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Romani
Ludi
September 5-19, 2002
Herculaneum,
a tragic ancient history
by
Franciscus Apulus Caesar
and Aurelia Iulia Pulchra (translations)
September
15: Announcement of the studies
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IN
THIS MOMENT
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LUDI
ROMANI
September 5-19, 2002
by F. Apulus Caesar, G. Cornelius Ahenobarbus,
G. Salix Galaicus,
C. Curius Saturininus
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In
79 AC the Vesuvio terrible eruption that destroyed
Pompeii tragically involved other cities of the
mountain hinterland like Herculanum. The extension
of the ruins is littler than Pompeii, however it's
not simply a copy of the more famous sister city.
The eruption buried Pompeii and Stabia under Volcano's
ash and lapillus, and in a first time Ercolano was
not involved in the eruption but it was flooded
by a river of mud during the successive days. The
solidification of mud sealed the city with everything
it contained, preserving also the houses higher
floors and a part of organic material, as woods
structures , papyrus and other objects which on
the contrary were destroyed in Pompeii by the high
heat. |
View
of the Herculanum ruins. |
In
Herculanum are preserved entire buildings and a
lot of objects. So it is possible to know better
the original structure and design of ancient houses.
The Herculanum city was in ancient times placed
in front of the sea and the legend says it was founded
by Ercole as other Campania's towns like Pompeii.
The ancient authors write about a city lived by
the Osci, an italic tribe.
From 600 to 525 BC the city was under the Etruscan
hegemony, who settled in the region. At the beginning
of the V century BC Herculanum was conquered by
the Sanniti who have replaced the etruscan declining
hegemony.
Herculanum was dominated by Sanniti for many centuries
and became an italic allies of Rome
after the roman victory against the Sannio at the
beginning of the III century BC If we exclude the
geographers generic reports, we have correct and
sure informations about the city events only with
the Social War: during this bloody war the city
was at the side of the rebels and so it was besieged
and conquered by Titus Didius, Silla's Legatus,
in 89 BC After the war it became a municipium [*]
and a roman citizens colony.
During the following years, it became a touristic
place for rich Romans like many other sea cities
of the coast. Herculanum lived a wealthy but border
life since the tragical events deleted it from the
geographical maps. |
The
streets of the City.
Picture of the Cardo IV with House "a Graticcio" |
DESCRIPTION
OF THE CITY
Herculanum
streets create a symmetric reticular, but the
geometrical regularity doesn't damage the suggestion
of the city: the narrow streets, the preserved
pavings made of polygonal "basoli "
( typical ancient paving made by lavic rock).
The front of buildings had arcades leaning on
columns which sustained the balconies and had
doorways enframed by columns, which create a spectacular
structure. In the city there was a rich theatre:
it is possible to reach its ruins only through
tunnels; besides there were public buildings and
hot springs too.
Many local mighty people paid for those buildings,
like Marcus Nonius Balbus, who lived between the
end of Res Publica and the Augustian period, honored
by the citizens with statues and inscriptions.
Famous city's buildings are the Sannitica house,
one of the most ancient and good preserved
Among the Herculaneum's houses. Its first version
was made in the II century BC.
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It
isn't big, with an easy structure. its higher floor
is perfectly intact with the wonderful gallery facing
the entrance-hall. In the entry is preserved the
original paintings, which imitate marbled walls,
the hall was one of the most monumental and typical
buildings of Ercolano; it consists in a big squared
hall surrounded by arcades on three sides and by
a triple arcade on the fourth one; Above this last
one a long open gallery is situated with rooms.
In the center there is a cross-shaped pool, decorated
at the beginning by a bronze fountain which had
the Hydra shape. In this place Ercolaneus youth
made their gym exercises. From the western gallery
it was possible to reach a big apsed room where
ceremonies and meetings took place. A public room
was in the upper floor with a monumental entrance
: maybe it was the Mater deum temple, remembered
by an inscription. |
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STABIA AND THE COAST TOWNS
During
the tragic days in the 79 AC not only Pompei or
Ercolano disappeared but an entire territory densely
populated changed its shape forever. The most
important disappeared town was Stabia, never exactly
located but surely in the nearby of the actual
Castellamare. The ancient city of Stabia was already
destroyed by Silla in the 89 BC, but after was
named for its renowned thermal hot springs, which
were used also after the eruption. We know that
the Dimidia of Stabia water was used as a kidney
stones treatment. The Villas of that area had
to be many.
Cicerone wrote about his friend Mario who had
a Villa with arcades facing the sea, and with
docks for the ships. Moreover we know that there
were fish breedings in some basins they created
in the sea. The whole complex of Stabian Villas
gave us some important paintings of the last period
before the eruption, realized in the so known
IV Pompeian style. The most of those paintings
was detached and it is now preserved in the Castellamare
of Stabia Antiquarium.
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The
room of the Red Wall in the House of Stags |
Arianna's Villa, in the Varano's field, a big complex
dated in the late republican age, many times renovated,
remember the Villa of Mystery in Pompei, with its
peristyle which precede the hall. Gorgeous are a
series of panoramic rooms on the hill border; and
as usual a thermal hot spring. The name of the Villa
is due to a painting of Arianna abandoned by Teseo
in Nasso found among other several ones in the area.
Not far away from Arianna's Villa was located another
big one called The Shepherd Villa because of a statue
representing an old shepherd with his kid. Probably
this Villa is the result of two other more ancient
villas union.
The greatest among Stabian Villas is the one called
San Marco. Built in the Augustan age, was modified
after few decades. The fair good condition of preservation
allow to read its planimetry. The area contained
a thermal area and a huge garden surrounded by arcades
and closed on one side by a big hemicycle. It was
possible to see a wonderful panorama of the gulf.
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Part
of the painting of Hercules and Telephus in the
Basilica. |
The
wealth of the Villa, belonged to the Virtii family,
is confirmed by the paintings, the statues, and
the numerous equipments found. Near the entrance
there is a monumental Lararium painted as a fake
marble, in other areas of the Villas we can find
marbled walls.
The Hot Springs calidarium had big pool covered
with marble, with a bronze boiler in the center.
In the frigidarium covered by marble, there was
a table with legs shaped like lion covered by silver
, above this table there were two obsidian glasses
inlaid with Egyptian gods, today preserved in the
National Archeological Museum of Naples. Important
are also a marble large bowl and a tuff sun-dial
adorned by little palms. The economic exploitation
of that area is witnessed by the found in the hinterland
of many rustic villas ruins, mostly used for the
production of olive oil and wine. Here were founded
many grapes and olive presses, jars still full of
wine and also a glirarium, a bowl used for the preservation
of dormouse fat, considered by Romans very good.
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THE
DISCOVERY OF HERCULANUM
The
history of the discovery and of the ruins
of Herculanum is very worried and bad
of the archeology. The first lucky discovery,
in the '700, carried a lot of works managed
by the prince of Elboeuf, aimed to take
all the statues from the ancient theatre.
From 1738 official archeological works
were did by Carlo III of Borbone. They
weren't works outdoor: the vestiges of
the city was reached excavating tunnels
in the
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Decumano
Massimo, the most important street in
Herculaum. |
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cement, with the aim to rich the collections
of the near Villa Reale in Portici.During
the VIII century the works gone on. Only
in 1927 serious and regular excavations
started with modern ways and the works go
on today. |
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Mercurius
in relax, bronze statue from the Pisonus
House of Herculaneum.
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VILLA
DEI PAPIRI
The
name of the House of Papires come from
the very rich library within 1785 fired
papires, founded during the VII century.
It's the biggest between the houses
founded in the Vesuvian area. Sited
in the West of the city, it have a wonderful
view in front of the sea. A big hall
with a portico is the entry of wonderful
peristiles: the biggest, large 100 mt.
and high 37, have in the centre a swimming-pool
large 66 mt. An avenue goes on to a
kind of view, with a rich marble floor.
All the rooms is decorated by mythological
statues of bronze and marble, between
the paintings about greek princes and
philosophers.
The library of papires have philosofical
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epicureus texts like by Filodemus of Gadara.
Philosoper and poet lived during the I cen.,
he was protected and friend of the roman
noble Lucius Calpurnius Pisonus Cesoninus.
Si, it seems that Cesoninus was the owner
of the house. Others say that the owner
was Appius Claudius Pulchrus: the citizens
of Herculenum dedicated to him a statue
in the theatre. |
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Studies
by Franciscus Apulus Caesar from "Storia, Civiltà
e Vita ai tempi di Roma Antica", Vol. 7 - DeAgostini
Ed.
Translation by Aurelia Iulia Pulchra
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