Pompeii: Art and History

This beautiful book about Pompeii is published by the Italian publisher Bonechi, which specialises in picture books about famous places in Italy and around the world. It is a volume in the popular series called “Art and History.”

Books from Bonechi are published in several languages. This version is in English; it was published in 1997, and it has 128 pages. There are 170 colour photographs and 20 reconstruction drawings. The text is written by Stefano Giuntoli; the English translation is by Erika Pauli.

Pompeii is a Roman town located in the bay of Naples, not far from the volcano Vesuvius. In the first century AD the town had ca. 20,000 inhabitants and covered an area of 66 hectares. When Vesuvius erupted in August 79, the town was buried under a thick layer of volcanic ash and lava. Some inhabitants escaped, but many did not manage to get out in time and were killed by the fallout from the volcano. The town was destroyed, it was a disaster, but it was also preserved for posterity, which was fortunate for us. When excavations began in modern times, the ancient town was partially born again. Today it is an open-air museum, which gives us a unique opportunity to study the life of a Roman provincial town.

The book comes with a separate map. When folded out it measures 43 x 64 cm. The scale is not indicated, but it is so detailed that individual buildings are clearly marked. 32 mm equals 100 meters. Colour codes are used to divide the town and its monuments into six categories:

** Public buildings

** Temples
** Stores
** Private buildings
** Houses of dignitaries
** Areas to be excavated later (ca. one third of the area)

The book begins with an introduction which covers the history of the town, the styles of wall painting, domestic architecture, mosaics, and sculptures.

The main text is divided into four parts, corresponding to four geographical sections of the town. There are 59 numbered items. For each item there is a brief description and at least one illustration (but often more than one). In this review I will only mention a few examples from each section.

Part I – The southern section: # 1-13

# 04 The Temple of Apollo

# 05 The Basilica (the courthouse)

# 06 Public Buildings (the town hall)

# 07 The Building of Eumachia

# 08 The Temple of Vespasian

# 09 The Sanctuary of the Lares Publici (gods who will protect the state)

# 10 Macellum (the market)

# 11 The Temple of Jupiter

Part II - The eastern section: # 14-35

# 16 The Theatre

# 17 The Odeon (a music hall)

# 18 Barracks for the Gladiators

# 25 Thermopolium with Lararium (a shop with an altar)

# 33 The Amphitheatre

# 35 The Necropolis (next to Porta Nocera)

Part III – The northern section: # 36-44

# 36 The Stabian Baths

# 38 Lupanar (a brothel)
# 40 Pistrinum in Vicolo Torto (a bakery)

Part IV - The western section of town: # 45-59

# 48 The House of the Vettii

# 49 The House of the Faun
# 53 The House of the Tragic Poet

# 54 The Bakery of Modestus

# 59 The Villa of the Mysteries

Some of the names used are modern names, for instance # 25 Thermopolium with Lararium, because we do not know the name of the owner. But in many cases we know the name of the person or the family who lived or worked there:

# 48 the house belonged to a family with the name Vettius

# 54 the name of the baker was Modestus

All the major sites of Pompeii are here, with text and illustrations. The buildings and monuments are presented one by one. This book presents the ancient evidence, and does so very well, but it does not attempt to interpret this evidence. If you want an interpretation, you may turn to Pompeii: The Life of a Roman town by Mary Beard (hardcover 2008, paperback 2010) or Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum by Paul Roberts (hardcover and paperback 2013).

One interesting aspect of the evidence from Pompeii is graffiti found on the walls: election slogans, public announcements, etc. Three examples are shown in the book on pp. 60-61 (# 27). But the topic is not pursued any further. If you wish to do this, you can go to James L. Franklin, “Literacy and the parietal inscription of Pompeii,” Literacy in the Roman World, Journal of Roman Archaeology, Supplement # 3, 1991, pp. 77-98.

For more information about this publication see my blog: Literacy in the Roman World

Art and History of Pompeii is a beautiful book about an interesting place. It is recommended for the armchair traveller, who wants to sit at home at study the life of an ancient Roman town. But it can also function as a regular guidebook. Many visitors spend only one day in Pompeii. If you ask me, this is not enough. I recommend that you set aside two or three days. Whatever you do, this book will help you make the most of your visit.

PS: Not every building in the ancient town is open to the public. Some houses are closed, perhaps because an excavation or restoration work is going on; perhaps for the safety of the visitor; perhaps in order to preserve the building. In this book you will find pictures of buildings, which may be closed when you get there.

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Stefano Giuntoli,

Art and History of Pompeii,

Bonechi, 1997, 128 pages

 

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