Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79AD - Essay Example

Pompeii AND Herculaneum in 79AD On August 24 79 AD, a "firestorm" of poisonous vapors and molten debris engulfed and suffocated the inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculaneum when Mount Vesuvius literally blew its top. This report will highlight the physical environment, the eruption, the economy, and the social structure in these two cities in 79 AD. Physical environment the geographical setting, natural features, and resources Pompeii is a roman city near Naples while Herculaneum was located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano. Pompeii was a famous vacation spot known for its magnificent villas and gardens. It was located at an average elevation of 25-30 m above sea level upon an ancient hill (Loungo et al., 2003). It was founded around the 6th century BC, built on a volcanic ridge, produced by prehistoric lava by the Oscans. It remained a fortified city, completely rnclosed by a high wall and maintained its own language and culture. It was rich in architecture and this was focused on public places. Pompeii was divided into nine zones and the ‘regio’ was further sub-divided into ‘insulae’. The dwellings were of different dimensions depending upon the wealth of the inhabitants. It had atrium houses, lower class residential and commercial structures, vineyards and gardens, and several major public buildings- a basilica, public baths, theater, temples, and a forum (Olson-Raymer). Herculaneum was founded by the Greek Hero Hercules. Herculaneum was more peaceful and elegant than Pompeii (Herculaneum). Herculaneum was devoted to navy and fishing and had a lot of greenery. It was also famous for architecture while marble and bronze were its natural resources. It was rich in mosaic too. Pompeii on the other hand was a good passage for goods that arrived by sea or had to further move towards Rome. The eruption The AD 79 Vesuvius eruption started at 1pm on August 24 with a phreatomagmatic opening phase followed by the formation of a Plinian column (Loungo et al.,). The eruption lasted 19 h, from 1.00 p.m. of August 24 to 8.00 a.m. of August 25. Mount Vesuvius first started belching steam, gases, lava and flames. Thick layers of pumice stone covered a wide area to the south of the volcano, and the deposit reached a maximum depth of 2.8 m at Pompeii. The effect was felt in other cities around the volcano. In the final stage, there was an increase in the deposit of fine ash. For nearly two days, white ashes fell like snow on the two cities (Encyclopedia, 2006). The entire city was blanketed in ash. The mud seeped down the sides of the Vesuvius swallowing nearby farms, orchards, and villas (Gonsalez, 2005). Strong earthquakes accompanied the final volcanic blast on 25 August. Everything within the reach of the volcano was destroyed by its vapors and debris. Apart from loss of human, animal and plant life, tsunami also helped destroy the environment in Pompeii. Roofs and walls collapsed under the weight of the fall products. The nearby reservoir broke adding floods to the chaos. Residents started fleeing the cities leaving their belongings behind but it was difficult but Herculaneum was practically evacuated before the city was overwhelmed. Widespread devastation was noticed when the cloud lifted. Herculaneum lay completely buried under more than 60 feet of debris and at Pompeii, only the top of the buildings could be seen while the rest of it was buried under pumice and ash. The economy: trade, commerce, industries, occupations Pompeii was developed in every sector and in the economic field in particular. It also had the advantage of its location and was supported by its fertile hinterland. There was growth in maritime traffic. Inns, wine shops and tanneries, bakery and millstones also existed at that time (Encyclopedia). It was agriculturally fertile and traded with foreign countries. Plumbing was flourishing as a trade in 79 AD in Pompeii. It included designing gutters of lead for private homes. The workers were known as plumberium (Theplumber, 1994). Wine presses and fermentation rooms have also been found in the ruins. Archaeological sources reveal that significant numbers of people were engaged in industries like olive oil, wine, and fish (Zarmati). Oil presses for extracting oil from olives have been found in both cities. Fishing was an important industry and houses with several fish tanks have been found. Pompeii was a regional centre for cloth making and dyeing. Wool and textile production was also important in this region. Production of fruits and vegetables was an important part of the local economy. The most prestigious trades were the large scale buying and selling, importing and exporting. Only the rich had the right to a political career. The social structure: men, women, freedom, and slaves Evidence suggests that wealthy people dwelled in Pompeii during 79 AD but there were also middle-class service providers like bakers and butchers, poor people and even slaves. Due to its developed economy, people of Pompeii enjoyed prestige (Gracco, 2005). The merchant class and the entrepreneurs had brought prosperity to Pompeii. The economic growth led to population increase and widespread affluence. The nouveaux riche started competing with the aristocratic class. They displayed their wealth through luxurious houses and jewelry. People in 70 AD had a high style Roman living. Different historians and scholars give different figures of population but it could be something around 20,000 in Pompeii at the time of the eruption and about 5000 in Herculaneum. Pompeii had all the attributes of a Roman town. The streets were narrow, dirty, and smelly and filled with rubbish. Slavery was absolutely necessary and having slaves was a symbol of status and wealth. Slaves had no rights, slave marriages and families had no legal standing (Cooper, 2004). They led a harsh life in the homes of the wealthy. Slave trade was a big business and slaves ran the business of the merchants. The main apparel for every class of citizen was tunic usually made of wool. The other garment was toga but this was reserved for two classes of people – the politicians and the prostitutes. Scribbling on the walls was an accepted means of expression. The unequal divisions of the sundial determined the working hours and the wealthy usually had flexible time. References: Cooper C F (2004), The Last Days of Pompeii, 15 July 2006 Encyclopædia (2006), Pompeii and Herculaneum." Britannica Student Encyclopedia. 2006. Britannica Premium Service. 15 July 2006 Gonzalez, J (2005), The Fall of Pompeii and Its Effect on Rome, 15 July 2006 Gracco T (2005), Pompeii Historical Outline, 15 July 2006 Herculaneum, 15 July 2006 Luongo G et al., Impact of the AD 79 explosive eruption on Pompeii, 15 July 2006 Olson-Raymer Dr. G, The ancient Roman city of Pompeii., 15 July 2006 Wikipedia, Pompeii, 15 July 2006 Zarmati L, Pompeii and Herculaneum, http://www.hi.com.au/ancient/pdf/HAMHPompeii.pdf 15 July 2006 Read More