Pompeii - Cultural Buildings

Located in Campania, Pompeii was Tourist town especially for the rich but also a commercial town close to the sea Its sister city was Herculaneum.

It had a history that predated the Roman influence.

It goes back to the 8th C BC (iron age). It was run by a tribe Oscans and then a more powerful tribe the Samnites - important for the city of Pompeii and architecture their influence can be felt almost to the 1c BC. It fell to the Romans in 89 BC by Sulla. The Samnites were thrown out of their homes and given to the Roman veterans

In the next 150 years saw the buildings of Pompeii's most famous buildings. Their was a lot of tradings with what was Greek town (modern day Naples)

In 62 AD there was an earthquake which was memorialized by many prominent people of Pompeii - friezes etc

They remade their city after that there was 17 tears of frenzied building to bring it back to its splendor. August 24th (disagreement over the date) AD 79 the dormant volcano of Vesuvius erupted and covered Pompeii and its sister cities. It was a great tragedy for the recently crowned Emperor Titus who died three years later. It was rediscovered in the 18th C. Treasure hunters pillaged art, cut paintings out , jewelry etc. Not long after that the plundering was stopped and the archaeologists took over excavating the city.

A Plan of the City in AD79

The shape is an irregular rectangle ad protected by a wall. The original Samnite city takes by the bottom left quadrant. We can see that they built northwards and westwards and the center of the city as it were is based around the old Samnite city (e.g. The Forum)

The Forum

The forum stood at the heart of public life in the Roman world. There is evidence of the forum as early as the 5th or 6th C BC but it was in the 2nd C BC That the Basilica. Temple of Jupiter anhd Macelleum were built

Bascilica

The Basilica was the venue for legal procedings and business transactions. It is located at south west end of the Forum. It covered 16,000 sq ft and stratigraphic excavations suggest an earlier building on this site. It is reactangular and steps lead up a large hall surrounded by a colossal Colonnade with a statue of Jupiter pushed up against a short wall.

Colonnade is two stories. Doric was chosen for the first story and Ionic - white limestone - Roman not Samnite. Large Bases around the colonnade. These would have supported great statutes. - Benefactors, politicians, military. The lower walls are painted with First Style paintings

Temple of Jupiter or Capitolium 150 BC - This triple cella Jupiter, Juno and Minerva was added in 80 BC. Etruscan temple design with Greek elevation. Built from tufa (stone)

Basilica 120 BC Splayed off the left bottom side of the forum. A rectangular space. Columns inside -organized axially as a focus it being the Tribunal where the judge would sit on a tall podium. In those days it had a roof. Corinthian order on the bottom and top story. The rest of Basilica had two stories of Ionic and Corinthian columns. This building did not have a clerestory and would consequentially quite dark.

Comitium

Might have been a venue for elections. Probably unroofed. There was a raised platform ans niches for statues. Floor was paved with marble.

Eumachia Building

Derived from the priestess Eumachia and didicated ti her. It is the largest building on the Forum consisting of three parts. Chalcidicum (deep porch), porticus - four sided collonade and a crypta (underground corridor). Two statues were found possible one being Augustus' wife. One could be Eumachia herself.. Its funciton remains obscure. It might have been set up by fullers (works with wool)

Macellum

Built in 2nd C BC it was rediocated in Fourthe Style painting. It has been iodentified as the fish and meat market. Statues of the benefactors may have been placed here.

Mensa Ponderaria

Official weights and measures table

Forum Holitorium

May have been a warehouse for grain and pulses but does not appear to have been in use in AD79.

Amphitheatre

The Amphitheatre was started almost immediately after the Roman capture of the city (270 BC) All the great stone amphitheatres are based on this design.

It is an oval shape. First, they excavated the center space and used the earth to build up the seats of the theaters and then built stone seats on top. Wedhe shaped seating arrangme nt Exits and entrances are called Vomitoria. The outer circle is encased in concrete. The facade is extremely well preserved. There are stairs leading up two sides leading to an apex. Blind Arcades - you cannot walk through. Walk in to the amphitheater by going up the stairs. No other stair case like it Roman architecture.

Romans would put awnings up on poles if it rained. Only two barrel valuted entrances at the ends on amphitheatre. No arcade entrance. It could hold twenty thousand spectators

Theatre and Music Hall

Dates from 80 to 70 BC. Thetare is semi-cicular in shape. Orchestra is semi circular also. Poticus is open space with covered collonades that includes shops and other souvenirs, props scenery. Theatre goers would stretch their legs during intervals in performances

Therate was open to the sky but music hall was roofed to improve acoustics and this was the reason why the building is smaller that the theater. They make up an entertainment district but very much part of the commercial and residential life of the city. Note, that Greeks built their theatres, etc out of hill sides while romand built them from concrete

Stabian Baths

Dates from 2nd half the second century BC. Originally built by the Samnites. Pompeii houses did not have running water so this was crucial place if living in Pompeii - but also a very important social area. Ensconced by shops on one side, the baths included a soaking pool that was used after exercising in the Palaestra. On the right was the Roman baths themselves. There were separate men's and women sections. The men's rooms were splendid while the women's were very plain. The four key rooms were the Apodyterium - dressing room. This had benched but no lockers. Slaves may watch over their master's belongings . The Tepidarium -was the warm room. Then to the Caldarium - the sauna, which includes a cold water basin. Next was the Frigidarium - a place to cool off. The Frigidarium is the most elaborately designed building. A dome with radiating alcoves with an oculus which allows in light (would be later be used in the Pantheon design).

Hyperpos - heated the water. Terracotta tiles in the floor and the walls and blew hot air into the rooms heated by hot coals placed in braziers which heated the floors etc.

The Forum baths are later - about 80 BC. Very similar to the Stabian baths. Elaborate men's dressing room and un-decorated women's baths. Tepidarium is barrel vaulted. Decoration is ostentatious - flowering acanthus plants, birds, Gods, etc. Oculus is a key feature of the rooms here also.

Tombs of Pompeii

Romans used highways as graveyards.

Commentary

How and why public buildings developed at Pompeii?

• Commerce (Basilica, Macellum, Mensa Ponderaria),

• Religion (Temple of Jupiter, Isis and Apollo)

• Politics (Basilica, Comitium)

It is quite staggering to me how sophisticated the political process was for the time. Junior and senior magistrates, town councillors of good character, elected by freemen who serve pre-set term of office. Patrons who represented Pompeian interests in Rome and even honorific titles bestowed on those who had served the community or had power, wealth and influence or connections to Rome.

Political power did not necessary focus on power for the sake of it but seems to be exercised to ensure that public buildings were built and maintained and that civic and business life was conducted efficiently. The buildings of the Forum reflect the high importance that the Pompeians held these offices

Other public buildings provided for

• Meeting places, exercise and entertainment such as the Theatre and Music Hall and Stabian Baths (which was originally built by the Samnites)

2. What outside influences affected the choice of building, its form and decoration?

Greek, Etruscan and Roman influences are all on view. The Romans had more than a sneaking admiration for Greek architecture but rather than just imitated it adapted it for its own purposes. The Greeks tended to use column orders for structural purposes yet the Romans use Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns far more as decorative emblem. The Temple of Jupiter, in my view is quintessentially Roman with steep stairs only at the front with a deep porch with columns holding up the (tetrastyle?) pedimented roof. The style evolving from the Etruscans but incorporating the Greek marble look.

What major political events or conditions stimulated public building?

• Buildings and statues were paid for by Benefactors – Cooley notes a six year old town councilor was elected on the strength of his father paying for the restoration of the Temple of Isis (pg 127) .

• To show allegiance to Rome. E.g. The Temple of Vespasian - the quasi religious deification of Vespasian and the imperial cult. I assume that would have been built to at least show cultural affiliation to Rome

• Dedication to Gods. As well as the Temple of Jupiter and Vespasian there are temples to Greek God/Goddesses such as Isis and Apollo. The Sanctuary of the Public Lares was built apparently to give thanks for escaping the earthquake of AD62 – Not that it helped them much in AD79!