THE MYSTERIOUS POMPEII II.
The Temple of Apollo is encountered shortly after entering through the Porta Marina gate, so named because it overlooks the sea. It was built in the 3rd century BC. It consists of 48 Ionic columns, which were changed into Corinthian columns in the Nero era. On the high platform is the space that is the most sacred part of the temple, also surrounded by thirteen Corinthian columns. It was the sanctuary of several deities, including Apollo the archer and Diana, the goddess of the hunt, opposite him. Judging by some finds, Mercury was also worshiped here.
Nearby is the Forum, rectangular in shape, paved with travertine and surrounded by covered arcades on three sides. The Forum in Pompeii was the political, economic and religious center of the city, around which the main temples, courts and other buildings were arranged. The streets were paved with large slabs made of lava and also had sidewalks. Water was obtained from the river Sarno and from wells; they built an aqueduct through which water was piped to the houses of wealthier residents and to public baths and fountains. 60 percent of the population of Pompeii were freemen, the rest were slaves. In the Sumite period, the arcades consisted of two rows of columns in the Doric style, and the plinths on which the upper columns rested were in the Ionic style. The columns and arcades on the east and west sides are from the Roman period. In the middle of the western part of the square there is a kind of stand from which speakers addressed the crowds. Along the south side of the arcade are several large plinths on which statues of the most important men of the city stood. Public buildings were hidden along the south, east, and west sides, the only one fully visible being the temple of Jupiter on the north side.
The Temple of Jupiter was built in the 2nd century BC, during the age of the Samnites. It is dedicated to the triad of Juno, Minerva and Jupiter. It consists of twelve Corinthian columns, six in front and three on each side. The floor inside is covered with a marble mosaic. A marble head of Jupiter was found in it, which is now kept in the National Museum. At the intersection of Foro and Nola streets is a public bath, dug in 1823. It is divided into men’s and women’s parts and has built-in utility equipment for central heating. Behind a short corridor is a dressing room with small wooden round tiles, which was used to wait for customers to come to their turn. A little further on is a circular pipe for a cold bath, and above is an opening in the roof that admits light into the room. On the right is the tepidarium for the hot bath and the calidarium for the steam bath, heated by a system of double walls called the concatenation, through which the heat from the furnace comes. On the elegant marble sink, the names of the rulers are stamped in bronze letters, who installed it in the bathhouse at their own expense for 5,240 sisters.
In the easternmost part of the city, we come across the amphitheater, which was built by the builders of the small theater in 80 BC and is considered the oldest known amphitheater. The arena is on the lowest level and has no underground corridors. Two main entrances along the longest axis of the building lead to the arena itself and to the lower level with seats. The upper levels are accessible via an external staircase with two locks. Looking at the quadrangular square from the front of the building, there is a large dry stone wall with large stone arches. Under the lower seats runs a vaulted gallery of the middle part of the seats, called the crypt, which has a double function: it supports the outer part of the embankment and allows people to access the seats in an orderly manner. A barrier in the middle prevents people from all heading towards the same entrance. The crypt is reached through a corridor to the north and three corridors to the east, all of which are inclined. Since they were also used for two-wheelers and carriages, they are paved with cobblestones in the form of blocks. The southwest corridor curves to reach the arena. To the right, immediately after the entrance and stairs, we come to a circular wall without openings.
Access to the exterior of the amphitheater is through the underground vaults of the two-wing staircase on the west side. A small staircase in the corridor on the crypt level was probably used by the most prominent rulers of the city to reach the seats of honor on the platform resting on the crypt. The exit from the arena was probably used by the winners to reach the platform and receive their prizes. If we continue along the crypt, we return to the entrance of the arena. In front of the north and south entrances are two small rooms that were used for tending the wounds and bringing in the bodies of dead gladiators. We enter the arena through a large entrance made of cut stone with semicircular arches, columns ending in simple capitals, panels, friezes and other decorative elements. From the middle of the arena, we get the best idea of the shape of the amphitheater.
The Villa of Mysteries is located in front of a steep slope and looks towards the sea. It is a typical example of a luxury house with added farm buildings. It rests on an artificial embankment, under which is the entrance to a tomb that was used as a cellar. We enter it through a small entrance that leads to a semicircular room that opens onto an open terrace. The original entrance is on the other side of the building and is still obscured by volcanic material. The main rooms of the house are arranged around the atrium and include a small bedroom, a kind of living room, utility rooms around the peristyle, a square courtyard and a bathroom. In addition, there is also a courtyard with kitchens, an oven and rooms for servants, and an agricultural part with a room for the manager and agricultural equipment. The villa is richly decorated with a series of huge figures, which most likely represent the initiation of the bride into the mysteries of Dionysus. In the "room of large paintings" there is a series of frescoes that cover all the walls and represent successive scenes from the ritual. A young man reads a ritual led by a seated woman, followed by another woman and close behind a young woman with a goblet, moved to the right. A group of women participate in a sacrificial ritual. Old Silenius sings and dances while a young woman offers her breast to a fawn. A woman enters, appalled by a holy sight: old Silenius offers young Satyr a drink, while another youth holds a theatrical mask in the air.
The Marriage of Dionysus and Ariadne depicts a young woman kneeling and appearing to uncover a sacred object from under a red cloak. A winged figure holds a whip in the air to strike a frightened young woman who tries to hide in the arms of her companion. After being cleansed by the act of the winged demon, she stands up and dances nude ecstatically.
The next mural shows the bride’s bathroom before the ceremony. In the corner is the figure of a seated woman wrapped in a mantle. She is a bride, perhaps a divine priestess, watching the ceremony. On the other side, a fresco with the phallus of Dionysus and a seated elderly woman (matron) is revealed. In the pursuit of pleasure and the decay of values, modern society is very similar to the Romans. The world that was lost when Vesuvius erupted represents an encounter with the epic of man in the time of ancient Rome.
Photographer: Tanja Kastelic
