Paestum: Art and History

This beautiful book about Paestum is published by the Italian publishing house Bonechi, which specializes in picture books about famous places around the world. It is a volume in the popular series called “Art and History.”

Books from Bonechi are published in several languages. I have used an English edition published a few years ago. The English translation is excellent.

Paestum is an ancient city in the south of Italy, about 100 km southeast of Naples (Napoli). The city was founded by Greek pioneers around 600 BC. They called it Poseidonia after the Greek god of the sea: Poseidon. The city was conquered by the Romans in 273 BC. The Romans called it Paestum, and this name is still used today.

The text is divided into three sections:

** PART ONE - the excavation area

** PART TWO – the archaeological museum
** PART THREE – the surrounding area

Part one presents the Greek and Roman monuments in the excavation area. Less than half of the ancient city has been uncovered. Most of the ancient city is on private property where archaeologists are not allowed to work. A modern road cuts through the ancient city. The excavation area is located west of the road.

There are three Greek temples in Paestum. The first is known as the Basilica. The second is known as the Temple of Neptune (the Roman god of the sea) or the Temple of Poseidon (the Greek god of the sea). The third is known as the Temple of Ceres (the Roman goddess of agriculture).

These names are not correct. They are based on misunderstandings which occurred when the city was re-discovered in the middle of the 18th century. The Basilica is in fact a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Hera (who corresponds to the Roman goddess Juno). The Temple of Neptune was in fact another temple dedicated to Hera. The Temple of Ceres was in fact a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena (who corresponds to the Roman goddess Minerva). But the false names are still used in order to avoid confusion.

These temples are some of the best preserved monuments of the ancient Greek civilization. It is ironic that some of the best preserved monuments of the ancient Greek civilization are not found in Greece, but in Italy - specifically in Paestum and in the ancient towns of Sicily.

[Bonechi has published a beautiful book about the ancient monuments of this island: Sicily: Art and History (1997).]

 

There are several Roman monuments in Paestum: the forum (which measures ca. 100 x 57 m), the market place (macellum), a swimming pool (piscina), an Italic temple (also known as the Temple of Peace), a senate house (curia), an assembly hall (comitium), and an amphitheatre. The latter monument was used for gladiator fighting (munera) and hunting for wild animals (venationes). Therefore it was dedicated to Mars (the god of war) and Diana (the goddess of hunting).

Only the western half of the amphitheatre has been uncovered. The modern road cuts through the monument. The eastern part is on private property where excavations are not allowed.

Part two presents the local museum, which is located east of the excavation area, on the other side of the modern road. The most famous item in this museum is the so-called Tomb of the Diver, which was discovered in 1968.

The tomb, which consists of six large stone slabs, can be dated to ca. 480 BC. It is decorated with frescoes on the inner walls. The tomb is named after the painting found on the inside of the lid, right over the deceased: a nude man diving into a body of water. The book explains: “The scene is symbolic: the dive is to be interpreted as the passage from life to death.”

Further on we are told:

“The Tomb of the Diver is the only fifth century BC example of a funerary painting in Poseidonia and is also an interesting document of the contacts that existed between the Greek city and the Etruscan world, for the custom of painting the internal walls of the sepulchre recalls ritual customs more widespread in Capua and Etruria.”

Part three presents some ancient sites in the surrounding area: the Heraion of Foce del Sele, which lies ca. 10 km north of Paestum, and the ancient Greek colony Velia, which lies ca. 40 km south of Paestum.

The book is lavishly illustrated with photos and reconstruction drawings of the ancient Greek temples and the Tomb of the Diver. At the end of the book there is a map of the ancient city. The map is helpful, because it gives the reader orientation.

All illustrations are in colour. The size of the illustrations is often large, the quality is always high. The pictures are always placed next to the relevant text. Some pictures give us the grand view, while others present a minor detail.

Paestum is an interesting place. It is worth a visit. When you read the text and study the pictures, you will understand why. The text gives you basic information, while the pictures show you what you can see today.

If you are interested in ancient history – ancient Greece and ancient Rome – I am sure you will enjoy this beautiful book about Paestum.

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Paestum: Art and History,

Bonechi, 2007, 80 pages

 

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