Pompeii and Herculaneum Essay

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Historical Setting
Over the previous 1000 years the volcanic area had been occupied by:
Oscans, the local inhabitants of the area who built the town of Pompeii about 800 BC.
Greeks who captured Pompeii and in the eighth and seventh centuries BC established trading colonies (Cumae, Puteoli, Neapolis and Herculaneum) all around the coastal area of what is known as the Bay of Naples.
Etruscans, from Etruria north of Rome, who tried to wrest control of the cities from the Greeks towards the end of the sixth century BC. They were unable to hold the area for more than fifty years and the Greeks were once more dominant after a naval victory in 474 BC.
Samnites, a war-like Italic people from the mountains of central Italy who defeated the Greeks and conquered Campania sometime at the end of the fifth century BC.
Romans who fought and replaced the Samnites as the rulers of Campania about 310—290 BC. By the middle of the first century AD the cities of Campania were peaceful and prosperous. For as long as this area had been inhabited, Mt Vesuvius had been quiet. Building Periods and Types
The town plan of Pompeii is closely related to the nature of the terrain on which it is situated. In ancient times, the lava plateau on which Pompeii stands represented a natural defence for the population that had settled there, because this rocky spur prevented access from the sea. The forum was off-centred was it was the only flat part of the land there and so, the most important buildings were there. The amphitheatre and the large Palaestra, on the other hand, are situated in the eastern part of the town as it was only this area where they could be built. More detailed examination of Pompeii and the town's architecture, can be summarized as follows:
1)First period: pre-Samnite period-The houses are characterized by their severity and simplicity of the style and made with sandstone and tufa (soft volcanic rock)
2)Samnite Period- buildings of this period are still constructed with tufa, sandstone and other volcanic material. The building technique was more developed.
3)Roman Period-Characterized by an increasingly skilful use of the same materials encountered in the previous periods with the addition of brick that were used for decoration. Shops were also built, fruit and vegetables, shoe shops, blacksmiths and even pastry-shops. A knowledge of the urban fabric and social fabric of Pompeii contributes to enlarging and deepening out picture of this city and its civilisation. REFERENCES
Zanker, P, Pompeii, Public and private, Harvard University press, 2001
This book provides information and ideas on townscape issues in Pompeii and urban space as a reflection of society, He gives some insights into the historical development of the layout of the town. Nappo, Salvatore, Pompeii, Weidenfeld, 1998
Another overview of the historical context, p 8-11. Video: Pompeii: The Last Day (BBC) 2005, (50 minutes)
An historical reconstruction of the day of the eruption in 79 AD. The specialist consultants were Professor Haraldur Sigurdsson and Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill. Sections of the video provide reconstructions of streetscapes, which feature such aspects as public fountains, urban streets and houses.

The Economy: trade, commerce, industries and operations
Industry: Olive Oil and Wine
The lane around Pompeii featured different types of farms:
Luxury villas with agricultural plots
Working farms with absentee landlords (villae rusticae)
Tenant farmers working smaller plots
These farms raised sheep, goats and cattle and produced a range of grain, fruit and vegetable crops as well as olives and grapes
Rich and respected families in and around Pompeii made their fortunes from the production of wine and olive oil.
Evidence for the popularity of the Vesuvian wine industry:
A sign on a Herculaneum wine bar inviting patrons to "Come to the sign of the bowls" and advertised 6 types of wine and their vintages.
Pliny's
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