Last Days of Pompeii
ACTIVITY SHEET - LAST DAYS OF POMPEII
INTRODUCTION The greatness of the Roman Empire was evident in its marvelous cities. Although Rome itself was the crown jewel of the Empire, there were other amazing cities that Romans loved to call home. Today, you will go through a day in Pompeii before the famous eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. Wake up in an aristocratic home before journeying out into the city to take care of everyday chores in the market. Once your shopping is done, you will make your way to reflect on life at the Forum and visit the Temple of Isis before relaxing at the public baths. No day in Roman life is complete without a spectacular performance at the theatre and a bit of politics at the Basilica. This adventure in Pompeii will be your introduction to Roman life, before continuing to the heart of the Empire, Rome itself.
The north east of Civil Forum at Pompeii, looking south.
Last Days of Pompeii
SCAN THIS QR CODE FOR THE POMPEII PLAYLIST
SCENE 1: HOUSE OF THE FAUN HOW THE RICH LIVED: WAKING UP AT THE HOUSE OF THE FAUN
FIGURE 1
The House of the Faun, so named from the statue of a dancing faun found in it, was among the largest and most elegant in Pompeii. You are the master/mistress of the house, and you find yourself in the main atrium of the home. The pool, called an 'impluvium', sits in the centre of the scene and in the middle rests a small, yet remarkable, statue. The striking colour of the floor, paved with small pieces of dark slate, formed an effective contrast against the white limestone edge and brilliant inner surface of the shallow impluvium.
ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the house. Can you find where you are standing? Find the Faun; identify the capital on the doorway and on the second floor.
QUESTIONS What purpose do you think the opening in the roof has? What type of capital is on the first floor? What is a faun? Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 2: BAKERY OF POPIDIUS PRISCUS DAILY LIFE: A MORNING VISIT TO THE BAKERY
FIGURE 2
This bakery may have belonged to N. Popidius Priscus, who lived in the house next door. The business was most likely managed by one of his libertus (a freed slave). The consumption of bread became widespread among the Romans during the 2nd century BCE. Previously, flour was primarily used to prepare puls (a wheat paste).
ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the bakery. Can you find where you are standing? Look at the tools used in the bakery; look at the bread, what is special about it?
QUESTIONS Think about the things you can see in the bakery. What is the cylindrical tool in the center of the bakery called? What were the steps to make bread? What is special about this bread? Does it remind you of anything? How does this compare in size and decoration to the last place you were in?
Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 3: FORUM - TEMPLE OF JUPITER DAILY LIFE: BUSINESS AT THE CIVIC FORUM
FIGURE 3
The Civic Forum was the main square of ancient Pompeii, the center of political, commercial and religious life. You are standing in front of the Temple of Jupiter, transformed during the Imperial period into a Capitolium.
ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the forum. Can you find where you are standing? Notice the different clothing of the characters (humans and statues) in the scene; trace the layout of the forum and take note of its shape and rooms.
QUESTIONS How many horses are in the scene? Who do you think the statues were dedicated to? Who do you think the temple before you dedicated to?
Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 4: TEMPLE OF ISIS PRIVATE RELIGION: A PRAYER AT THE TEMPLE OF ISIS
FIGURE 4
The temple of Isis dates from the 2nd century BCE, and was dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, whose cult was widespread throughout the Roman Empire. The temple you are looking at was re-built by the freedman Numerius Popidius Ampliatus for his son Celsinus after the earthquake of 62 CE.
ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the temple. Can you find where you are standing? How many people can you see in this scene? What are they doing?
QUESTIONS Why do you think Egypt was so important to Rome? What is the triangle at the top of the temple called?
Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 5: THE FORUM, AND STABIAN BATHS LEISURE ACTIVITIES: TEPIDARIUM AND FRIGIDARIUM
FIGURE 5
After a light lunch, Romans would typically exercise and then enter the bathhouses. Enter first the tepidarium, where bathers could warm up a little before entering the caladium (hot room). Around the room you can see a number of niches bordered by telamones (male figures), in high relief, who are supporting a rich cornice. Next was the caldarium. Note, that the scene of the frigidarium takes place in a different bath complex, that of the Stabian Baths.
ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the baths. Can you find where you are standing (t epidarium only)? Look at the parts of the rooms and consider how bathers would engage in social activity here.
QUESTIONS What are the three main rooms of a Roman bath? What do the telamones in the scene do? What are the niches for? Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 6: GARDEN WITH THE SEA VIEW RELIGIOUS LIFE: A STROLL AT TRIANGULAR FORUM
FIGURE 4
The “Triangular Forum” of Pompeii places you along the seaside on the southern end of the city, in a peculiarly shaped forum close to the city’s Large Theatre. Most forums are rectangular in shape but Pompeii had this specially designed forum with a mysterious temple in the centre. In fact, this temple was already centuries old at the time of the eruption.
ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the forum. Can you find where you are standing? Look at the temple and its position in relation to the rest of the forum. Enjoy the seaside view and ponder why Romans colonized this area.
QUESTIONS
What is the mountain in the background? What is the name for the circular structure in the center of the forum. How would you describe this part of the city compared to other places you have been? Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 7: THEATRE - CAVEA ENTERTAINMENT: A TRAGIC PERFORMANCE AT THE THEATRE
FIGURE 4
The Theatre at Pompeii is a proof of how, in at least one city in the region of Campania, dramatic representations of a high order were given. The Large Theatre was originally built into a natural hill at Pompeii in the 2nd century BCE, and was renovated at a later date.
ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the theatre. Can you find where you are standing? Notice how the theatre is divided into different sections. Consider what function these divisions have.
QUESTIONS How many parts are the seats of the theatre divided into? Can you name them?
Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 8: BASILICA POLITICS: MEETING WITH ELITES AT THE BASILICA
FIGURE 6
Those who come to the Basilica to engage in politics are at the heart of the governance of Rome’s Empire. At the centre of the forum where the Basilica is found, there was a colossal equestrian statue of Augustus. The pedestals within the portico hosted statues of the important citizens of Pompeii. These all serve as reminders of the status of those mighty individuals.
ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the basilica. Can you find where you are standing? Observe the distribution of people, consider why people are gathering here and how this affects Roman politics
QUESTIONS Who is the figure on horseback illustrated on the golden statue in the middle of the Forum. What was his connection to Roman history?
Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 9: MAUSOLEUM OF SERVILIUS QUARTUS TRAVEL: MEETING ON THE VIA APPIA TO....ROME!
The Via Appia (known as the queen of roads by the Romans) was a road that connected Rome to Brundisium, one of the most important ports of ancient Italy. Here you can see the Tomb of the libertus (freedman) Marcus Servilius Quartus, erected, as the inscription says, "at his own expense".
ACTIVITY What do you think lines the road?
DISCUSSION
1. What are some of the differences you discovered between aristocratic and plebeian life? 2. Name some of the public and some of the private spaces you encountered. 3. How did Romans relax? 4. What are the differences and similarities between Roman life and modern life?
HOMEWORK
1. Write a story in the first person of your experience in the first person of your experience in Pompeii. Start with: “ When I woke up that morning…”. Ask your teacher how much to write. 2. Tell your friends or parents the story about your day in Pompeii as if you were there. Write down any interesting comments or new things they learned.
Last Days of Pompeii
LESSON PLAN AND TEACHERS INSTRUCTIONS 50 - 60 MINUTE LESSON WITH OPTIONAL HOMEWORK TASKS; OR SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL OVER SEVERAL CLASSES
WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF VR FOR THE ANCIENT WORLD This activity will introduce your students to the Roman world and Roman society in the Imperial period in a way that used to be impossible. Using an exciting new digital medium: 360 panoramas and virtual reality (optional), your students will travel back in time and gain a sense of what the ancient world looked like—with their own eyes! They will have the opportunity to imagine themselves as a contemporary ancient observer—an aristocrat— going through their day in Pompeii. Along the way, they will be encouraged to remember what they have seen, so they can discuss the experience with their classmates or write about it. This technology increases students’ engagement and motivation to engage with the ancient world, as well as giving them a good reason to use their own smart phone in class to learn more about the Roman world that has been reconstructed with painstaking accuracy.
In this class, students will come face to face with different aspects of Roman life: trade, entertainment and public and private contexts. The scenes have been carefully designed to illustrate those aspects of Roman life in a vivid and engaging way to ensure that students understand the material in ways that were previously impossible. You can either present this journey in one class, or use the content throughout an ancient studies course, where you look at different aspects of Roman life. Each scene invites students to look at an archaeological plan and work out where they are. This helps students both engage with maps/plans like this, making it easier for them to interpret in the future.
CLASS PREPARATION AND INITIAL SET UP BEFORE CLASS ● Make enough copies of the Activity Sheets for each student. ● Get enough cardboard VR glasses, or snap on glasses (optional but highly recommended). You can order Google cardboards online (e.g. from Amazon), or by emailing [email protected]. ● Each student needs a modern smartphone (less than 5 years old). It is a good idea to find out which phones students have prior to class, and if they are VR compatible (https://tinyurl.com/y6o4v2lh). iPhones now have an automatic built-in QR code reader with the standard camera, not all Android phones do. Students will either scan a QR code for content access, or enter a token code if they do not have a QR code scanner. ● Students will need an active subscription to our app ‘Explore’. This can be purchased in-app, or pre ordered here: https://www.lithodomosvr.com/shop (from $2.50 USD per student per class, or $10 USD for a month). If you intend to ask students to carry out an in-app purchase, ensure that parents are aware. ● Important, ensure that you have practiced using the app/glasses in advance of the class, and you are confident with the interface and technology to ensure the activity goes smoothly. Last Days of Pompeii
● Once setup is complete, future activities only require the Activity Sheets, as long as the app is installed and the subscription is active. ● You may wish to ask students to carry out the set up step (described below) as homework to maximise the class time activity.
TIME (MINUTES) ACTIVITY
0-5 First, tell your students that they will be going through a sequence of scenes and that they should try to focus on the aspects of the scenes that stand out to them. Let them know that various parts of Roman life are on display, luxurious and mundane.
3 - 5 Tell students, briefly, about the history of Pompeii and why it is important.
5-10 *This section of the activity can be set as homework (recommended for larger classes)
Ask one student to come to the front of the class to model the activity.
Ask students to either scan the QR code on the Activity Sheet, or enter the short URL printed on the Activity Sheet to download the app.
Then ask students to, i n the app:
a) Scan the prepaid QR subscription on the More tab, or; b) Enter the token key on the M ore tab, or; c) Purchase a subscription in-app on the Premium tab.
Check that all students have access to the scene.
10-12 Ask one of the students to read out the instructions.
12-40 Students work through the scenes in groups (2-3), discussing the questions and making notes.
40-50 Ask students to report back to the class or reconfigure groups to report back their findings. Last Days of Pompeii
NOTES ANSWER KEY
1. It is the c ompluvium, it collects water for an underground cistern; Corinthian; a mythical, half-goat and half-human creature. 2. Mill stone; get the wheat, mill the wheat, make the dough, bake the dough; sell the bread. It has a stamp on it to show the baker’s name. It looks like a pizza without tomato. It is much more humble than the previous room. 3. 30; Jupiter, king of the Roman gods. 4. It was the breadbasket of Rome; pediment. 5. Tepidarium, caldarium, frigidarium; hold up the ceiling. Niches: to store clothes. 6. Mt. Vesuvius; tholos. Tranquil and natural, protected. 7. Three; summa cavea, ima cavea, media cavea. 8. Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome. 9. Tombs. VIEWPOINTS
SCENE 1 - FIGURE 1 SCENE 2 - FIGURE 2
Last Days of Pompeii
SCENE 3 - FIGURE 3 SCENE 4,6,7 - FIGURE 4
SCENE 5 - FIGURE 5 SCENE 8 - FIGURE 6