Evidence of villa in Pompeii from earlier earthquake

[guy]

Although most people are familiar with the famous volcano that destroyed Pompeii in AD 79, the earlier devastating earthquake in AD 62 has been forgotten. Below is an article about a villa that was demolished around that time to make way for new construction. Interestingly, a tortoise was also found in the ruins.

 

 

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   As it also remains to be understood why, 150 years after its construction, this splendid abode was razed to the ground. In this case, too, we can only grasp at hypotheses: perhaps the earthquake had damaged it so much that it was too costly and inconvenient to restructure it; or perhaps, as has been documented in other cases in Pompeii, the fear endured in the earthquake persuaded the owners to move to a location they deemed safer. Or perhaps the family that built it may have fallen lower down the rungs of society in the meantime. What is certain at the moment is that all that luxury, with property market prices having plummeted after the quake, passed into the ownership of the city administration which put it at the disposal of the baths in which it was decided to invest a lot of money, building a big new bathing area equipped with running water, scenes of water nymphs, and ultra-modern and super-technological amenities for the time.

 

 

https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2022/06/24/surprise-at-pompeii-tortoise-with-its-egg-emerge-from-digs_ace99cfe-be36-47ab-b891-1b286d69780d.html

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AD_62_Pompeii_earthquake#:~:text=On 5 February AD 62,and Herculaneum%2C severely damaging them.

Edited June 24, 2022 by guy

[caesar novus]

I think the earlier earthquake(s) are very well known beyond scholardom. Even in a quality tourist guidebook they will point out where to find earlier repairs, etc. The city has traces of it's rocky history stretching back to Samnite occupation. I forget details, but something like anti-Roman grafitti under peeling Roman plaster on a Samnite building. I love the vastness and diversity of Pompeii over the usual tourist favorite of tidy Herculaneum.

Edited June 24, 2022 by caesar novus

[guy]

Thanks for reading my post. Here’s some excellent photos of the ancient tortoise that was also discovered:

 

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61931172.amp

[guy]

“I love the vastness and diversity of Pompeii over the usual tourist favorite of tidy Herculaneum.”

I haven’t been to either site, but this article sways me to visit Herculaneum over Pompeii (if I couldn’t visit both). After recently injuring my ankle, I would prefer the less crowded, shadier, and more compact Herculaneum:

 

https://eternalarrival.com/pompeii-vs-herculaneum/

Edited June 25, 2022 by guy

[caesar novus]

You might prefer the super shady, tranquil, flat, and handy-to-Rome Ostia Antica. But maybe it is tranquil for a reason, being kind of monotonous brick buildings without interior focal points. For Pomp vs Herc I may have a bias due to having low expectations blown away at the first and high expectations disappointed at the second. You can view many video tours to make your own comparison.

I think a clincher experiment is the following. Overlay the boundaries of Herc onto Pomp and just tour that zone, starting at the entrance near Pompeii's public square. That area should be flatter than Herc which is in a deep hole you have to descend to, then climb a sloped townscape. Pomp public structures have great wow factor, whereas Herc is mainly little townhouses. Pomp may have a lot of closed dilapidated houses, but some huge frescoed ones filling an entire block will be in the perimeter.  Herc does have a lot of interior sights even with actual carbonized wood, but they seem almost monotonous to me vs the Pomp surprise factor.

Outside that perimeter, Pomp does have sloped and uneven walking and a lot of decay. It has more superstar  villas etc, but you don't have to see every one to get the gist. Just postpone or skip the rest; they shouldn't be something that sabotages any visit at all. Pomp offers very late hours when the sun is low or just set and crowds are absent. I would say visit Pomp 5 times before 1 visit to Herc. Then Pomp 5 more times before Herc again EVEN if all along you have no reason to think you will have another chance to visit. I am at perhaps visit 8 in this scheme and would certainly see more of Pomp next even if under a cancer death sentence.

A co-worker exasperated me by visiting a minor museum instead of Louvre on a brief once in a lifetime Paris visit, so he wouldn't miss part of a collection. Are folks so incapable of selecting highlights of a great collection? There ought to be parts that resonate to you personally, and not be just a trudge for most famous pieces. I have that minor museum slotted for after 7 Louvre partial visits, and a preview on the internet supports that ratio.

 

 

Edited June 25, 2022 by caesar novus

[caesar novus]

13 hours ago, caesar novus said:

Herc which is in a deep hole you have to descend to, then climb a sloped townscape

Furthermore since Herc has only 3 main passageways up the slope and a minimum of cross streets you have to trudge twice up the long axis of the site without benefiting from two useful downhills. First long descent into the hole, then shuffle uphill for your sights. Then walk back down for the next set of sights, then up for last sights. Then slog back down past already seen sights so you can get the exit up the long climb out of the hole. It's not too steep, but it shouldn't be considered walk-friendlier than Pompeii, just smaller.

Herc little houses are small enough so that a group of 5 can hold you up with no detour.  Pompeii can manage a group of 20 in a villa with plenty room for more to see what the fuss is about. I don't know why Herc is said to be more wealthy unless it is factoring in Pompeii slums. Pomp has food stations at least good for needed upkeep and dehydration. I just about expired in Herc heat and had to find some juice in an (employee?) vending machine.

Further addendum: Herc staff may be friendlier, but Pomp professionals have seen it all and can help. I dunno if this is still done, but if you arrive with modest sized luggage due to shoehorning a visit between hotel arrival or departure, they can store it free. I think that only 4 other bags were being kept, but stashing my backpack made a world of difference so that I could visit at length without some doubling back on trains.

 (different scales)

Edited June 26, 2022 by caesar novus