Seeing Pompeii — The Roman City Frozen in Time

By Gerry Barker
Photos by Gerry Barker

Standing in the ruins of Pompeii, you see, off in the distance, rising into the air, Mt. Vesuvius, one of several volcanos near Naples, Italy. It’s a brilliantly sunny day, and small puffs of white clouds dot the sky above its peak.

You try to imagine that October day in 79 AD, when the residents, some no doubt standing where I stood now, were in an instant killed by volcanic heat and ash spewed by Vesuvius. It’s a moment in time that inspires both awe and reverence.

We were here as one of the stops on Windstar’s Star Legend winter European cruise along the Dalmatian Coast, and if there’s a perfect time to visit Pompeii, late January may be it. As our guide, Luca, pointed out: “We almost have the city to ourselves. In summer, there’s a river of people.” Last year, it was projected that over four million people would tour Pompeii, with a limit of 20,000 on any given day.

The site of Pompeii dates back to the 8th century BC, where numerous peoples, including the Greeks and Etruscans, were drawn to its seaside location. At the time of the eruption, wealthy Romans maintained villas here, with a total population estimated at between 10-20,000. While Vesuvius has erupted numerous times throughout history, the eruption in 79 AD was the most violent, burying the city under a layer of ash and volcanic rock 13-20 feet deep.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the circumstances of its destruction created a unique opportunity to study and observe Roman life, frozen in time. While we only had three hours, we saw the highlights of what centuries of excavations has revealed. Among them:

— Via dell’Abbondanza, the main street in Pompeii. Running east-west, and spanning over half-a-mile, it was a main area of commerce with its many shops, businesses and taverns.

Scenes from the House of Menander

— House of Menander. Like rich people everywhere, wealthy Romans enjoyed all the trappings money and privilege can provide, including one lavish estate that boasted 60 rooms and 40,000 square feet. We toured the House of Menander (named for a Greek playwright), at 19,000 square feet one of the city’s richest houses. Featuring a large, central garden and atrium, colorful frescos and mosaics adorn its walls. A cache of silverware, gold and coins was found in the kitchen. Of the 18 bodies found here, 12 were said to be looters who didn’t escape the volcano’s wrath.

— The Pompeii Forum. This broad expanse of buildings hosted speeches, religious ceremonies, elections and social gatherings. It includes the Temple of Jupiter, which was severely damaged when an earthquake struck Pompeii in 62 AD. Looming in the background is the ever-present Mt. Vesuvious.

The Stabian Baths

— The Stabian Baths. Of the five public baths in Pompeii, this was the largest, and offered many of same amenities you might find in a spa today. While men and women had their own rooms, the former’s were larger and more ornate. Romans could enjoy their choice of warm, hot or cold water baths — hot air from furnaces that circulated in the walls and under the floor was used to produce hot water. Throughout, we saw colorful frescos and mosaics. Particularly striking was the men’s cold room, with its domed ceiling and skylight.

— Pompeii Amphitheater. Almost all major Roman cities include an amphitheater, where gladiators fought to the death for the amusement of the masses. The one in Pompeii is one of the first built with stone, and could seat 20,000 people. Close you eyes and you imagine it as it was back in the day, filled with cheering spectators betting on who would emerge victorious — and alive.

During the tour, Luca also gave us a bonus: A chance to observe archeologists at work excavating new areas of the city. We ascended several sets of stairs and looked down on new rooms and artifacts revealed through the patient strokes of Wisk brooms. In this area, no photos or video are allowed.

We also walked through one of the city’s 25 brothels, where, as you might expect, erotic art is displayed. In ancient Rome, prostitution was legal and just part of the social structure.

What about those famous plaster casts of Pompeii’s victims? When the volcano’s almost 600-degree pyroclastic flow hit the city, anybody left alive died instantly, their body shapes preserved in ash. In 1870, Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli perfected a technique using plaster to fill the voids in the ash, revealing where people and animals were at the moment of death. To date, over a thousand casts have been made, and we observed some at the museum by the exit. The casts, like the city itself, are a reminder of Nature’s power.

It’s been 80 years since the last eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. All the three million people who live in its shadow can do is watch, and wait, and hope there is never another day like the one that buried Pompeii in 79 AD.