Mysterious Pompeii
Pompeii has been successfully provincial city in the Roman Empire in central Campania, thanks to its location south of the long been dormant Vesuvius mountain of volcanic origin. With its cosmopolitan population of about 20.000, it has become re- known for its olives , wine and garumu , fermented fish sauce. City lived in prosperity due to the extremely fertile volcanic soil in the region. Vesuvius is the only active volcano on the European continent, which is the result of the collision of two tectonic plates, the African and the Eurasian. Tectonic forces have acted all the time, but occasionally are released through earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
Mysterious Pompeii are always upset the imagination of famous military leaders, archaeologists and artists. Garibaldi's archaeologist Alexander Dumas is here discovered erotic frescoes and ripped them from the rubble by their assistants and transferred them to the surrounding palaces. Mozart 's has written music for Magic Flute when he visited the remains of vanished city, as well as Charles Dickens and Mark Twain were writing about it. Goethe was appointed it as mummified city. Mark Rothko painted a series of paintings in which contours one may have an inkling of this twice born place.
In the Gulf of Naples at that time lived a rich Romans. Pompeii was a Roman colony in which they lived less wealthy people who have dealt with the craft, catering, agriculture, as well as gladiators. Rich people frequently go on holiday here and when they wish relaxation and fun.
It was a time, as the historian Tacitus and Suetoniusa tell us, when the emperor Tiberius afford himself "disgusting transgressions " and where the owners of so-called Papyrus Villas created a rich library of skeptical philosophy. The Roman Empire at that time already faced with problems. It was the time of the reign of Emperor Nero, who with his courtiers lived a luxurious and immoral life. Its adherents were richly rewarded, but the economy was pushed to its knees. They tried to fix the financial position by conquest military marches, which represented the main source of their wealth. Roman legions earn the lands from Egypt to Great Britain a progress (running water, heating, literacy). The Romans lived like modern people, surrounded with wealth of material consumption which was allowed by a number of inventions. Roman life was fantastic civilized, but in essence, was barbaric. Lifestyle of rich people was dependent on the use of other human beings the way we use machines. The industrial revolution allowed the reproduction of such a lifestyle without slaves later. But when Mount Vesuvius erupted, rich and poor, free and slave people die together.
Earthquakes and smoke which was rising from the crater warned the local population on the forthcoming catastrophe. On 24 August 79 AD, when it was estimated only about 20.000 people in the city, the top of Mount Vesuvius exploded with a terrible bang. The explosion tore off part of the volcanic slope and black river of rocks and ash flew from the crater and directed its course through the city, while leaving behind death and destruction. A mixture of stones and the dust began to cool and fall down and buried Pompeii under majestic six or seven meters thick layer of soil. The toxic gases developed which are a choking people who have not left the city because they did not want to leave their property.
Very hot steam was affluenced from Mount Vesuvius and in contact with the atmosphere turned into heavy rain. A mixture of volcanic ash, soil and rain has turned into a avalanche of hot lava and flooded neighboring Herkulaneum in which people are burned alive.
Pompeii disappeared for nearly 1.700 years. They began to excavate until 1748, when the Spanish king Charles III. Bourbon conquered Naples and Sicily. The architect Domenico Fontana was accidentally stumbled upon the remains of buried cities, when excavations were carried out for land improvements. In 1860 Gioseppe Fiorell invented ingenious system of casting plaster into the holes, which is in ashes let the contour of the human body. When it hardens around the bones and ashes arose statues of real human bodies frozen in time. So he was able to reconstruct the original form of humans, animals and woodwork. Almost miraculously , people and events come to life and somehow bring Pompeii back to life. Four-fifths of Pompeii was gradually now coming to light. Fiorella is mainly engaged in the discovery, what was everyday life in the ancient Roman city and focused on the extraction of homes and streets of Pompeii. One of the most interesting aspects of Pompeii are a large number of messages written on the walls. While we have many examples of books and letters written by the rich and powerful Romans, graffiti scratched on the wall with iron nails, give a good insight into what the ordinary people of Pompeii thought about life in the Roman Empire.
And what the remains of Pompeii tell us, excavated from under six meters layer of pumice and ash? What were the life of the city and its inhabitants? Pompeii was surrounded by three kilometers long wall with eight gates. The oldest buildings date back to the 6th century BC. The urban part is likely to only cover a fraction of the Northwest area between the Main Forum and triangular market Triangular Forum. The city has gradually spread north and south. Most of the residues of Pompeii comes from the period after the formation of the colony in 80 BC.
When we enter in Pompeii before our eyes come alive incomplete, a fascinating and wondrous ancient community in which sex and death is commonplace, their world is full of curiosity and imagination.
Artwork is showing how husband, wife and two children lie along a table, to express severe pain and horror, frozen in time. Man and female are raised their hands, squeezed into fists as they would like to resist heat, which captured the family in its shelter when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Children are even more pathetic. One is trying to break free from the lap of a dying mother. Another lies in the vicinity, with a completely preserved and graciously peaceful look on his face.
There is a cast of women who fell when her house collapsed and was caught in an epoxy resin. She wore a simple and fine gold jewelry that reflects as a yellow translucent copy with its glimpses of bones under the flesh, penetrating to the outside.
The Romans were practical people and the art is never more practical than when it is pornographic. Tradition tells that Pompei had maybe nine or maybe even up to 35 brothels, one of which is well preserved. People had erotic pictures in their houses. The image of men and women who are testing a new erotic position is preserved, while slave is waiting in a mode, in case they need anything.
A funny mosaic of watchdog, friendly-looking, is preserved, fun garden statue of the god Pan, who has sex with a goat, mosaic of sea creatures that look like seafood stew, you can now eat near Naples. Wooden furniture is carbonated, survived in its design elegance. Humorous picture of the skeleton with two wine beakers talk about the dangers drinks sarcastically. Large bronze rabbit in natural size is eating moldy food in order to become a rabbit in the form of cakes or pate.
Two-thirds of the urban labor Pompeii were occupied private buildings, including houses, shops, offices and taverns. Landowners (aristocrats) and businessmen, bankers, judges, lawyers, speakers (middle class) lived in luxury houses built in the style of Itals with living rooms around the atrium and later in the Hellenistic style. In the southwestern part of the houses were built in terraces parallel to the slope of the land. Freemen, poorer traders and craftsmen have had modest house, with rooms around a covered atrium, a small patio or garden. In houses with shops and offices were behind or above normal places to stay, which were extremely modest residences. The walls were plastered and rough ground easily compacted or covered with boards. The walls are decorated with colored marble, stucco and architectural ornamentation. Artists have painted imaginative images and murals. They were organized into groups of masters and assistants or contract workers.
At the temple of Apollo we encountered soon after entering through the gate Porta Marina, named so because it overlook the sea. It was built in 3 century BC. It consists of 48 Ionic columns, which were in Nero times gets turned into Corinthian columns. At a high platform is a space which is the holiest part of the temple and is also surrounded by thirteen Corinthian columns. This was the temple of multiple deities, including Apollo, which has a bow and Diana, goddess of hunting, opposite him. Judging by some of the finds there are also worshiped Mercury.
Near is the Forum, rectangular, paved with travertin and surrounded by covered arcades on three sides. Forum in Pompeii was the political, economic and religious center of the city, around which were grouped the main temples, courts and other buildings. The streets were paved with large slabs made of lava and also have sidewalks. They received water from the Sarno River and from wells, built the aqueduct, after which diverted water through the pipes to the houses of wealthier residents and public pools and fountains. 60 percent of the population of Pompeii were freemen, others were slaves. In Sumits age arcades were composed of two rows of columns in the Doric style, pedestals on which they rested above the pillars were in the Ionian style. Pillars and arches on the east and west sides are from the Roman period. In the middle of the western part of the Forum is a kind of stand-up place, from which the speakers have been addressing the crowd. Along the south side arcades there are several large bases, on which stood statues of the most important men of the city. Public buildings were hidden along the southern, eastern and western side, the only completely visible is Jupiter's temple on the north side.
Jupiter's temple was built in the 2nd century BC, in the era of Samnits. It is dedicated to triad of Juno, Minerva and Jupiter. It consists of twelve Corinthian columns, six in front and three on each side. The floors in the interior is covered with the marble mosaic. There was found the head of Jupiter made of marble, which is now kept in the National Museum.
At the intersection of streets Foro and Nola is a public swimming pool, excavated in the year 1823. It is divided into male and female and has a built-in utility equepment for central heating. After a short hallway is a cloakroom with small wooden round inserts, which was designed to hold the parties to arrive on the queue. There's a circular tube, cold bath, but above the hole on the roof, which lets the light in the room. On the right is a tepidarium, a hot bath and kalidarium for a steam bath, heated by a system of double walls, called concameratio through which heat comes from the furnace. At the elegant marble sink with bronze letters are printed the names of the rulers, which installed it in the swimming pool at their own expense at a price of 5,240 sestres.
In the far eastern part of the city we encounter the amphitheater, built by the builders of small theaters in 80 BC and it is the oldest known amphitheater. Arena is at the lowest level and has no underground corridors. In this arena and in the lower level with seating led two main gates along the longest axis of the building. The upper levels are accessed via external stairs with two locks. Looking at the quadrangular market in front of the building, there is a big piled wall, built of dry stone with large stone arches. Below the lower seats runs a vaulted gallery with middle part of the seats, called the crypt, which has a dual function: it supports the outer part of the embankment and allows controlled access of people to the seats. The barrier prevents the people in the middle, in order to focus all, to the same input. We come to the crypt down the hall to the north and three corridors in the east, all of which are prone. Since they were also used for bicycles and carriages are paved with flagstones in the form of blocks. The southwest corridor curves to reach the arena. Right immediately after the entrance are stairs and we get to the circular walls without openings. Access to the exterior of the amphitheater is the underground vaults two-wing staircase on the west side.Little staircase in the hallway at the level of the crypt are likely to use most eminent rulers of the city, so that they came to honorary seats on the platform, which is based on the crypt. Excit of the arena are likely to use winners that have come to the platform and receive their awards. If the trail continues along the crypt, we return to the entrance of the arena. Before the entrances to the north and south are two small rooms that were used for taking care of wounds and bringing corpses of dead gladiators. In the arena you enter through the large cut stone entrance with a semicircular arches, columns, which terminate with simple Capitol, panels, friezes and other decorative elements. From the middle of the arena one can get a better idea of the shape of an amphitheater.
Villa of the Mysteries is located in front of the steep slope, overlooking the sea. It is a typical example of luxurious homes with added agricultural buildings. Resting on an artificial embankment, under which is the entrance to the tomb, which was used as a cellar. You enter in there through a small entrance that leads to a semi-circular room that opens onto a terrace. Original entrance is on the other side of the building and it remains clouded by volcanic material. The main rooms of the house are grouped around the atrium and include a small bedroom, a kind of living room, auxiliary spaces around the peristyle, a square yard and bathroom. In addition, it is also courtyard with kitchens, furnace rooms, servants' quarters and the agricultural part with the room for the manager and farm equipment. The villa is richly decorated with a series of huge figures that probably represent the introduction of the bride into the mysteries of Dionysus. The "room-sized paintings" is a series of frescoes covering all the walls and represent successive scenes from the ceremony. A young man reads the ritual under the guidance of a seated woman, followed by another woman and tight behind her young woman with wicker basket, shifted to the right. A group of women taking part in the sacrificial ritual. Old Silenius is singing and playing, while a young woman offer her breasts to little roe. The entry of women, appalled by the Holy insight: old Silenius offers young Satir a drink, while another young man holds in a theater mask in the air.
The wedding of Dionysus and Ariadne depicts a young woman kneeling and it seems that she detects the holy subject from beneath a red cape. Winged figure is holding a whip in the air to hit frightened young woman who is trying to hide herself in the arms of his comrades. Then, when purified by the action of a winged demon, she stands up and dance ecstatic naked.
The next fresco shows a bathroom of the bride before the ceremony. In the corner is a figure of a seated woman, wrapped in a cloak. She is the bride, perhaps a divine priestess and watch the ceremony. On the other side, a fresco of the phallus of Dionysus and seated older woman (matron) reveals itself.
After searching for pleasure and decay values of modern society are very similar to the Romans. A world that is lost when Mount Vesuvius erupted, represents a meeting with epopee about man at the time of ancient Rome.
Text, translation and photography by Tanja Kastelic
Slovene translation:
Skrivnostni Pompeji
Pompeji so bili uspešno pokrajinsko središče v Rimskem imperiju v osrednji Campaniji, zahvaljujoč svoji legi južno od že dolgo mirujoče gore Vezuv, vulkanskega izvora. S svojimi približno 20.000 svetovljanskimi prebivalci je postalo ponovno poznano po svojih oljkah, vinu in garumu, fermentirani ribji omaki. Mesto je živelo v veliki blaginji zaradi izjemno rodovitne vulkanske prsti v regiji. Vezuv je edini aktivni vulkan na evropski celini, ki je nastal kot posledica trka dveh tektonskih plošč, afriške in evrazijske. Tektonski sile so delovale ves čas, občasno pa se sproščale preko potresov ali vulkanskih izbruhov.
Skrivnostni Pompeji so od nekdaj burili domišljijo slavnih vojskovodij, arheologov in umetnikov. Garibaldijev arheolog Aleksander Dumas je tu odkrival erotične freske, jih s svojimi pomočniki iztrgal iz ruševin in jih prenesel v okoliške palače. Mozart je uglasbil Čarobno piščal, ko je obiskal ostanke izginulega mesta, pa tudi Charles Dickens in Mark Twain sta pisala o njem. Goethe ga je imenoval mumificirano mesto. Mark Rothko je narisal serijo slik, v katerih obrisih lahko zaslutimo to dvakrat rojeno mesto.
V Neapeljskem zalivu so v tistem času živeli bogati Rimljani. Pompeji so bili rimska kolonija, v kateri so živeli manj premožni ljudje, ki so se ukvarjali z obrtjo, gostinstvom, kmetijstvom, pa tudi gladiatorstvom. Bogataši so sem zahajali na počitnice in kadar so si zaželeli sprostitve in zabave.
To je bil čas, kot nam pripovedujeta zgodovinarja Tacit in Suetonius, ko si je cesar Tiberij privoščil “ogabne pregrehe” in kjer so lastniki tako imenovane Vile papirusov ustvarili bogato knjižnico skeptične filozofije. Rimsko cesarstvo se je takrat že spopadalo s težavami. Šlo je za čas vladavine cesarja Nerona, ki je s svojimi dvorjani živel razkošno in razuzdano življenje. Svoje pristaše je bogato nagrajeval, gospodarstvo pa je potisnil na kolena. Finančni položaj so skušali popraviti z osvajalnimi vojaškimi pohodi, ki so predstavljali glavni vir njihovega bogastva. Rimske legije so prinašale deželam od Egipta do današnje Velike Britanije napredek (tekočo vodo, ogrevanje, pismenost). Rimljani so živeli kot sodobni ljudje, obkroženi z blagostanjem materialnega potrošništva, ki so ga omogočile številne iznajdbe. Rimsko življenje je bilo fantastično civilizirano, v svojem bistvu pa barbarsko. Način življenja bogatih je bil odvisen od uporabe drugih človeških bitij na način, kot mi uporabljamo stroje. Industrijska revolucija je kasneje omogočala reproduciranje takšnega življenjskega sloga brez sužnjev. Toda, ko je Vezuv izbruhnil, so bogati in reveži, svobodni ljudje in sužnji umrli skupaj.
Potresi in dim, ki se je dvigal iz kraterja, so opozarjali okoliško prebivalstvo na na bližajočo se katastrofo. 24. avgusta leta 79 našega štetja, ko je bilo po ocenah v mestu le okrog 20.000 ljudi, je vrh Vezuva eksplodiral z grozljivim pokom. Eksplozija je odtrgala del vulkanskega pobočja in črna reka pepela in skal je priletela iz kraterja ter usmerila svoj tok skozi mesto, za sabo pa puščala smrt in uničenje. Mešanica kamenja in prahu se je pričela ohlajati in padati navzdol ter pokopala veličastne Pompeje pod šest ali sedem metrov debelo plastjo zemlje. Razvili so se strupeni plini, ki so zadušili ljudi, ki niso zbežali iz mesta, ker niso želeli zapustiti svojega premoženja.
Zelo vroča para je privrela iz Vezuva in se v stiku z atmosfero spremenila v močan dež. Mešanica vulkanskega pepela, zemlje in dežja se je spremenila v plaz vroče lave in zalila sosednji Herkulaneum, v katerem so ljudje živi zgoreli.
Pompeji so izginili za skoraj 1700 let. Izkopavati so jih začeli šele leta 1748, v času, ko je španski kralj Charles III. Bourbon osvojil Neapelj in Sicilijo. Arhitekt Domenico Fontana je slučajno naletel na ostanke pokopanega mesta, ko so izvajali izkopavanja zaradi izboljšav zemljišča. 1860. je Gioseppe Fiorelli iznašel domiselni sistem vlivanja mavca v odprtine, ki jih je v pepelu pustil obris človeškega telesa. Ko se je ta strdil okoli kosti in pepela, so nastali kipi iz resničnih človeških teles, zamrznjeni v trenutku. Tako je uspel rekonstruirati prvotno obliko ljudi, živali in lesenih predmetov. Skoraj čudežno so ljudje in dogodki oživeli ter na nek način Pompeje vrnili v življenje. Štiri petine Pompejev je postopoma ugledalo svetlobo. Fiorelli se je v glavnem ukvarjal z odkrivanjem, kakšno je bilo vsakdanje življenje v starem rimskem mestu in se osredotočil na izkopavanje domov in ulic Pompejev. Eden najbolj zanimivih vidikov Pompejev je veliko število sporočil, napisanih na stenah. Medtem ko imamo veliko primerov knjig in pisem, ki so jih napisali bogati in mogočni Rimljani, nam ti grafiti, izpraskani na stene z železnimi žeblji, dajejo dober vpogled v to, kaj so navadni ljudje v Pompejih mislili o življenju v rimskem cesarstvu.
In kaj nam pripovedujejo ostanki Pompejev, odkopanih izpod šestmetrske plasti lehnjaka in pepela? Kakšni so bili življenje v mestu in njegovi prebivalci? Pompeji so bili obdani s tri kilometre dolgim zidom z osmimi vrati. Najstarejše stavbe segajo v čas 6. stoletja pred Kristusom. Ta urbani del je najverjetneje obsegal le delček severozahodnega območja med glavnim trgom (Main Forum) in trikotnim trgom (Triangular Forum). Mesto se je postopoma širilo proti severu in jugu. Večina ostankov Pompejev izvira iz obdobja po nastanku kolonije leta 80 pred Kristusom.
Ko vstopimo v Pompeje, pred našimi očmi zaživi nepopolna, a fascinantna in čudežna starodavna skupnost, v kateri sta seks in smrt nekaj vsakdanjega, njihov svet pa poln radovednosti in domišljije.
Umetnine prikazujejo, kako za neko mizo ležijo skupaj mož, žena in dva otroka z izrazi hude bolečine in groze, zamrznjeni v trenutku. Moški in ženska, sta dvignila svoje roke, jih stisnila v pesti, kot bi se želela ubraniti vročine, ki je zajela družino v njenem zaklonišču, ko je izbruhnil Vezuv. Otroci so še bolj pomilovanja vredni. Eden se poskuša izviti iz naročja umirajoče matere. Drug leži v bližini, s povsem ohranjenim in milostno mirnim videzom na obrazu.
Obstaja odlitek ženske, ki je padla, ko se je njena hiša zrušila in bila ujeta v epoksidno smolo. Nosila je preprost in fin zlat nakit, ki odseva kot rumen prosojen ulitek s svojimi utrinki kosti pod mesom, ki prodirajo navzven.
Rimljani so praktični ljudje in umetnost nikoli ni bolj praktična kot takrat, ko je pornografska. Izročilo pripoveduje, da so imeli Pompeji morda devet ali morda celo do 35 bordelov, od katerih je eden dobro ohranjen. Ljudje so imeli erotične slike v svojih hišah. Ohranjena je slika moškega in ženske, ki preizkušata nov erotični položaj, medtem ko suženj čaka v pripravljenosti, v primeru, da bosta kaj potrebovala.
Ohranjen je smešen mozaik psa čuvaja, prijaznega videza , zabavni vrtni kip boga Pana, ki ima spolne odnose s kozo, mozaik morskih bitij, ki izgleda tako kot obara iz morskih sadežev, ki jo lahko danes jeste v bližini Neaplja. Leseno pohištvo, je karbonizirano, preživelo v svoji oblikovni eleganci. Šaljiva slika skeleta z dvema vinskima vrčema govori pikro o nevarnosti pijače. Veliki bronasti zajec v naravni velikosti je plesnivo hrano, da bi postal zajec v obliki torte ali paštet.
Dve tretjini urbanega dela Pompejev so zasedale privatne zgradbe, vključno s hišami, trgovinami, pisarnami in gostilnami. Zemljiški posestniki (aristokrati) in poslovneži, bankirji, sodniki, odvetniki, govorniki (srednji razred) so živeli v luksuznih hišah, zgrajenih v italskem slogu z dnevnimi sobami okrog atrija in kasneje v helenističnem slogu. V jugozahodnem delu so bile hiše zgrajene terasasto, vzporedno s pobočjem zemljišča. Svobodnjaki, revnejši trgovci in obrtniki so imeli skromnejše hiše, s sobami okrog pokritega atrija, majhnim dvoriščem ali vrtom. V hišah s trgovinami in pisarnami so bili zadaj ali zgoraj običajno prostori za bivanje, ki so bili izjemno skromna bivališča. Stene so bile grobo ometane in tla enostavno zbita ali pokrita z deskami. Stene so krasili z barvastim marmorjem, štukaturami in arhitekturnim okrasjem. Umetniki so slikali domišljijske podobe in freske. Organizirani so bili v skupine mojstrov in asistentov ali pogodbenih delavcev.
Na Apolonov tempelj naletimo kmalu po vstopu skozi vrata Porta Marina, poimenovana tako, ker gledajo na morje. Zgrajen je bil v 3. stoletju pred Kristusom. Sestavlja ga 48 jonskih stebrov, ki so jih v Neronovi dobi spremenili v korintske stebre. Na visoki ploščadi je prostor, ki je najsvetejši del templja, prav tako obdan s trinajstimi korintskimi stebri. To je bilo svetišče večih božanstev, med drugim Apolona, ki strelja z lokom in Diane, boginje lova, nasproti njega. Sodeč po nekaterih najdbah so tu častili tudi Merkurja.
V bližini je Forum, pravokotne oblike, tlakovan s travertinom in obkrožen s pokritimi arkadami na treh straneh. Forum v Pompejih je bil politično, gospodarsko in versko središče mesta, okrog katerega so bili razvrščeni glavni templji, sodišča in druge zgradbe. Ulice so bile tlakovane z velikimi ploščami, narejenimi iz lave in imele tudi pločnike. Vodo so dobivali iz reke Sarno in iz vodnjakov; zgradili so akvadukt, po katerem so speljali vodo po ceveh do hiš premožnejših prebivalcev in javnih kopališč ter fontan. 60 odstotkov prebivalstva Pompejev je bilo svobodnjakov, ostali so bili sužnji. V sumitski dobi so bile arkade sestavljene iz dveh vrst stebrov v dorskem slogu, podstavki, na katerih so počivali zgornji stebri pa so bili v jonskem slogu. Stebri in arkade na vzhodni in zahodni strani pa so iz rimskega obdobja. Na sredi zahodnega dela trga je nekakšno stojišče, s katerega so govorniki nagovarjali množice. Vzdolž južne strani arkade je več velikih podstavkov, na katerih so stali kipi najpomembnejših mož mesta. Javne zgradbe so bile skrite vzdolž južne, vzhodne in zahodne strani, edini popolnoma viden je Jupitrov tempelj na severni strani.
Jupitrov tempelj je bil zgrajen v 2. stoletju pred Kristusom, v dobi Samnitov.Posvečen je triadi Junone, Minerve in Jupitra. Sestavlja ga dvanajst korintskih stebrov, šest spredaj in po trije na vsaki strani. Tla v notranjosti pokriva marmorni mozaik. V njem so našli glavo Jupitra iz marmorja, ki jo sedaj hranijo v Narodnem muzeju.
Na križišču ulic Foro in Nola je javno kopališče, izkopano 1823. leta. Razdeljeno je na moški in ženski del in ima vgrajeno komunalno opremo za centralno kurjavo. Za kratkim hodnikom je garderoba z majhnimi lesenimi okroglimi ploščicami, ki je bila namenjena čakanju strank, da so prišle na vrsto. Malo naprej je krožna cev za hladno kopel, zgoraj pa je odprtina na strehi, ki spušča svetlobo v prostor. Na desni je tepidarium za vročo kopel in kalidarium za parno kopel, ki jo ogreva sistem dvojnih sten, imenovan concameratio, skozi katerega prihaja vročina od peči. Na elegantnem marmornem umivalniku so z bronastimi črkami odtisnjena imena oblastnikov, ki so ga vgradili v kopališče na svoje stroške po ceni 5.240 sestrov.
Na skrajnem vzhodnem delu mesta naletimo na amfiteater,ki so ga zgradili graditelji malega gledališča leta 80 pred Kristusom in velja za najstarejši poznan amfiteater. Arena je na najnižjem nivoju in nima podzemnih hodnikov. V samo areno in v spodnji nivo s sedeži vodita dva glavna vhoda vzdolž najdaljše osi zgradbe. Zgornji nivoji so dosegljivi prek zunanjih stopnic z dvema zapornicama. Če pogledamo na štirikoten trg s sprednje strani zgradbe, je tam velika nasuta stena, zgrajena iz suhega kamenja z velikimi kamnitimi oboki. Pod spodnjimi sedeži teče obokana galerija srednjega dela sedišč, imenovana kripta, ki ima dvojno funkcijo: podpira zunanji del nasipa in omogoča urejen dostop ljudi do sedežev. Pregrada na sredini onemogoča ljudem, da bi se usmerili vsi, k istemu vhodu. Do kripte pridemo po hodniku na severu in treh hodnikih na vzhodu, vsi pa so nagnjeni. Ker so jih uporabljali tudi za dvokolesa in kočije, so tlakovani s tlakovci v obliki blokov. Jugozahodni hodnik zavija, da bi dosegel areno. Desno takoj za vhodom in stopnicami pridemo do krožne stene brez odprtin. Dostop do zunanjosti amfiteatra je po podzemnih obokih dvokrilnega stopnišča na zahodni strani.Majhno stopnišče na hodniku na nivoju kripte so verjetno uporabljali najbolj imenitni oblastniki mesta, da so prišli do častnih sedežev na ploščadi, ki sloni na kripti. Izhod iz arene so verjetno uporabljali zmagovalci, da so prišli do ploščadi in prejeli svoje nagrade. Če pot nadaljujemo vzdolž kripte, se vrnemo k vhodu arene. Pred vhodi na severu in jugu sta dve majhni sobi, ki sta se uporabljali za oskrbovanje ran in prinašanje trupel mrtvih gladiatorjev. V areno vstopimo skozi velik vhod iz rezanega kamna s polkrožnimi oboki, stebri, ki se končujejo z enostavnimi kapitoli, opaži, frizami in drugimi dekorativnimi elementi. S sredine arene dobimo najboljšo predstavo o obliki amfiteatra.
Vila misterijev se nahaja pred strmim pobočjem in gleda proti morju. Je tipičen primer luksuzne hiše z dodanimi kmetijskimi poslopji. Počiva na umetnem nasipu, pod katerim je vhod v grobnico, ki so jo uporabljali kot klet.Vanjo vstopimo skozi majhen vhod, ki vodi v polkrožno sobo, ki se odpira na odprto teraso. Originalen vhod je na drugi strani stavbe in ga še vedno zakriva vulkanski material. Glavni prostori hiše so razvrščeni okrog atrija in vključujejo majhno spalnico, neke vrste dnevno sobo, pomožne prostore okrog peristila, kvadratno dvorišče in kopalnico. Poleg je tudi dvorišče s kuhinjami, pečjo in prostori za služinčad ter kmetijski del s sobo za upravnika in kmetijsko opremo. Vila je bogato okrašena z vrsto ogromnih figur, ki najverjetneje predstavljajo vpeljevanje neveste v skrivnosti Dioniza. V »sobi velikih slik« je niz fresk, ki pokrivajo vse stene in predstavljajo zaporedne prizore iz obreda. Mladenič bere o obredu pod vodstvom sedeče ženske, sledi ji druga ženska in tesno za njo mlada ženska s peharjem, pomaknjena na desno. Skupina žensk sodeluje pri žrtvenem obredu. Stari Silenius poje in igra, medtem ko mlada ženska ponuja svoje prsi srnjačku. Vstopa ženska, zgrožena zaradi svetega uvida: stari Silenius ponuja mlademu Satiru pijačo, medtem ko drugi mladenič drži v zraku gledališko masko.
Poroka Dioniza in Ariadne upodablja mlado žensko, ki kleči in zdi se, da odkriva sveti predmet izpod rdečega ogrinjala. Krilata figura drži v zraku bič, da bo udarila prestrašeno mlado žensko, ki se skuša skriti v naročje svojega tovariša. Potem, ko je očiščena z dejanjem krilatega demona, vstane in gola ekstatično zapleše.
Naslednja freska prikazuje kopalnico neveste pred obredom. V kotu je figura sedeče ženske, zavite v plašč. Je nevesta, morda božanska svečenica in gleda obred. Na drugi strani se razkriva freska z dionizovim falusom in sedečo starejšo žensko (matrono).
Po iskanju užitkov in razkroju vrednot je sodobna družba zelo podobna Rimljanom. Svet, ki se je izgubil, ko je Vezuv izbruhnil, predstavlja srečanje z epopejo o človeku v času starega Rima.