FLavius Valerius Constantinus Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Link to articles A huge column in the garden of an ancient Roman villa at Pompeii was toppled in what officials said Wednesday was an act of vandalism. "This isn't a simple act of vandalism, which, while bad enough, could be explained by ignorance," superintendent Giovanni Guzzo said, calling it "an act of intimidation...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Octavius Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 I'm sure that garbage will be very proud of themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publius Nonius Severus Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 May the Lemures of that house find these most disgraceful of offenders and torment them the rest of their days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nephele Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 The scum who did that should be placed in indentured servitude until they've worked long enough and hard enough to pay for the restoration of that column. If it's a "statement" they intended to make by vandalizing that column, then their "statement" will be made more meaningful by a sacrifice of their freedom. (Although I suspect that personal sacrifice probably wasn't in the plan when they made their cowardly "statement".) -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecimusCaesar Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 What a shame. If it really was disgruntled employees then would'nt it have been better to show their feelings in another manner? From the Article: Experts who examined the column said it can be restored and put back into its proper place, the statement said. At least this is some good news, although it will never be in the same condition again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nephele Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 At least this is some good news, although it will never be in the same condition again. Apparently, there is a lot of Pompeii that will never be in the same condition again. Sadly, Pompeii is a frequent target for vandalism. This excerpt from a heart-breaking article which states that Pompeii is the most visited, underfunded, and threatened archaeological site in Italy, reveals what is being lost on a daily basis. Unless security and maintenance of the site have radically changed since 1997 when this article was published, then perhaps, ironically, it will take another eruption of Vesuvius to save Pompeii: Life in today's Pompeii often resembles a film noir. One weekend last spring, someone entered a closed excavation site and decapitated two plaster cadavers. The field archeologist suspects vandals, but Pompeii's superintendent, Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, says he took the Mafia-style gesture as a "warning" from one of his many enemies. Guzzo's predecessor, removed nearly three years ago, has been under investigation for excavations that were imaginary except in cost. Guards once locked out tourists to protest Guzzo's stricter regime; he demands that they show up on time and not sleep on the job. The biggest problem is simply that too much of Pompeii has been dug up and not properly shielded from the elements. A walk through the ruins with a veteran guide like Barone is an exercise in imagining ancient treasures lost to modern neglect. "Fifteen years ago this was a beautiful piece; every detail was absolutely clear," the pony-tailed Neapolitan recalls, pointing the tip of his tartan umbrella at a still-life painting now faded beyond recognition. Turning to another blur in the same Vettii courtyard, he says: "We used to tell tourists, 'If you want to know what kind of flowers they planted in their garden, look at this fresco.' " Now the painted flowers are gone too. Across the yard, in the adorably frescoed Room of the Cupids, Barone's umbrella points at the ceiling, built of cheap reinforced concrete in the 1960s and already crumbling. A camera flash goes off, and more tourists muscle in. Two elderly guards, engrossed in discussion with each other, ignore the unruly crowd. A stray dog wanders in and curls up in the atrium. Surveying the chaos, Barone ventures a prediction: "The next eruption of Vesuvius will save Pompeii!" Read the entire article here. -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Octavius Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 There are 'mementos' strewn all over the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerva Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Two elderly guards, engrossed in discussion with each other, ignore the unruly crowd. A stray dog wanders in and curls up in the atrium. Surveying the chaos, Barone ventures a prediction: "The next eruption of Vesuvius will save Pompeii!" Well, I can vouch for the dogs, that's for sure. Here's a pic I took of one of the excavated villas in Pompeii. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Augusta Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 (edited) This is totally heartbreaking! Its on a par with the desecration of cemeteries - in fact, let us make no bones about it, Pompeii is a cemetery in itself, when one thinks of all the people who died there in 79AD. The mentality of these modern vandals is quite beyond my understanding, I'm afraid. Or if, as the article suggests, some shady dealing is at work behind the scenes, then that is even worse. I think it is a sad reflection of our modern times as a whole that people have so little respect for their heritage. ETA: As for the dogs and cats, they have always been a part of the ruins - well, at least the bands of feral cats. There are far more sinister forces at work now. Edited March 23, 2007 by The Augusta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maladict Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 As bad as it is, I don't see what we're getting so worked up about. This stuff happens everyday, in one way or another. I can see why Guzzo is seeking publicity on this one as he suspects the camorra is behind it, but otherwise it's not such a big deal imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Octavius Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 (edited) As bad as it is, I don't see what we're getting so worked up about.This stuff happens everyday, in one way or another. I can see why Guzzo is seeking publicity on this one as he suspects the camorra is behind it, but otherwise it's not such a big deal imo. Yeah!, go ahead and blame it all on the Glorious Neapolitans , you, you . Don Tomasso Edited March 23, 2007 by Gaius Octavius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maladict Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Yeah!, go ahead and blame it all on the Neapolitans , you . He did, I didn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nephele Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 It's a big deal to me because I've never been to Pompeii. Now I wonder, should I be able to go someday, what I might have seen if I'd only been able to schedule a visit a few years earlier. So much is being lost every day. The colors and images on the walls are fading or being scraped away by unconscionable tourists. My heart breaks to think of it. I missed out on getting to see Stonehenge up close, as they had just started barring tourists from walking among the stones when I got there. My man remembers walking among the stones back in the 70s. But because of stupid tourists wanting to take back chips as "souvenirs", I never got to walk among the stones. *sigh*. Some people just stink. -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neos Dionysos Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 1,552 years after thier sack of Rome, and the Vandals strike again... On a serious note, I can't help but think of what kind of security they have to begin with since I know major sites, (like Pompeii I would assume is on par with attracting tourists as the Colessuem or the Hagia Sophia), would/should be well protected. I came across some major ones in Turkey which were guarded 24/7 by Jandarma, though others were just left where they were, (ones being "not that important" to many since they don't attract the people). I truely hope they catch those responsible and I hope security is beefed up while the site is closed, since I doubt someone would pull such a stunt during the day. Let's just all hope they don't beef it up so much you lose the ability to actually be in Pompeii instead of seeing it from a distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Augusta Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 As bad as it is, I don't see what we're getting so worked up about.This stuff happens everyday, in one way or another. I can see why Guzzo is seeking publicity on this one as he suspects the camorra is behind it, but otherwise it's not such a big deal imo. Forgive me, Maladict, but I cannot believe you have said that! The excavations at Pompeii have done so much to enhance and inform our knowledge of this subject that we all love, for a start! My own first visit to Pompeii was way back in 1979 after I'd spent about 5 years reading literary texts and seeing bland two-dimensional illustrations or black and white photos in books. To actually be in the House of the Mysteries or walk down one of the wonderfully preserved streets past the bakeries and shops of Flavian times brought everything to life for me. Are we simply to shrug our shoulders about the wilful destruction of a piece of history that has formed an essential part of our education for centuries? And what a testament to man! Vesuvius couldn't quite destroy it totally, but man's having a pretty good go. I think it's a very big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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