mine workings?

An interesting note was published on the Italian website Antikitera.net on February 26, 2004, which in turn refers to the publication of the Culturalweb.it website dated January 23 of the same year, which talks about the channel of the engineer Fontana, in particular the following:

“When the canal was dug, it crossed (unbeknownst to anyone) Pompeii from the east, starting under the Sarno gate and reaching the Street of the Tombs, in the western part of the city. On its way through the old city, it touched the temple of Isis, the temple of Eumachia, and passed under the forum and the temple of Apollo. Along the canal there were numerous wells and observation posts, which, in addition to providing light and air, made periodic cleaning of the canal possible.”

It turns out that Domenico Fontana, conducting an underground gallery, 1764 meters long, through Pompeii Hill in 1592, managed to pass not just underground, but even under the foundations of buildings and fortress walls, seemingly built in the 1st century AD, that I didn’t touch or damage any of them on my way! The “numerous wells” should look especially interesting, which, given the multi-meter thickness of volcanic rocks that buried Pompeii, like the chimneys of the Titanic, should decorate the Pompeian landscape today. But are there any of these available?

On the road from Naples south to the Tora Annunziata, 15 kilometers from Naples, you can see a monument - an epitaph on the facade of the Villa of Pharaoh Mennella of those killed in the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631 - two stone plates with text in Latin.

Rice. 1 Villa Faraone Mennella in Torre del Greco (www.torreomnia.com)

On one of them, in the list of dead cities, along with RESINA and PORTICHI, the cities of POMPEII and HERCULANUM are mentioned!!!

VIII ET LX POST ANNO XVII CALEND (AS) IANUARII

PHILIPPO IV REGE

FUMO, FLAMMIS, BOATU

CONCUSSO CINERE ERUPTIOHE

HORRIFICUS, FERUS SI UNQUAM VESUVIUS

NEC NOMEN NEC FASCES TANTI VIRI EXTIMUIT QUIPPE, EXARDESCENTE CAVIS SPECUBUS IGNE, IGNITUS, FURENS, IRRUGIENS,

EXITUM ELUCTANS. COERCITUS AER, IACULATUS TRANS HELLESPONTUMDISIECTO VIOLENTER MONTIS CULMINE,

IMMANI ERUPIT HIATU POSTRIDIE,

PONE TRAHENS AD EXPLENDAM VICEM PELAGUS IMMITE PELAGUS

FLUVIOS SULPHUREOS FLAMMATUM BITUMEN,

FOETAS ALUMINE CAUTES,

INFORME CUIUSQUE METALLI RUDUS,

MIXTUM AQUARUM VOIURINIBUS IGNEM

FEBRVEM (QUE) UNDANTE FUMO CINEREM

SESEQ (UE) FUNESTAMQ (UE) COLLLUVIEM

IUGO MONTIS EXONERANS

POMPEIOS HERCULANEUM OCTAVIANUM, PERSTRICTIS REATINA ET PORTICU,

SILVASQ (UE), VILLASQ (UE), (UE)

MOMENTO STRAVIT, USSIT, DIRUIT

LUCTUOSAM PRAEA SE PRAEDAM AGENS

VASTUMQ (UE) TRIUNPHUM.

PERIERAT HOC QUOQ (UE) MARMOR ALTE SEPQLUM CONSULTISSIMI NO MONUMENTUM PROREGIS.

EMMAHUEZL FONSECA ET SUNICA COM (ES),

MONT IS RE (GIS) PROR (EX),

QUA ANIMI MAGNITUDINE PUBLICAE CALAMITATI EA PRIVATAE CONSULUIT

EXTRACTUM FUNDITUS GENTIS SUI LAPIDEM.

COELO RESTITUIT, VIAM RESTAURAVIT,

FUMANTE ADHUC ET INDIGNANTE VESEVO.

AN (NO) SAL (UTIS) MDCXXXV,

PRAEFECTO VIARUM

ANTONIO SUARES MESSIA MARCHI (ONE) VICI.

This is probably the most inconvenient material evidence for historians of the inconsistency of the traditional version of the death of Pompeii in the 1st century AD.

The history of this epitaph can be traced back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The French traveler Misson, who visited Italy in 1687-88, published a book in 1691 about his trip to Italy, which contains a chapter about his visit to Vesuvius. The Amsterdam reprint of 1743 provides the Latin text of the epitaph without translation. Mussinot, in the book “Historical and Critical Description of the Underground City Discovered at the Foot of Mount Vesuvius...” published in Avignon in 1748 on page 19, also gives the entire epitaph in Latin without translation. Thus, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Epitaph was known, but no one was interested in what was actually written there?

From all of the above, much of which was brought to my attention by the Russian alternative historian-researcher Evgeniy Shurshikov, it follows that the dating of the famous catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius, which led to the destruction of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia, was made on the basis of unreliable medieval data, in turn based on ancient manuscripts of dubious origin.

Agree that I had good reasons to go to Campania as soon as possible and try to deal with this “material evidence” on the spot myself.

CAMPAIGN

At first, under the impression of what I saw, whether in the archaeological museum or the next day in Pompeii, I honestly admit that I was ready to agree with the official version of the deep antiquity of everything presented. But in the process of critically familiarizing myself with the exhibition and excavations, I increasingly doubted the “two-thousand-year” time period separating “our today” from “their yesterday.”

1. National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Inscription of Svedius Clemens

To be honest, I expected more. Minimum information on accompanying plates. The poverty of the public collection is striking. And this is in a region where they have been digging for three hundred years? Many frescoes, familiar from books and the Internet, are completely absent. A great variety of copies and replicas! It's in a museum! Where then are the originals themselves? We must pay tribute, they honestly indicate that the exhibits are copies. But still, I didn’t expect it.

None of the middle-level museum workers, and these are the holders of university diplomas from the faculties of history and philosophy, are aware of Svedius Clemens and his inscription. It has been suggested that the stone may be in the “Hall of Ancient Inscriptions”, which, however, has been closed to the public for several years, apparently due to construction work at the metro station under the museum. And in the special brochure dedicated to the hall of ancient inscriptions, there is not a word about the stone of Svedius Clemens.

Despite the fact that I was in the museum on a working day of the week and during working hours, I was not able to talk with the museum administration. To do this, you need to send an email in advance. a letter where you indicate the essence of the question, your autobiography, boot size, year of enlistment, etc., which does not at all guarantee that you will be accepted. In general, without prior “face control,” officials are afraid to spontaneously enter into conversations on historical topics. And not only in the museum, but also at the Institute of Volcanology and, and, and, and.... This is the impression.

The famous Christian “crossword” from Pompeii is also kept somewhere in a special place (not in a museum) and to see it, you need to email. mail with some professor from Rome or from the Vatican (I don’t remember his last name). Well, yes, God bless her.

Looking ahead, I will say that I found the Clemens stela in Pompeii outside the Porta di Nucera gate, in the necropolis, right in the middle of the road. Everyone can guess for themselves how ancient this stone is. What immediately catches your eye is that he is a foreign body here. "They weren't standing here." Where they dug him up, and whether they dug him up, in fact, unfortunately, I was not able to find out...

Rice. 2 Stella of Svedia Clemens at the Nukerian Gate. Pompeii.

Pompeian Graces (Charites):

Even an ordinary tourist guide notes the obvious discrepancy between Pompeian artifacts and the 1st century AD, but, purely intuitively, compares them with the Middle Ages, where these artifacts fit very well.

“The very high level of fine art in Pompeii (frescoes, mosaics, statues), correlated with the high level of scientific achievements of the Renaissance, is surprising. During excavations, a sundial was found, divided into “uniform hours.” That is, a device the creation of which was a difficult task even in the late Middle Ages. The famous mosaics of “ancient” Pompeii are strikingly similar in composition, color, and style to the frescoes of Raphael, Giulio Romano, that is, to the frescoes of the Renaissance. All this indicates an extremely high level of development of the city and its inhabitants.”

Particularly striking is the amazing similarity, even in detail, of the composition of the Pompeii fresco “The Three Graces” and the much later Raphael. We see the same plot in the painting by Francesco del Cossa "The Triumph of Venus" 1476-1484, Peter Paul Rubens' "The Three Graces", c. 1640 and in a sculptural composition from Cyrene, by an unknown author, dating back to the 3rd century BC. For me personally, this causes surprise and questions that no one can really answer for me yet. I admit that there was a kind of canon among artists on how to depict grace, but not in detail? Was he ordered by the Pope? This is obvious plagiarism! Either Raphael copied a fresco in Pompeii after working with a shovel, or Raphael had a time machine!

“The use of identical details by Roman and Renaissance painters, common color schemes, plot parallels, general compositional plans, the presence in Pompeian frescoes of things that appeared only in the 15th - 17th centuries, the presence in Pompeian paintings of painting genres that were formed only in the Renaissance, as well as the presence of Christian motifs on the frescoes and mosaics indicates that both the Pompeii frescoes and the works of Renaissance artists are the work of people who lived at the same time, i.e. Pompeian frescoes, like the great works of Renaissance artists, were painted in the 15th - early 17th centuries.” - Vitas Narvydas, “Pompeian frescoes and the Renaissance: Confrontation”, Electronic almanac Art&Fact No. 1(5), 2007

Rice. 3 Three Graces. Raphael, 1504

Rice. 4 Three Graces. Pompeian fresco. National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Continuation of the article with a lot of other evidence of the death of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the 17th century here

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Pompeii (Italy) is a unique city. It is of interest as a historical heritage not only for Italy, but for the whole world. The city is under the protection of UNESCO and, in fact, is an open-air museum complex. Probably every educated person knows that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius completely destroyed Pompeii. The city was buried under a layer of volcanic ash and stones. Several films were made about this terrible incident, and it became the subject of novels and paintings. In Russia, the most famous work of painting on this topic is “The Last Day of Pompeii” by Karl Bryullov.

History of the city of Pompeii

The city of Pompeii is believed to have first been a settlement founded in the 6th century BC. Little is known about the history of that time, but, like many cities in modern Italy, Pompeii was not spared from military action. The city passed from hand to hand of various ancient tribes; at one time it was also owned by the ancient Greeks, who built temples in Pompeii in honor of their gods.

Finally, in the 1st century BC. the city came under the rule of the Roman Empire. From that time on, Pompeii developed rapidly. A forum and an amphitheater were built here, where gladiator fights and other spectacular events took place. Industrial buildings (bakeries, spinning mills), thermal baths (public baths), temples, and rich villas for the nobility were erected. Although the heyday lasted only about 150 years, which is not long for an ancient city, during this time Pompeii was able to leave its descendants with enough architectural monuments.

Vesuvius eruption

Where is Vesuvius? Look at the geographical map of Italy and you will see that the famous volcano is located almost in the middle between Naples and Pompeii. The wind played a fatal role in the death of Pompeii, sending a huge cloud of volcanic ash towards the city. Thus, Naples was not damaged, but Pompeii perished, as well as the cities closest to them - Herculaneus and Stabiae.

Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. For a long time it was believed that it was on August 24, but recent excavations have shown that, most likely, this was a mistake, and the eruption occurred on October 24. The disaster occurred quickly, but still not instantly, so most residents managed to flee the city and escape. It is believed that out of 20 thousand inhabitants, 2 thousand died. But these data are compiled on the basis of human remains found in Pompeii, which are well preserved. Many scientists believe that there were more victims because the townspeople could have died outside the city walls, but their remains could no longer be found.


A volcanic eruption is dangerous due to the release of lava. Streams of fire destroy all life in their path, and buildings and landscapes are modified beyond recognition. But this was not the case with Vesuvius in Pompeii. In 79, the main damage was caused not by lava, but by a cloud of volcanic ash and stones. However, having cut short the life of Pompeii, the ashes well preserved city streets, buildings and even household items in houses. Also, during excavations in the 19th century, another feature was discovered: in place of human bodies, compressed ash formed voids that preserved pre-mortem images. The voids began to be filled with plaster and images of people were obtained. Now such plaster figures in different poses are exhibited in Pompeii so that tourists can appreciate the scale of the tragedy.

Pompeii: what to see?

Excavations in Pompeii are still ongoing. Perhaps soon archaeologists will delight us with some more finds. But even now the city-museum is a rather large complex. Even a quick inspection takes several hours.

Sights of Pompeii that are of interest to tourists:

• City gate. It is believed that there were seven gates in total. They did not serve as reliable fortifications; rather, they were simply entrances and exits from the city. Road slabs with cart tracks have also been preserved. The residents of Pompeii also installed flat stones on the road that rose above the tiles. This served as a kind of pedestrian crossing so that the townspeople would not get their feet dirty on rainy days.



• Bolshoi Theater (Amphitheater) and Maly Theater (Odeon). The amphitheater accommodated 20 thousand, and the Odeon - 1.5 thousand spectators. They even included columns for installing sun shades. The Amphitheater hosted sports competitions, gladiator fights, and performances were held at the Maly Theater. The Odeon still has good acoustics: sounds from the stage can be clearly heard in the distant audience.



• Lupanarium. This is an ancient Roman brothel. In the Pompeii Lupanarium, visiting rooms have been preserved, as well as frescoes with erotic themes in these rooms.



• Forum. The main city square, surrounded by columns, was the center of commercial, political and religious life. At first the Forum was located in the center, but as development progressed, Pompeii found itself on the outskirts of the city. There are several other attractions here that are worth visiting: the basilica, the city hall, the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Apollo, the Arch of Caligula and others.



• Thermae (public baths). There are several bath complexes in Pompeii. The Stabius Baths are the best preserved. Here you can see a locker room, a frigidarium (a hall with a cold water pool), a tipidarium (warm water pools), and gymnastics rooms. There are also several plaster images of people who died in the eruption of Vesuvius on display.





• Villas and houses. Vesuvius (Italy) was unable to destroy many buildings, some were perfectly preserved, although most still survived to this day only in the form of ruins. But the most valuable thing is that in many villas, under a layer of ash, unique frescoes and paintings survived. By the way, during excavations, buildings were named after images on frescoes or objects found; these names are still used today. For example, the House of the Tragic Poet is named after a fresco of an actor holding a tragic mask in his hands. The House of Mysteries is decorated with images of mythological scenes. A statue of a dancing faun was installed in the House of the Faun, and surgical instruments were found in the House of the Surgeon. The House of the Moralist is named after the inscriptions on the walls with calls to respect women, refrain from fighting and keep feet and beds clean.



• Aqueduct. This ancient aqueduct was used not only to deliver drinking water, but also to supply fountains, which are also partially preserved in Pompeii. Also, a lot of water was needed for the functioning of public thermal baths.



• Industrial and commercial premises. The thermopolium, the ancestor of the modern cafe, where food was prepared and sold, is well preserved. Also in Pompeii you can see mills and bakeries, spinning and weaving workshops. In such rooms, objects found during excavations are also displayed, for example, ancient amphoras, millstones and others.

Another attraction will help you feel the history of Pompeii - the Street of Plenty. It is named so because of the statue of a girl carrying a cornucopia installed on the fountain. Here you can stroll along the ancient pavement and buy quite modern souvenirs. On Abundance Street there are cafes for tourists and souvenir shops.

How to get there?

Where is Pompeii? Very close to Naples. Therefore, in Naples they offer excursions to Pompeii, but mostly in English, so it’s worth making arrangements with a Russian-speaking guide in advance. If you want to organize your trip yourself, it is best to use the train service. From Naples the train departs from Garibaldi Station and goes to Pompei Station. Travel time is about half an hour.

From Rome it is also easy to get to Pompeii by train, you just need to change trains in Naples (and also move from Central Station to Garibaldi Station) or to Salerno (you don’t need to move from station to station, but the journey is longer). The trip will take about 2 hours.

Naples – Vesuvius – Pompeii is one of the popular options for an organized day excursion. To be honest, this is a very busy tour, but some travelers are in a hurry to fit as much as possible into one day. In general, you need to allow at least 4 hours to explore Pompeii. And during this time you will have time to gallop through all the sights. It is better to go to Pompeii for the whole day. But in the evening you can sit in a Neapolitan cafe with a glass of wine and think about eternity. Believe me, a trip to Pompeii encourages such thoughts.

Excursion to Vesuvius

Combine trips to the volcano and Pompeii only if you have very limited time for the excursion program. And if you are a hardy hiker! The fact is that you need to walk around Pompeii a lot; the attractions are scattered over a fairly large perimeter. And then hike up the volcano along one of the tourist routes.


Vesuvius on the map of Italy is located 15 km from Pompeii. A direct bus will get you there in 15 minutes. And then you can walk (there are no cable cars) to the top along nine different routes. The height of Vesuvius is almost 1300 meters. At the very top you can see a crater with smoke. There are benches to rest along the route. Bring comfortable shoes and sun hats. The territory of the volcano is considered a national reserve. Entrance there is paid, a ticket costs 10 euros. In winter (from November 1 to March 31) the park is open only until 15:00, in summer - until 17:00.

Visit Naples, Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. These attractions can be seen in one day. Such tours are offered from Rome and other Italian cities. But it’s better, of course, to leave a whole day for each attraction. Then you will be able to better capture your emotions in memory and take many, many spectacular photos.

Pompeii (Italy) is a unique city. It is of interest as a historical heritage not only for Italy, but for the whole world. The city is under the protection of UNESCO and, in fact, is an open-air museum complex. Probably every educated person knows that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius completely destroyed Pompeii. The city was buried under a layer of volcanic ash and stones. Several films were made about this terrible incident, and it became the subject of novels and paintings. In Russia, the most famous work of painting on this topic is “The Last Day of Pompeii” by Karl Bryullov. History of the City of Pompeii It is believed that the city of Pompeii was first a settlement founded in the 6th century BC…

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Ancient city of Pompeii was formed back in the 6th century BC. If it were not for the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which burned the entire city to the ground, covering it with a huge layer of volcanic ash, Pompeii would still exist not far from Naples. Now these are ruins that UNESCO has listed as a World Heritage Site.

The name Pompeii arose after the unification of five independent cities (pumpe - five). This is a more plausible version. There is a legend according to which Hercules defeated the giant Geryon in a tough battle, and after that he solemnly walked around the city, celebrating the victory. From the ancient Greek language pumpe is a solemn, triumphal procession.

In those days, people believed in God, and believed that the gods controlled earthly cataclysms. Despite the fact that on February 5, 62 AD. e. There was a strong earthquake, which could possibly have been the impetus for a volcanic eruption, people still continued to live in the city, worshiping the gods, and believing that no misfortune would happen to them. Still, the volcano erupted. It happened August 24, 79 AD Not only the city of Pompeii suffered, but also nearby cities - Herculaneum, Stabiae. The eruption was so strong that the ash even reached neighboring countries - Egypt and Syria. About 20 thousand people lived in the city. Some managed to escape even before the disaster began, but many died. The exact number of victims is unknown, but the remains of bodies were found far outside the city.

The city remained under a layer of ash for many centuries until in 1592 by Dominico Fontana(a famous architect of that time) did not stumble upon the city wall while laying a canal from the Sarno River. No one gave this wall much importance, and only about 100 years later in the ruins of Pompeii they found a tablet with the inscription “Pompeii” carved on it. Even after this incident, no one could have imagined that this was an ancient city that had disappeared from the face of the earth. They concluded that this was the old villa of Pompey the Great.

And so in 1748 the extraction of the ancient city began. Led the excavations Alcubierre, who was sure that this was the city of Stabiae. Directly in Pompeii itself, only three excavations were carried out in different places. Alcubierre was a barbarian, and he sent all finds that, in his opinion, were of interest to the Naples Museum, and simply destroyed others. Many scientists protested, and the excavations stopped.

In 1760, new excavations began, led by F. Vega. They continued until 1804. Vega and his subordinates spent 44 years retrieving works of art. All finds were restored anew and removed very carefully. At this time, tourists had already begun to come here, so many monuments were not immediately transferred to museums, but were left on display for visitors to the city of Pompeii, which had already become a museum.

In 1863, excavations continued. This time they were led Giuseppe Fiorelli. It was he who discovered a huge number of voids under layers of ash. These are nothing more than the bodies of the city's inhabitants. By filling these voids with plaster, scientists completely reproduced casts of human bodies, right down to facial expressions.

A visit to which will help you immerse yourself in history. Pompeii is one of the most significant places in Italy, a preserved ancient city that leaves an unforgettable impression. You can get to the ancient city of Pompeii by going to the south of the country. Near Naples is the beautifully preserved ancient city of Pompeii. Every day thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the dead city. The preserved ancient city will allow you to see and immerse yourself in the tragic history of antiquity.

Why you need to plunge into the world of antiquity in Pompeii and how they can surprise you can be read in this article.

There are several legends that tell the story of the ancient city of Pompeii. One of them says that the ancient city of Pompeii appeared in the Apennines thanks to very fertile lands; the proximity of the volcano did not bother the first settlers. The Auzones were the first to settle in Pompeii and began to cultivate the generous lands; later, in the 6th century BC, the Oscan tribe also settled here. The ancient city connected five settlements on its territory. Artistic creations in the form of wall paintings, mosaics, sculptures - all this was displayed on houses, public buildings,.

There is a more romantic story that says that Hercules defeated Geryon and founded Pompeii in honor of his triumphant battle.

The ancient city of Pompeii during its heyday

In the 6th century BC. The city lived through its best years; the main attractions date back to this time, which can still be seen today. The ancient city of Pompeii was surrounded by a fortress wall, and an ancient sanctuary was erected in it. The ancient city was ruled by the Samnites (the peoples of Italy during antiquity), later Pompeii became a colony and lost its status as a free city. Families of patricians moved to Pompeii and built beautiful villas here; they were very attracted by the land, generous with sun and warmth, as well as a very comfortable climate. These bottoms in Pompeii were erected:

1. Villa of Mysteries. This building is interesting because of the design of the walls, on which Dionysian rituals were painted; such graphic designs were previously used in the design of tapestries.
2. Appian Way. Between Rome and the south of Italy, during the heyday of the ancient city of Pompeii, a road appeared connecting the center and south of the country.
3. Forum. An incredibly powerful building measuring 157x38 m, which during the time of Pompeii could accommodate up to 20 thousand spectators.
4. An amphitheater for various shows, competitions and baiting of wild animals. There were two of them in Pompeii. One accommodated 5, the second - 1.5 thousand.

This period of Pompeii's existence was marked by special attention to the external design of the city, a huge number of statues, frescoes, and mosaics. The decorations of Pompeii have an aesthetic component; craft trends developed in the ancient city.

For a long time, a century and a half after people settled in this fertile land, the volcano showed no signs of life. Small eruptions did not cause any trouble to Pompeii. And in 62 AD. In early February, a volcanic eruption brought the first serious destruction to the city. The city has not yet had time to recover, as in 79 BC. Once again the life of Pompeii depended on the eruption of Vesuvius. The lava burned the entire area of ​​Pompeii and destroyed the city.

The ancient city of Pompeii is reborn from the ashes after a thousand years. The volcano subsided and the inhabitants again began to populate the fertile lands; the new settlers did not know about the tragedy that occurred many centuries ago. What attracted new residents to these lands? Bright sun, fertile land and wonderful climate. During excavation work, people began to find the remains of fortress walls, structures, fragments of frescoes and inscriptions. Already in 1748, excavations began. Initially, archaeologists assumed that the burned city was Stabiae. When the border pillar was found in 1763, it became clear to everyone that the structures of ancient Pompeii had been found.

When visiting Pompeii today you can see almost the entire ancient city. A quarter of Pompeii is currently closed to visitors; excavations are still underway.

During a tour of the ancient city of Pompeii, you will be taken to the arena, you will see a private gymnastics school - palaestra, theaters, baths (baths of the ancient city), partially preserved ancient houses.

Tourists in Pompeii are taken to a rustic lupanarium (brothel) famous for its famous frescoes depicting themes of frivolity.

Near the ruins of the Herculanean Gate you will see the Villa of the Mysteries with amazing frescoes preserved.

Also worth visiting is the Villa Diomedes. During excavations at Pompeii, 20 people who died during the volcanic eruption were discovered in this place.

The artistic design of buildings in Pompeii surprises with its attention to different aspects of life and the level of implementation. Pictures depicting birds and animals, fish, placed in the premises of the city once replaced wallpaper and tapestries for residents. Now the originals are in a museum in Naples, and in Pompeii the life of the ancient city has been recreated by the hands of museum workers.

Worth watching carefully, for example, “The Pompeii Cat”, “Plato’s Academy”, “Alexandra’s Mosaic”, “The Comedians”.

Touch the beauty and be surprised by the desire of the ancients to surround themselves with art in Pompeii.

Book your tickets to visit the ancient city of Pompeii in advance using this link.

How to get to the ancient city of Pompeii

It all depends on your desire; you can go to Pompeii spontaneously while in Italy, or you can think through the details of the trip before you find yourself in the country.

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The ancient city of Pompeii is easily accessible from Naples or Rome. If the main means of transportation is the train, then the entire route from Rome will take you 1-2 hours. Travel time depends on your planned departure time. Once you arrive in Naples, you need to follow the following plan.

In 79, the awakening volcano Vesuvius instantly covered the city with a cloud of ash, under the weight of which the roofs of buildings collapsed. The city was destroyed in the blink of an eye, turning into stone for many centuries. Almost two millennia later, the city was discovered and gradually began to be dug up, revealing the typical life of an ancient Roman city.

Two cities bear the name. The first is a very lively small town, the second is the same famous Pompeii, destroyed in a matter of hours by the eruption of the formidable Vesuvius. The living city of Pompeii has existed for only 150 years. It grew up during the beginning of the excavations of Pompeii, becoming, in fact, a hotel city for millions of tourists who came to see the dead city.

Unlike the lesser known city, Pompeii is home to crowds of tourists, especially before lunch. So be prepared to encounter long queues to enter. In addition, Pompeii is much larger than Herculaneum, so it will take a long time to walk here. In the summer heat, don't forget comfortable shoes, sunscreen, a hat and water, as there is very little shade.

Weather in Pompeii:

Getting to Pompeii:

• Train timetable Naples - Pompeii(direction )
• Train timetable Pompeii - Naples(direction )
• Train timetable Naples - Pompeii(direction Poggiomarino)
• Train timetable Pompeii - Naples(direction Poggiomarino)

Buses to Pompeii:

Trains to Pompeii: approx. 50 minutes on the way

Practical information:

Ticket to Pompeii:

• Entrance to the archaeological area of ​​Pompeii: 11 €, preferential - 5.5 €
• Combo ticket(5 archaeological zones: Pompeii, (Ercolano), Oplontis, Stabia and Boscoreale) - 20 € , discounted 10 €.
• EU citizens under 18 years old - free.
• The entrance to Pompeii is covered

Entrance to the ruins: Porta Marina Superiore - Piazza Anfiteatro - Viale delle Ginestre (Piazza Esedra)

Working hours:

• from November 1 to March 31: from 8:30 to 17:00 (last entry at 15:30)
• from April 1 to October 31: from 8:30 to 19:30 (last entry at 18:00)

History of Pompeii

Unlike most cities in southern Italy, Pompeii was not founded by the Greeks - the first inhabitants of these places were Italic tribes. It is believed that in the 9th-8th centuries BC. They built a city on solidified lava, not knowing either the origin of this “foundation” or the reason for the exceptional fertility of the lands of the Sarno Valley fertilized with volcanic ash - at that time Vesuvius “slept”. During the era of Magna Graecia, the inhabitants of Pompeii had close relations with the nearby Greek colonies and they adopted religion, culture and way of life from their neighbors.

Two centuries later, the Greeks were replaced by the Samnites, and in the last years of the 4th century BC. The era of Roman rule began. Pompeii became part of the Roman state, maintaining relative autonomy. Under Roman protectorate, the city grew rapidly, its population increased sevenfold over two centuries. At the same time, the Pompeii were not particularly flexible: if the Italian tribes united and rebelled, the inhabitants of Pompeii, as a rule, joined them. In 74 BC. Spartacus took refuge with seventy rebels on the top of Vesuvius, and then, twisting ropes from vines, descended and defeated the Roman pursuers.

Trade, navigation, and crafts (especially the production and dyeing of fabrics) successfully developed in the city. Roman aristocrats built luxurious villas in Pompeii, but more in the neighboring one. Spacious dwellings were erected by local merchants and entrepreneurs who became rich. The inscriptions preserved on the walls of the houses indicate that the townspeople led an active social and political life.

It would seem that nothing foreshadowed the tragedy, but in 63 “the first bell rang” - a powerful earthquake occurred with its epicenter near Pompeii. Many public buildings collapsed, the water supply system was severely damaged, and city residents were buried under the collapsed houses.

Emperor Nero wanted to ban living in Pompeii, but the stubborn Pompeii defended the right not to leave their homeland and began to restore the city. The dire warning of an impending disaster was not taken into account. And 17 years later, on August 24, 79, a second disaster struck the inhabitants of Pompeii: a volcanic eruption destroyed Pompeii and the small settlements around it in a matter of hours.

As a result of lengthy archaeological excavations, an open-air museum arose on the site of the lost city.

Sights of Pompeii

At the entrance (at the tourist office) be sure to pick up a map of the excavations. It's easy to get lost in Pompeii.

Porta Marina Gate

The inspection starts from Porta Marina gate. City street via Marina paved with stone slabs, in which the carts pushed deep ruts. To properly organize traffic, city residents installed special stones with guides for wheels. On these same stones, during the rain, it was possible to cross from one sidewalk, lined with lava slabs and raised 20 cm above the roadway, to another, without getting your feet wet.

Antiquarium

Just outside the gate on the right side via Marina is located Antiquarium(lat. antiquarium - “repository of antiquities”), where some finds from excavations and plaster castings of the bodies of dead townspeople are collected.

Forum

Via Marina leads to a complex of buildings forum. Usually the forum was located in the center of the ancient city, but in Pompeii it was greatly shifted to the southwest, since it was not easy to find a large, flat area on the frozen surface of the lava flow. The forum was surrounded on all sides by buildings with porticoes; between the columns there were statues of famous people of that time, from which pedestals with inscriptions have been preserved. adjoined the forum from the west Temple of Apollo(Tempio di Apollo, VI century BC, rebuilt in the 1st century). Those who decorated the temple have been preserved statues Apollo and Diana (the originals are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Naples).

Temple of Jupiter

To the north of the temple of Apollo was the main sanctuary of Pompeii - Temple of Jupiter(Tempio di Giove, II century BC). It was destroyed by the earthquake of 63, and by the time of the next disaster they had not yet managed to restore it. In addition, on the forum there were Lar temple(Tempio dei Lari) And Temple of Vespasian(Tempio di Vepasiano), city administration buildings and the Comitium, where elections were held, a market, food warehouses, the Chamber of Weights and Measures and public toilets.

Stone triumphal arches in honor of the emperors Drusus and Tiberius they were once lined with marble.

Thermae of the Forum

To the north-west of the Temple of Apollo there are forum baths(Terme del Foro). After the earthquake of 63, they were the only ones that continued to function properly. The baths built under the dictator Sulla had women's and men's sections, each of them consisted of an apodyterium (locker room) and halls: frigidarium (with cold water), tepidarium (with warm water) and caldarium (with hot water). Here you can see the water supply and heating systems and admire fragments of decorative paintings that decorated the vaults and walls.

The northern façade of the baths faces the main ancient axis of Pompeii ( decumanus) - via Terme- via della Fortuna- via di Nola. On the nearby streets, buildings typical of a Roman city have been preserved: from profitable “apartment” houses of the poor (insul) to luxurious private mansions, sometimes occupying an entire block, with peristyles, fountains and richly decorated rooms.

House of the Tragic Poet

Opposite the term is up to m tragic poet(Casa Del Poeta Tragico) with the famous mosaic floor, which depicts a rehearsal of the play. In front of the entrance there is a mosaic image of a dog with a caption Cave canim ("Be aware of dogs!").

House of the Faun

A little further east on via della Fortuna costs up to m faun(Casa del Fauno), named after the small bronze figurine of the Dancing Faun, which decorated one of the peristyles of this aristocratic villa. The famous mosaic “ Battle of Alexander the Great with Darius"(kept in the Archaeological Museum of Naples).

House of the Vettii

Having passed from via Terme to the north along perpendicular to it via di Mercuriotwo quarters, you can explore houseApollo(Casa del Apollo), a folding c via Termeon at the first intersection to the east on Vicolo di Mercurio - up to m Vettiev(Casa dei Vettii). This is a most valuable monument of Pompeian painting (there are three different “Pompeian” painting styles) and a “museum of everyday life” of wealthy citizens. At the end of the excavations, the building needed only minor restoration, after which it appeared in its original form. The paintings on mythological themes are perfectly preserved (“ Ariadne and Dionysus», « Hercules strangling snakes") and a frieze with graceful miniatures " Cupids busy at work».

The image of Priapus located at the entrance with scales in his hand, on one bowl - a bag of gold, and on the other - a huge phallus, makes a stunning impression on an unprepared person. The life-loving Pompeians treated this organ with respect. It was believed that the image of the male reproductive organ could ward off evil spirits. Some researchers explain the purpose of small images of phalluses carved on Pompeian pavements with sacred purposes, but there is a version that these are just pointers to the nearest brothel (lupanarium), to which Vettiev leads west from the house vicolo Storto.

Lupanarium

Lupanarium(Lupanare) stands at the intersection with via della Fortuna. A well-preserved brothel from the inside looks rather gloomy and looks more like a prison dungeon than an entertainment establishment - tiny dark rooms, narrow, short stone beds and small frescoes. It is believed that the paintings on the walls not only created the right mood for visitors, but also served as instructions - with their help, foreign sailors who did not speak Latin explained themselves to prostitutes. Despite their unpresentable appearance from the point of view of a modern person, ancient brothels were popular among representatives of different classes of the empire.

Triangular Forum

From lupanarium, keeping the general direction south, along vicolo Storto, via degli Augustali, via dei Teatri you can go to Triangular Forum(Foro Triangolare). Many shops and workshops, taverns and drinking establishments have been preserved (dishes and coins thrown in a hurry by the last visitors remained on the tables in the taverns, images of dishes offered in the establishment are often painted on the walls), mills and bakeries. The standard of the latter can be bakery Modesta(Forno di Modesta), one of the largest in the city. In it, archaeologists discovered millstones, a sales counter and petrified bread. The triangular forum was built back in the Samnite era.

towered on it Doric temple(Tempio Dorico, VI century BC), dedicated to Hercules. Along the north-eastern side of the square there were Samnite palaestra(Palestra Samnitiana), Grand Theatre(Teatro Grande) And gladiator barracks(Caserma dei Gladiatori). The palaestra served as a place for sports activities for aristocrats before a similar large structure was built on the outskirts. The Great Theater for 5,000 spectators (2nd century BC, rebuilt under Augustus), made according to the Greek model, stood on the hillside. The majestic mountain range on the horizon served as a natural backdrop. Nearby there is a gladiator barracks with canteens, closets where the fighters lived, and a rectangular courtyard for training.

East of the Bolshoi was located Maly Theater, or Odeon(Teatro Piccolo o Odeon). Next to him stood a small Temple of Zeus Melichios, which, after the destruction of the large sanctuary in the Forum Square, served as the main place of worship of Zeus, and nearby - an elegant Temple of Isis(Tempio di Iside), considered one of the best examples of ancient architecture. Not long before the disaster, the temple was rebuilt and thanks to this, it was perfectly preserved.

Amphitheater

Walking from the Maly Theater to the east, you can first look around m Cryptoportica(Casa dei Criptoportico), where plaster casts of people who died during the eruption are exhibited, and then get to Great Palaestra(Grande Palestra), built in the 1st century. Next to her is a huge amphitheater(Anfiteatro), which could accommodate at least 12,000 spectators. The building, in the arena of which performances were staged and gladiator fights took place, was built in 80 BC. and may have served as a model for later amphitheaters in Rome. The palaestra and amphitheater are located on the eastern edge of the excavation area.

Villa of Mysteries

TO Villa of Mysteries(Villa dei Misteri) from the railway station you can walk along viale della Villa dei Misteri, following it to the north-west. There are magnificent wall paintings preserved here, made in the spirit of the cult of Dionysus, telling about marriage (possibly the mistress of the house). It is known that the cult, prohibited in Rome by decree of the Senate, was preserved in the province, and the paintings of the Villa of the Mysteries provide the key to the mysteries of the Dionysian rites. The figures are painted in full height on a characteristic red “Pompeian” background.

Pompeii Map