Ancient History Pompeii and Herculaneum Page 1 of 64 Ancient History Glossary Terms Key Term Definition Insula (Insulae) A multi-storeyed apartment or tenement block with taverns, shops and businesses on the ground floor and living space on the higher floors; the name also refers to a block of various buildings at Pompeii surrounded on four side by streets Tufa Volcanic ash hardened with water Aedile A magistrate whose duties included maintenance of town infrastructure Stratigraphic Relating to the order or arrangement of strata or layers, in this case the layers of volcanic ash deposited on Pompeii Strata (stratum) Te layers of material built up or deposited at a site Pyroclastic Surge A low-density turbulent cloud of hot ash and rock that billows over the ground travelling at incredibly high speeds of up to 300km per hour Pyroclastic Flow A dense, hot, dry avalanche of ground-hugging molten rock, pumice, and gas that moves more slowly than a surge, reaching up to 50km per hour Nuées Ardentes French for ‘burning clouds’, these are white-hot clouds of gas, ash, and lava fragments ejected from a volcano, typically as part of a pyroclasts flow Garum Tick, salty fish sauce Imperator A Latin word originally meaning commander, but later incorporated into the titles of the emperor Epigraphic/ Te study of inscriptions on stone or metal epigraphical Termal Shock A large and rapid change in temperature that can have dangerous efects on living organisms Fulminant Shock A cause of death associated with intense heat Doric Column A type of Ancient Greek column featuring a smooth or fluted column and a smooth, round capital Hellenistic Relating to Greek and Mediterranean history between 323 and 31 BC Travertine A type of marble used for building Suggestum A platform where political candidates gave speeches and canvassed support for elections Mensa Ponderaria A table of ofcial weights and measures A bench with nine holes of varying sizes for diferent measured amounts Macellium A rectangular courtyard with a circular building or tholoa in the centre Market stalls and shops on the north and south sides Tolos a circular-shaped building from the ancient world Forum Holitorium Located on the west side of the Forum Page 2 of 64 Ancient History Amphora (amphorae) A two-handled pottery storage jar with an oval body tapering to a point at the base Termopolium Food stall (Termopolia) Peristyle A row of columns enclosing a court or other space, or the space surrounded by these columns Cache Valuable items concealed in a hiding place Putti A representation of a naked child, especially a cherub Sesterce A bronze or silver Roman coin valued at a quarter of a denarius; also referred to as a ‘sestertius’ Counsul One of two annually elected chief magistrates in the Roman political system Ofcinae Workshops Dolia Large round pottery containers Aediles magistrates (in Pompeii there was two of them) Pulses Edible seeds such as peas or beans Itinerant Traveling Programmata Public notices advertising candidates in forthcoming elections Wet Nurse A woman employed to suckle another woman’s child Guilds Associations of crafsmen or merchants Vestibulum Entrance Fauces Hallway Atrium Religious and social centre of a Roman house, clients waited here to pay their respects (salutario) to the master of the house (or patron) Compluvium Rectangular hole in the roof, provided lighting for the interior of the house, inward-slopping roof designed to catch maximum amount of rainwater Impluvium A large pool sunk into the Atrium floor, water was channelled into a cistern beneath the Atrium floor. Triclinium Dining room, winter dining room inside, summer dining room in garden or open onto garden Herm A rectangular, tapered stone base supporting a creed head or bust Fourth Style One of the four styles of Pompeian art described by August Mau: characterised by the painting of framed scenes, ofen featuring human figures and architectural motifs Proscenium Stage area of an ancient Greek or Roman theatre Greave Armour worn to protect the lower leg Tunic A rectangle of wool or linen pinned at the shoulder Toga Worn over the tunic and ofen made from wool Toga Praetexta Broad purple border and was worn by magistrates and some high priest in formal settings Page 3 of 64 Ancient History Toga CAndida Bright white toga worn by candidates for public ofce Fibulae clasp to pin a woman’s stola on one shoulder Gargoyle A carving of an ugly human or animal head or figure projecting from the gutter of a building, acting as a spout Hypocaust An Ancient Roman heating system whereby air heated by furnaces was directed into hollow spaces beneath the floors of buildings Stucco Bas Relief A render applied wet to a sculpture in low relief, in which the forms project slightly from the background Triton A Greek god, messenger of the sea, son of Neptune and Amphirite. Uraeus A protective device on the front of a pharaoh’s headers in the form of a cobra Divination Telling the will of the gods from signs and omens, reading the entrails of sacrificed animals Paterfamilias head of the Roman family Lares household deities who protected the family, headed by the family spirit (lar familiarise, had their own shrine in a cupboard, any food dropped at a meal was ofered to them Genius the god of the male line o descent worshipped on the birthday of the paterfamilias, sometimes represented as a snake Penates gods of the larder or food store, their statuettes were placed on the table at mealtimes Quadriporticus A rectangular area surrounded on all sides by a colonnade or covered walkway Quadriporticus A rectangular area surrounded on all sides by a colonnade or covered walkway Motif A decorative image or design, usually repeated to form a pattern. Fullonicae art of fulling Page 4 of 64 Ancient History Geographical Context Physical Environment • Fertile, crescent shapes volcanic plain in Southern Italy (Campania) and had two seasons (hot dry summers and wet, mild winters) NATURAL FEATURES Mt Vesuvius • 30 Eruptions since its explosion in 79AD • Diodorus wrote “Te Greeks knew of the manta’s active nature” • Strabo commented “Ash-coloured summit, as it shows pore-like cavities in masses of rock that are soot- coloured, these masses looking they have been eaten out by fire” Bay of Naples • Provided safe anchorage for boats and became the main naval station of the Roman fleet River Sarno • Supported the fishing and shellfish industry EVIDENCE • Pliny the Ender - Campania was “one of the loveliest places on earth … a fertile region so bless with pleasant scenery that it was manifestly the work of nature in a happy mood” Plans and Streetscapes Pompeii Herculaneum • Greek influenced • Population in 79AD was 5,000 • Population in 79AD was 20,000 • More residential than • Main streets commercial • Via dell’Abbondanza (Street of abundance • Had a sea wall • Via di Nola • Only 30% has been excavated • Via Stabiana • Underneath modern city of • Raised foot paths and stepping stones (due to poor drainage) Erculano • Numbering system - regions - insulae • Superior sewage system • Defensive walls (semi-destroyed) • Much smaller than Pompeii • Seven Gates • Marine • Herculaneum • Vesuvius • Nola • Sarno • Nocera • Stabia • Roads were 2.5m wide and experience heavy trafc due to evidence of cart grooves Page 5 of 64 Ancient History The Nature of Sources and Evidence The Eruption • Buildings that were in the process of repairs or needed to be repaired - Te temple of Isis due to the 62 AD earthquake • Plinian Phase - 24th August Pompeii • Mainly impacted Pompeii and rained down Pumic, ash and gas which was breathed in by the people the pumic expanded inside their lungs choking them • Pompeii was covered in 6 metres of pumic before this, buildings began to collapse under the weight • Pliny the Youngers letters • “Described as an umbrella pine • Fiorelli’s plaster casts • dying dog - sufering in pain • Pelean Phase - Herculaneum • Pyroclastic flow - hot gas travelling at 100-200km/h • Buried Herculaneum under 20m • People had time to escape since they could see Vesuvius erupting • People in the boat sheds • Woman with femur through her torso shows a brutal fast death • Discolouration of skulls of the people in boat sheds shows that their brains ‘exploded’, and quick death Economy • Pompeii had an active and healthy economy as Pompeii’s population was large and more diverse • Ideally positioned for trade • River Sarno have access to the town allowing trade. Seen as the trading centre of Campania • Agriculture - known for producing raw materials (wine, olive oil, cereals, fruit, vegetables, meat and wool) for the retail and industrial workforce • Evidence : Amphorae which were labelled showing origin and type of wine contained • Two large dole that could hold 100 gallons • “Never stopped growing” - Pliny the elder • Wall painting showing Bacchus in front of vineyard and covered with grapes • Fishing - fished crustaceans, molluscs and fish to make Garum or fish sauce which Pompeii was known for • Garum vessels wth inscriptions • “No other liquid except unguents has come to be more highly valued” - Pliny • Fish of the sea fresco depicting many types of sea creatures • Pottery • Shows that Pompeiians imported a limited range of goods from other places and mainly made their own • Tere were plenty of workshops that had pottery and was locally made • Wool/Fullery - a building in the Pompeiian forum called the Edifice of Eumachia is where they dyed the wool where it would also be sold • Te fullers did the laundering, bleaching, and recolouring of clothes. Pee was used