Pompeii. Photo

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. A strong earthquake occurred, 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 Stabia. 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 again 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.

Throughout its history, humanity has experienced many disasters. However, the most famous of them is the death of Pompeii. History introduces us to numerous facts of this disaster, which happened in 79 in Italy. Here, in the very center of the state, the Vesuvius volcano erupted. And although it can hardly be called the most powerful, this event shocked many people who firmly believe in the exclusivity of their homeland. After all, as a result of the eruption, a large prosperous city - Pompeii - was destroyed. What people have experienced can be compared to the disaster when the Twin Towers in the United States were destroyed as a result of a terrorist attack. And this despite the fact that the time distance between these two tragedies was 1922.

Interest for archaeologists

What was Pompeii like? It was one of the most beautiful cities of antiquity, thanks to which we can most fully learn about how the Romans lived in those days. At the site where Pompeii stood, interesting artifacts are still preserved that testify to how majestic this settlement was. Houses and neighborhoods, temples and frescoes... All this remained practically untouched, since for two millennia after the disaster it was under the ashes. Visiting the ruins of this ancient settlement is luck for any archaeologist

The emergence of the city

When did Pompeii appear? The history of the great city dates back to the 4th century. BC e. It was then that a settlement was founded in the Naples area. Later, this settlement annexed five small villages and became a single administrative entity. It belonged to the Etruscans, those same ancient tribes whose culture later formed the basis of the culture of the Romans.

What is further history Pompeev (briefly)? By the end of the 5th century. BC e. the city was captured by the Samnites. And a century later, Pompeii began to ally with the Roman Republic. However, such connections were nothing more than a formality. Cities like Pompeii were considered by the Senate of Rome only from a consumer perspective. Their citizens served in the army of the great state, but were deprived in many material matters, in particular those related to the right to public lands. This was the reason for the birth of the uprising.

However, the protests of the citizens of Pompeii were suppressed. In 89 BC. e. Troops entered the city, declaring it a Roman colony. Pompeii lost its independence forever. However, the city residents did not even feel such changes. For the entire ninety years remaining in the history of the city, they continued to live a free and prosperous life on land that was fertile, near the sea and in a mild climate. They were not affected by the civil war, in which Caesar and Pompey took an active part. The history of the city indicates its active development until the tragedy that occurred.

Neighboring settlements

Not far from Pompeii was Herculaneum. This is a city in which retired legionnaires settled, as well as slaves who bought their freedom. Still not far from Pompeii was the city of Stabiae. He was favorite place Roman nouveau riche. Wonderful villas were built on its territory, which delighted with their luxury and were literally buried in greenery. At some distance from them there were houses where poor people lived - servants, traders, artisans. They all made their living by providing for the needs of rich people.

The history of the death of the city of Pompeii is directly related to Herculaneum and Stabiae. They, too, were buried under the ash erupting from Vesuvius. Of all the residents, only those who abandoned their property and left at the very beginning of the eruption were saved. By doing this, people were able to save the lives of themselves and their loved ones.

Infrastructure

The history of Pompeii, since the formation of the city, was characterized by the construction of a huge number of buildings. Construction was especially active in the last three centuries before the tragedy broke out. Among the infrastructure facilities are:

• a huge amphitheater with twenty thousand seats;
• The Bolshoi Theater, which accommodated 5 thousand spectators;
• Maly theater, designed for 1.5 thousand people.

The city also built a large number of temples that were dedicated to various gods. The center of Pompeii was decorated with a square - the forum. This is an area formed from public buildings, where the main trade and political life settlements. The streets of the city were straight and intersected each other perpendicularly.

Communications

The city had its own water supply. It was carried out using an aqueduct. This device was a large tray standing on supports. The city was supplied with life-giving moisture from mountain springs. After the aqueduct, the water flowed into a large reservoir, and from it, through a system of pipes, into the houses of wealthy citizens.

Public fountains operated for the common people. Pipes from a common reservoir were also connected to them.

The baths built in the city were also extremely popular. People not only washed themselves in them, but also communicated and discussed commercial and social news.

Production

Bread in Pompeii was produced by its own bakeries. There was also textile production in the city. It was at a fairly high level for that time.

Volcano neighborhood

What about Vesuvius? Yes, this volcano is active. It is located just 15 km from Naples. Its height is 1280 m. Historians and scientists claim that it used to be twice as high. However, the events of 79 destroyed most of the volcano.
Throughout its history, Vesuvius has had 80 major eruptions. But, according to archaeologists, until 79 the volcano was not active for 15 centuries.

Why, despite existing danger, it was in this place that Pompeii was built, whose history ended so sadly? The fact is that people were attracted to this territory by its fertile soil. And they did not pay attention to the real threat posed by the crater next to them.

Predecessors of the tragedy

Pompeii, one of the oldest cities in Italy, felt the tremors of a powerful earthquake in 62. There is practically not a single building left intact. Some of the structures were completely destroyed.

An earthquake and an eruption are the same thing geological process, only expressed in various forms. However, the inhabitants of the Roman Empire at that time did not yet know about this. They firmly believed that their beautiful city would stand for centuries.

Without having time to recover from the consequences of these disturbances in the bowels of the earth, Pompeii experienced a whole series of new tremors. They occurred the day before the eruption of Vesuvius, which occurred in 79. It was this event that led to the fact that the history of Pompeii came to an end. Of course, people did not connect the tremors of the earth’s interior with the volcano.

In addition, shortly before the disaster, the water temperature of the Gulf of Naples increased sharply. In some places it even reached boiling point. All the wells and streams located on the slopes of Vesuvius turned out to be dry. The depths of the mountain began to emit eerie sounds, reminiscent of prolonged groans. All this also indicated that the history of the city of Pompeii would change dramatically.

Death of the city

What was Pompeii's last day like? History can briefly describe it thanks to the available records politician those times of Pliny the Younger. The disaster began at two o'clock in the afternoon on August 24, 1979. A white cloud with brown spots appeared above Vesuvius. It quickly gained its size and, rising in height, began to spread in all directions. The soil near the volcano began to move. Continuous tremors were felt, and a terrible roar was heard from the depths.

Soil vibrations were felt even in the city of Miseno, located 30 kilometers from the volcano. It is in this locality and Pliny the Younger was there. According to his notes, the tremors were so strong that statues and houses seemed to be destroyed, being thrown from side to side.

At this time, a gas stream continued to burst out of the volcano. She, possessing incredible strength, carried a huge number of pieces of pumice out of the crater. The debris rose to a height of about twenty kilometers. And this continued throughout the 10-11 hours of the eruption.

Death of people

It is believed that about two thousand people were unable to escape from Pompeii. This is approximately a tenth of the city's total population. The rest probably managed to escape. Consequently, the catastrophe that struck did not take the Pompeians by surprise. This information was obtained by scientists from Pliny's letters. However, it is not possible to know the exact number of deaths. The fact is that archaeologists discovered human remains even outside the city.

The history of Pompeii, compiled by researchers, suggests that, according to existing data, the number of deaths is sixteen thousand people. These are residents not only of the city described, but also of Herculaneum, as well as Stabius.

People fled to the harbor in panic. They hoped to escape by leaving the dangerous area by sea. This is confirmed by excavations by archaeologists who discovered many human remains on the coast. But, most likely, the ships did not have time or simply could not accommodate everyone.

Among the residents of Pompeii there were those who hoped to sit out in closed rooms or in remote cellars. Afterwards, however, they tried to get out, but it was too late.

The next stage of the eruption

What happened next to the city of Pompeii? History, written on the basis of these chronicles, suggests that explosions in the crater of the volcano occurred with some interval. This allowed many residents to retreat to a safe distance. Only slaves remained in the city, playing the role of guards of the master's property, and those residents who did not want to leave their farms.

The situation has worsened. At night the next stage of the eruption began. Flames began to erupt from Vesuvius. The next morning, hot lava flowed from the crater. It was she who killed those residents who remained in the city. Around 6 o'clock in the morning, ash began to fall from the sky. At the same time, “balls” of pumice began to cover the ground, covering Pompeii and Stabia with a thick layer. This nightmare lasted for three hours.

Researchers believe that the energy of Vesuvius that day was many times greater than that released during the atomic explosion in Hiroshima. The people who remained in the city rushed through the streets. They tried to escape, but quickly lost strength and fell, covering their heads with their hands in despair.

How did the death of Pompeii occur? Little known facts, which were published relatively recently, say that the pyroclastic hydrothermal flows that poured into the city reached temperatures of 700 degrees. It was they who brought horror and death with them. When hot water was mixed with ash, a mass was formed, enveloping everything that came in its way. People trying to escape from imminent death fell exhausted, and were immediately covered with ash. They suffocated, dying in terrible agony. This fact of the history of Pompeii is confirmed by convulsively clenched hands with clenched fingers, faces distorted in horror and mouths open in a silent scream. This is exactly how the townspeople died.

Casts of the bodies of the dead

As a result of the eruption of Vesuvius, volcanic rocks buried the entire area. The lower layer of this layer, the thickness of which reaches 7 m, consists of small pieces of plasma and stones. Afterwards there is a layer of ash. Its thickness is 2 m. The total layer of volcanic rocks averaged 9 m. But in some places it was much larger.

Archaeologists discovered the bulk of the inhabitants of Pompeii in top layer volcanic rocks. The remains lay in solidified lava for almost 2 thousand years. If you look at the photograph presented above, you can see the position of the bodies taken at the moment of death, as well as the expression of agony and horror on the faces of the doomed. These are plaster casts made by archaeologists. At the sites where the Pompeians died, voids formed in the solidified lava due to the dense mass formed from water and ash that tightly adhered to the people. This composition has dried and hardened. At the same time, facial features and folds of clothing, body prints and even small wrinkles remained on him. By filling these voids with plaster, scientists were able to create very realistic and accurate casts. Despite the fact that the bodies themselves have long since become dust, looking at these photos is still creepy. These figures clearly convey the horror and despair that the inhabitants of Pompeii had to experience.

Pompeii (city of Pompeii) is an ancient Roman city in Italy, located near Naples, Campania region. As a result of the eruption on August 24, 1979, he was buried under a layer of volcanic ash. Now it is a museum under open air, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On February 5, 62, a powerful earthquake occurred, which became the harbinger of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This disaster caused enormous damage to the city; most of the buildings were repaired, but some remained damaged until the destruction of Pompeii. The eruption of Vesuvius began on the afternoon of August 24, 79 and lasted the whole day, as evidenced by some surviving fragments of letters from Pliny the Younger. This eruption led to the destruction of three cities - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae and several other small villages and villas. Entire streets of the city, fully furnished houses, and the remains of people and animals that did not have time to escape were found under many meters of ash. The power of the eruption is evidenced by the fact that its ashes reached Egypt and Syria.

In 1592, the architect Dominico Fantana, while laying a canal from the Sarno River, came across part of the city wall. During the construction of the well in 1698, the ruins of an ancient building with the inscription “Pompeii” were discovered, then they decided that this was the villa of Pompey the Great.

Under the leadership of R. J. Alcubierre, excavations began again in 1748, but he was only interested in finds of artistic value, and everything else was destroyed. After protest from a number of scientists, his practice was stopped. In 1760 - 1804, under the leadership of F. le Vega, excavations continued. In 1763, an inscription was discovered on the pedestal of a statue buried in ash, only then did it become clear that this was the city of Pompeii.

In 1870, it was discovered that voids had formed in place of the bodies of people and animals buried under a layer of ash. These voids were filled with plaster; this technology helped restore the dying poses of the victims of the eruption. After the earthquake in 1980, restoration work was carried out in the city of Pompeii. Today, 20-25% of the territory of Pompeii remains unexcavated.

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Pompeii is an ancient Roman city in southern Italy near Naples. As you know, Pompeii was buried under a multi-meter layer of ash during the eruption in 79. Nowadays, the city is a huge open-air museum, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997.

The city was founded by the Osci in the 6th century. The name of the city comes from the Oscan pumpe - five, since the city was formed by the merger of five smaller settlements. In Roman times, the division into five electoral districts remained. Another version of the origin of the name is Greek, from the word pompe - triumphal procession.

According to this legend, the city was founded by Hercules, who, after defeating Geryon, solemnly walked through these places. IN different time the city was owned by the Greeks, Etruscans and Samnites. In 310 BC. Pompeii became an ally of the Roman Republic as an autonomous, self-governing city.

In 90-88 BC. the city takes part in the revolt against Rome.

In 89 BC. Consul Sula took the city, limited its autonomy and made it a colony of Rome. The city occupied an important place on the trade route between and Southern Italy. Many noble Romans had villas on the territory of Pompeii. A high-profile event was the massacre between the inhabitants of Pompeii and Nuceria in 59 during the gladiatorial games. An ordinary fight between fans turned into a bloodbath. As a result, games were banned in Pompeii for 3 years.

Tickets

Entrance ticket to the archaeological complex of Pompeii costs 15 euros. For visitors under 18 years of age, admission is free, but you must show a document confirming your age.

• We recommend buying tickets in advance online only at official ticket offices ticketone.it
  See registration on the website.

How to get from Naples on your own

You can get to Pompeii on your own from Naples, by bus or rented car. We recommend options with public transport (in the south of Italy it travels according to mood and not regularly), only to the most experienced travelers with time to spare and a great desire to save money. Let's look at all the methods in detail:

By rented car

If you are traveling through small towns in Italy on your own, then you can come to Pompeii by personal transport - Of the independent options, it is the most convenient. Parking near the archaeological zone will cost approximately 5 euros per hour. We recommend reading about the features of car rental in Italy and choosing the best option on our website

• You will need:

By train

In Naples, Napoli Porta Nolana and Napoli P. Garibaldi stations have direct trains Circumvesuviana (literally translated “Around Vesuvius”) - of the options, public transport is the only one we can recommend. Here is a link to the schedule. You need to get off at Pompei Scravi Villa dei Misteri station– it is located almost next to the ticket office. The drive is approximately 30 minutes.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online at the ticket office ots.eavsrl.it/web/public/ots/ticket/index

Choose the Napoli-Sorrento line and ticket to Villa Misteri, date and number of passengers. Click Avanti. Please note that the site is also available in English, the switch on the right is the British flag.

Electric trains depart in the morning from 09:06 and 11:36.

To visit Pompeii you need to allocate at least 2 hours. You can also take this line to . From Pompeii back to Naples the train leaves at 17:18, a round-trip ticket costs 11 euros, there are no discounts for children.

Trenitalia companies depart from Naples Central Station towards Pompei station approximately every 30 minutes. The ticket costs 2.80 euros one way. If the train arrives on schedule and there are no stops, the travel time will be 38 minutes. Be prepared for frequent stops, proximity to gypsies and various beggars.

The station is located about 3 kilometers from the entrance to the archaeological park, so it makes sense to wait for bus 004 (possibly N50) and take it 3 stops.

Google advises looking at the schedule on the website of the official carrier http://www.fsbusitaliacampania.it, but, for example, in the schedule of bus 4 I don’t see the Mazzini stop. Apparently it’s easier to ask the locals upon arrival, they should help. We will be grateful if someone shares their adventure experience in the comments.

By bus

According to information from Google, direct buses N5000 and N5020 from SITAsud go to the archaeological complex relatively regularly from Naples - I do not recommend this option, since there is no real schedule or prices on the carrier’s website. To complete the picture, let's consider this method.

The Via Ferraris Galileo bus stop in Naples is located about a kilometer from Napoli Centrale station.

Bus tickets should cost 10 euros and can be purchased at:

• BAR ETTORE, PIAZZA GARIBALDI 95
• Inside Napoli Centrale station look for EDICOLA NUMBER ONE HUDSON NEWS
• ARPANET, corso Arnaldo Lucci, 163
• BIGLIETTERIA NAPOLI CAPOLINEA, PIAZZALE IMMACOLATELLA VECCHIA 1
• BAR DEL PORTO, VIA C OLIVARES ANG. VIA CAMPO D'ISOLA 26
• BAR TIRAMISU’, Napoli – Corso Lucci

What to see

Here are the attractions of Pompeii that are recommended to be visited during the tour:

1. Temple of Apollo - one of the oldest temples of the ancient city dedicated to Greek god Apollo. The first mention of the shrine dates back to the eighth century BC, which is also confirmed by archaeological excavations. Now we can only imagine and speculate, but most likely on the site of the current ruins there was first an altar, and only a hundred or two hundred years later (they were in no hurry to build before) the main building was built. Today, of the majestic colonnade containing 28 columns, only two have survived. Also, two millennia later, in the internal niches of the temple we can observe frescoes with scenes from the Trojan War.
2. Refugee Garden
3. Great Palaestra
4. Temple of Jupiter
5. Amphitheater
6. Street of Plenty
7. Thermal Baths
8. Venus's house in the shell
9. Thermopolis
10. Bolshoi and Maly Theater
11. Gladiator Barracks Triangular Forum
12. Lupanarium
13. Forum
14. Eumachia building
15. Temple of Vespasian
16. Market
17. House of the Faun
18. House of the Small Fountain
19. Basilica

Visiting architectural monuments with a good guide will allow you to temporarily immerse yourself in the ancient world and touch its secrets.

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The city of Pompeii arose in the 6th century. BC. for the most natural and rational reason: where the roads connecting the northern and southern parts of the Apennine Peninsula converged. This means it was an ideal place for profitable trading. In addition, nature and climate have created everything here for a relaxing pastime, which in antiquity was considered best condition a life worthy in all respects. Then the settlements that became the forerunners of the city were located on the shores of the Bay of Naples (then the bay retreated from this place). The Osci lived here - one of the ancient Italian tribes. Subsequently, the Osci were assimilated with the Latin-Romans and disappeared from the ethnic landscape of history as a tribe. It is believed that the Osci were related to the Samnites, based on the fact that they had similar languages. The most convincing version of the origin of the city’s name is associated with the Oscan word pumpe - “five”: there were so many first settlements on the site of the city. And the main roads that converged here led to Nola, Cumae, and Stabiae. Another version of the origin of the city’s name is based on the Greek pompe - “triumphal procession”, according to the myth about the founding of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum by Hercules. The second version is supported by the fact that the city was built according to the canons of Greek architecture. Which, however, is typical for all buildings of Ancient Rome along with Etruscan influence. And the Etruscans took possession of Pompeii first, then the Greeks from Qom, and only then the Romans.

At first, the structure of Pompeii was rustic and arbitrary, but from the 4th century. BC e. it is being transformed: straight streets were laid out, blocks of two- and three-story residential buildings were formed, in which apartments and rooms were rented. The public buildings of this essentially small city gave it almost metropolitan respectability. “The plan of a Pompeian house is striking in its desire to divide the space as small as possible and to connect all the divisions as closely as possible. We are surprised by the small size of Pompeian rooms, but isn’t it more surprising that in other houses the number of rooms reached sixty. Among these countless bedrooms and dining rooms, the difference between which could only be understood by the eyes of a home-loving owner, stretched courtyards - a half-open atrium and a completely open peristyle. They are repeated with amazing accuracy in all Pompeii houses...” this is a quote from a short essay on Pompeii by the outstanding Russian art critic P. P. Muratov (1881-1950).

Many houses here did not have kitchens. Bread was bought in bakeries (there were 34 of them), and ready-made hot dishes were bought in 89 thermopolia, ancient Roman trattorias. The sybaritic way of life was asserted by the Roman aristocracy, who built luxurious villas in Pompeii, Herculaneum and near them. This is how the Pompeians lived: artisans worked, merchants carried on their commerce in markets and in the port near the mouth of the Sarno River, patricians rested, and everyone visited the Forum, temples, theaters, the amphitheater - an arena for gladiatorial fights, baths and lupanaria - meeting houses. And even military conflicts did not particularly disturb this order and serene spirit. And the main events in the history of Pompeii were as follows: the conquest by the Samnites - 20s. V century BC e., alliance with Rome after the Second Samnite War - around 310 BC. e., Allied War - the uprising of the Italic tribes against Rome (91-88 BC) and the conquest by Emperor Sulla in 89 BC. e.

The inhabitants of Pompeii did not know about the most important thing for them - what was happening in the depths of the stratovolcano, standing at the junction of the tectonic plates of Europe and Africa. From time to time, the Pompeians felt tremors, but since large-scale destruction did not occur, no one attached serious importance to them. The inhabitants of Pompeii did not even care that some of the slopes were noticeably warm. This continued until 62.

Ancient Pompeii, now an archaeological park, is located in the Italian region, in the southwestern part of the Apennine Peninsula, at some distance from the coast of the Gulf of Naples - in ancient times the Cuman Gulf, about 24 km southeast of Naples. The city is divided into 9 districts (regions), which can be called more commonly - quarters.

The earthquake of February 5, 62 caused very significant damage to Pompeii. The then reigning Emperor Nero even thought about evicting all residents from the city. But they did not believe that something like this could happen again.

After all, before this, Vesuvius seemed to them to be a good-natured giant in character: herds grazed on its emerald-green slopes, olive groves and vineyards bore fruit abundantly on its fertile volcanic soils. During the earthquake, the walls of houses collapsed, the water supply system was damaged, and statues fell and were broken.

In just 10-15 years, everything was restored and new buildings were built. The neighboring city on the other side of Vesuvius also suffered; it suffered more, but it was also much smaller than Pompeii. The city of Stabiae was completely destroyed back in 89 BC. e. Sulla during Allied War, but quite a lot of villas were built in its place, which were also heavily damaged by the earthquake in 62.

Harbingers of a new coming disaster began to appear from the first days of August 79: streams dried up, animals behaved restlessly, birds flew away. Observant and educated residents of the city, after reflection, considered it best to leave it as soon as possible. Those who remained in Pompeii were mostly slaves guarding the property left by their owners, small artisans with their families and single people. In total, at least 2 thousand people died. There is an assumption that much more - up to 16 thousand (including Herculaneum, Stabiae and small villages), but since the excavations have not been completed to this day, the official figure is 2000.

The fatal, devastating eruption began in the afternoon of August 24 and lasted almost a day. First, there were explosive emissions of volcanic ash that covered the entire vicinity of Vesuvius. Then a thick layer of frozen lava flew out of the volcano’s mouth, like a cork from a bottle, sealing the volcano’s mouth for the time being. While still in the air, this layer scattered into large and small pieces, and already hot lava flowed. And also pyroclastic flows. It was driven by the pressure of volcanic gases and from time to time taking off into the air a mixture of molten deep rocks, hot stones and pumice - porous frozen volcanic glass, now melting again. According to modern calculations, the speed of this deadly flow could reach 700 km/h (in spurts), and the temperature - 800°C. Over the crater of Vesuvius, lapilli - small fragments of magma frozen in flight - flew up in volley sheaves.

Then the frequency of the volleys decreased, and a huge smoky cloud of ash and volcanic gases formed, which was carried by the wind towards Pompeii and Stabiae. The height of the cloud reached 33 km. And the process inside Vesuvius continued, the western part of the volcano exploded and collapsed into an expanded crater, and new lava flows burst out from there. The people of Pompeii were doomed. Someone tried to hide in own home, someone, on the contrary, is in open places to see where to run. But all this turned out to be useless. Many, before the stones fell on them, died, suffocated by poisonous sulfur fumes. Presumably, the writer Pliny the Elder, the author of Natural History, the largest encyclopedic work of antiquity, also died in Stabiae. He then commanded a galley fleet in Misenum on the shores of the Gulf of Naples and, as soon as the eruption began, rushed to Pompeii, but stones were already falling on the galleys, and Pliny turned to Stabiae to help someone and generally understand what was happening.

When the eruption ended, Pompeii and Stabiae were covered with ash, stones, lahars - mud flows. The thickness of the layer reached 8 m. A cover about 20 m thick formed over Herculaneum. The surviving people ran wherever they could, as long as they were away from the place of the apocalypse they experienced.

Excavations

Scientific archaeological excavations at the site of the tragedy of 79 in Pompeii began only in the 18th century.

The first to come across traces of the lost city was the architect D. Fontana, who supervised the laying of an underground canal from the Sarno River to the villa on Civita Hill. These traces were fragments of buildings and, apparently, a city wall, but little significance was attached to the finds. Meanwhile, under this hill was Pompeii, although the symbolic name of the Civita hill - “City” (in translation) - directly indicated this. In 1607, the Neapolitan theologian and historian G. Capaccio, thinking about what the Latin inscription from this hill - decurio pompeis - could mean, interpreted it as “chief of the decuria” (group of slaves) or city councilor of Pompeii (and consul Pompey the Great in history of Rome) and concluded that there was a villa of a nobleman here, perhaps that of Pompey the Great. Thought about ancient city still did not occur to anyone, and the ordinary hill town of that time, Civita, did not in any way suggest such guesses. In 1631, another powerful eruption of Vesuvius occurred, covering Civita with a layer of ash, and the inhabitants of the city also left it.

Excavations on the hill began in 1748. The head of the archaeological expedition, R. J. Alcubierre, however, was confident that the city found was Stabiae, and discovered only three minor sites that were not connected with each other. Of much greater interest to him were the excavations of Herculaneum, above which was located new town- Rubber. Here, by chance, while digging a well, large objects were found material value, and a real fever of hunting for them began. Alcubierre also aimed only at the most valuable, but, of course, unlike amateur diggers, valuable from the point of view of high art. He, being a snob by nature, fearlessly destroyed all other finds from what he found in Stabiae and Herculaneum. Until his scientific colleagues were outraged by this barbarity.

In 1760-1804. under the leadership of F. le Vega, the excavations finally acquired a different, systematic character. The raised soil was removed, and primary restoration immediately began on open monuments. Both valuable artifacts and ordinary household items were carefully classified: century (approximately), style, origin.

In 1763, an inscription was discovered on the pedestal of one of the statues indicating the date and place of its creation, and it became clear that the city being excavated was not Stabiae, but Pompeii. Most significant contribution to the return of Pompeii to world culture contributed by archaeologist G. Fiorelli, who led the excavations in 1863-1875. In 1870, looking at the skeletons dead people, covered with a layer of ash and looking like statues, he came up with the idea of ​​filling with plaster the voids formed in the place of the unpreserved bodies of people and animals. This is how their poses were reconstructed, telling about the most dramatic episodes of the death of Pompeii. Since 1980, after another earthquake in the Vesuvius area, only restoration work has been carried out in Pompeii: forcing excavations could lead to the collapse of buildings, which has already happened. Today, approximately a quarter of the city's territory has not been excavated.

Among ancient cities, Pompeii occupies a special place, no matter how you look at it. For example, from the point of view of urban culture, the city had everything a person needed for a prosperous life at that time. The streets are straight, wide, and in general all communications are extremely well thought out. Household comfort was of a high level - the water supply in Pompeii is technically not much inferior to medieval water supply systems. The monumental buildings of Pompeii: temples, buildings for public meetings, entertainment, sports, villas were so impeccable in their proportions and general appearance in the spirit of Greek traditions that they could be placed, if not on a par with the masterpieces of ancient architecture, then right behind them, and some - even.

Frescoes, sculptures, furniture, decorative items made of metals, marble and other materials - all this is special, unique art world. High level All the technical devices used by artisans, as well as medical instruments, were also different. Pompeii even sold their bread to other cities - it was so good, thanks to the fine baking technology used here.

general information

An ancient Roman city in Italy, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 1st century. And as a result of this, it was preserved as an archaeological site.
Location : western coast of the Apennine Peninsula, southern Italy.
Administrative affiliation : region of Campania, province of Naples.
Official status : open air museum, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
Founding time: VII-VI centuries. BC e.
Beginning of archaeological excavations : 1748
Officially accepted date of death : August 24-25, 79
Currency of Italy : euro.
Nearest airport : Capodichino in Naples (international).

Numbers

The population of the city on the eve of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 : about 20 thousand. people (according to modern speculative estimates).
Area of ​​the archaeological reserve of Pompeii : 0.66 km 2 (within the city walls), villas on the outskirts and buffer zone - another 0.44 km 2.
Distance from the crater of Vesuvius - 9.5 km, from the foot of the volcano - 4.5 km, from Naples - about 24 km.
Capacity of the most grandiose buildings of Pompeii : amphitheater - 20 thousand, Bolshoi Theater - 5 thousand, Maly Theater - 1.5 thousand people.

Number of tourists per year : 2.5 million people
Modern height of Vesuvius : 1281 m.
The area of ​​the modern (new) city of Pompeii : 12.42 km 2 .
Population modern city Pompeii : 25,358 people (2016).

Economy

Tourism, trade.

Climate and weather

Subtropical Mediterranean, dry hot summer, rainy autumn, mild winter.
Average January temperature : +8.8°C.
Average temperature in July : +25.3°C.
Average annual precipitation : 980 mm.
Average annual relative humidity : 73%.

Attractions

Forum and on it: temple of Jupiter (150 BC), temples of Laralia (sanctuary of the Pompeian Lares - patron deities of the city, hastily built after the earthquake of 62), Vespasian (2nd half of the 1st century AD) , basilica, public building(130-120 BC), Comitia (place of voting, 1st century BC), Eumachia - a building built in the 1st century. BC. priestess Eumachia, presumably for the college of dyers, weavers and fullons (male laundresses), Macellum (covered market, 1st century BC).

Villas: House of the Faun (180-170 BC), Villa of the Mysteries (2nd-1st centuries BC), Villa Oplontis (1st century BC), house of the Great Fountain, house of the Small fountain, etc.

The most famous houses : The Tragic Poet, the Surgeon, the Moralist, the Menader, the Gilded Cupids, Julia Felix.

Nearby: Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, Cathedral of the Madonna del Rosario in Pompeii (1876-1901), National Park Vesuvius, Naples.

National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Curious facts

The eruption of Vesuvius on August 24, 79 began the day after Vulcanalia, a festival held in Rome in honor of the god of fire Vulcan in ancient Roman mythology.

In 1944, when the last significant eruption of Vesuvius occurred, a US Army aviation unit was stationed at an airfield near the modern city of Pompeii. During this natural disaster, the layer of volcanic ash reached a meter. 88 aircraft and various equipment received strong blows pieces of pumice falling from the sky, and the Americans left the airfield, abandoning all damaged equipment.

The gladiatorial amphitheater at Pompeii is the best (though not perfectly) preserved of its kind in the world. Its dimensions are 104x135 m. Gladiator fights took place there on the very eve of the eruption of 79 AD.

At the bottom of the Bay of Naples, 20 km from Pompeii, lie the ruins of another luxurious ancient city - Baia, which also became a victim of the volcano.

The most famous work The theme of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 was the painting “The Last Day of Pompeii” by the Russian artist Karl Bryullov, painted in 1830-1833. The first people to see this epic were the Romans, who left rave reviews about it. Bryullov's masterpiece was also exhibited at the Louvre. The painting is kept in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

During excavations of the 16th century. the architect Fontana discovered the frescoes with erotic content and took it upon himself to cover them up again. During subsequent excavations, it turned out that there were an unusually large number of similar images in the city.

The streets in Pompeii were paved with stone slabs, and were raised in relation to the pavement by 20-25 cm.

Every year on May 8 and the first Sunday in October, tens of thousands of Catholics flock to the town of Santuario, which means Sanctuary, near the modern city of Pompeii for the feast in honor of the Madonna del Rosario of Pompeii. Above the image of the Madonna and Child, which is revered as miraculous, shine star halos, decorated with precious stones, including unique emeralds. All these are gifts from wealthy parishioners. The cathedral was built in 1876-1901, and immediately upon completion of construction it was elevated to the rank of a papal basilica. It contains part of the crown of thorns from the head of Christ and a fragment of the Holy Cross. The cathedral's 80-meter bell tower, accessible by elevator, offers the most breathtaking views of Pompeii and the rest of Naples.