1
Q
Why was Pompeii such a good place to live?
A
- There was a volcano nearby, meaning that the soil was fertile and crops could grow easily.
- It was located near the sea which was good for trade.
- There was an abundance of timber resources.
- The settlement was on raised land which was good for defence.
- The river provided drinking water.
- It was a good place to breed sheep.
- There were good transport links to other places.
- The climate was good.
2
Q
What was the history of Pompeii?
A
Pompeii was founded in 750BC by a tribe called the Oscans. After this, the greeks took over. Another Italian tribe called Samnites fought the Greeks over Pompeii, and the Romans took over. In 79AD (the time of the eruption) the population of Pompeii was 20,000.
3
Q
What were the disadvantages of Pompeii as a settlement?
A
- It was located right next to a volcano, which would come to erupt and wipe out almost the entire population.
- The weather could get too hot.
4
Q
What was an inn?
A
An inn was like a hotel. There were many as there were lots of tourists in Pompeii and people would stay there as they passed through on a journey.
5
Q
What was a thermopolium?
A
A thermopolium was like a cafe or restaurant. They were very common and were the Roman equivalent to to burger king or other fast food joints.
6
Q
Why didn’t many people have kitchens in their homes?
A
- Many people had wooden houses which could burn down if there was an oven in the house. This is why thermopolia were so common and widely used.
- Thermopolia were very cheap.
7
Q
Where were thermopolia located?
A
Thermopolia were usually located at the front of someone’s house
8
Q
What were the main features of thermopolia?
A
9
Q
What else could you do in a thermopolium?
A
As some thermopolia were also brothels, there were rooms available to rent for short periods of time.
10
Q
What evidence is there to prove that some thermopolia were brothels?
A
There was grafitti on the walls which suggested this.
11
Q
What foods were on offer at a thermopolium?
A
- Wine
- Water (which was often used to dilute wine)
- Lentils
- Fruit juice
- Cheese
- Milk (this is a possibility)
- Salt
- Bread
- Honey
- Meat (partucularly lamb)
- Olives
- Fish
- Soup
- Fruit & vegetables
- Garum (fermented fish sauce)
12
Q
What would olive oil be used for?
A
Everything: they would’ve used it to put on bread (like we do for butter); they’d’ve used it for cooking; they even used it for washing.
13
Q
What was garum and how was it made?
A
Garum was a fish-based sauce that the Romans would put on food or eat by itself.
It was made by cutting up fish and putting it in a pot. They they’d leave the pot in the sun for a month.
14
Q
What evidence is there of Roman food?
A
Loaves of bread were recovered after the eruption and plaster casts of bread were recovered.
Posters showing food that would’ve been used for advertising were recovered, showing what types of food were sold.
15
Q
What was the amphitheatre?
A
The amphitheatre was a place in Pompeii where people would fight eachother (or animals). It was very important for entertainment and very popular.
16
Q
What were the main features of the amphitheatre?
A
- It was a circular shape.
- There was tiered seating. (Rich ,em would set at the front, which was separated. Slaves and children would sit at the very back).
- There were access areas at both ends for people/animals to enter and exit. Dead bodies would’ve been dragged out from here.
- About 20,000 people could fit (which is the approximate population of Pompeii).
- It was free as the person who organised the fight paid.
- Rich men would be given special tickets to sit at the front in the best seats.
- Slaves, foreigners and women would sit at the back.
- The seats were built quite high up to prevent the audience from being attacked by wild animals/angry gladiators.
17
Q
What were the 6 main types of entertainment?
A
- Gladiators (1 man v 1 man)
Most popular form of entertainment
People risked their lives, but the result of each fight wan’t necessarily death.
- Man v animal
Sometimes it would’ve been deer
Sometimes it would’ve been more dangerous animals
- Animal v animal
Could’ve been different animals
1 bear v 2 lions was very popular (usually the bear won)
- Man v criminal
A form of execution
Untrained men v gladiators
- Animal v criminal
Sometimes the criminals had weapons
- Criminal v criminal
This was a possibility
18
Q
Why was there a riot?
A
A man called Regulus from Nuceria (a small town near Pompeii) put on a show in the amphitheatre in Pompeii (there wasn’t one in Nuceria). The Pompeiians didn’t like the show, so small groups began rioting. As a punishment for this, the amphitheatre was closed for 10 years.
19
Q
What types of entertainment were there?
A
Fights, which took place in the amphitheatre.
Plays, which took place in the theatre.
20
Q
How big was the theatre?
A
It could hold 5,000 people.
21
Q
What were the main features of the theatre?
A
- It’s shape was a semicircle.
- There were wooden poles with canvas sheets on them to shield people from the sun.
- Sailors would’ve pulled these ropes.
- The seats were tiered.
- There were marble seats at the front for rich men.
- There was a space for scenery behind the stage.
- Around the stage there was an empty space for the orchestra and dancers.
22
Q
Why did actors always wear masks in the theatre?
A
- There would’ve been boys playing girls.
- The masks had an exaggerated mouth, which also acted as a megaphone.
- Some people played multiple characters.
23
Q
What kind of plays were there?
A
- Tragedies
- Rustic farce
- Comedies
- Pantomines
24
Q
What was the plot of a rustic farce?
A
There wasn’t really a proper storyline
The characters were people who lived in the countryside.
The humour based on violence.
The plays were very insulting.
The jokes were non-intellectual.
Rusic farces tended to Greek plays translated into Latin.
25
What was the plot of a comedy?
There was a rich old man who had a son who was very social. There was a 'cheeky slave' who would watch out for the son when he got into trouble. There was also a pretty slave, who the son would fall in love with. However, as the son was rich he wasn't allowed to marry the pretty slave, but by the end of the play it would turn out that the slave was actually an aristocrat and could marry the son.
26
What would the characters in a Roman comedy typically wear?
The old man would wear a grey wig.
The son would wear a black wig.
The cheeky slave would have a red wig.
The pretty slave would have a blonde wig.
27
What was the most common type of Roman play?
Comedies were very popular.
28
Describe the plot of a pantomine.
There would usually be one actor on stage not saying anything, as the story would be told using music. The actor would have two masks. The plot was that one of the characters would fall in love with the other, however they weren't loved back.
29
What was a famous Roman pantomine and what was its plot?
Echo and Narcissus
Narcissus was very good looking. He liked hunting and had no interest in relationships. All of the girls in town were in love with him. One day, a forest nymph called Echo saw him and fell in love with him, however he refused her, leaving her heartbroken because he's so mean. She is so heartbroken that she loses the ability to speak, and just follows him around - the only thing she can do is repeat what he says. Eventually, she loses the will to live. One day, Narcissus sees his reflection in the water and falls in love with himself. He goes to touch his face but every time he does, his reflection becomes distorted. **In some variations of the story** he falls into the water and drowns.
30
How did the Romans feel about pantomines?
They thought that they were sad and would cry.
31
What was common for any Roman play?
Every performance had music and songs. People would ofter join in with the singing and if an actor forgot his lines, a crowd member would probably finish them.
32
How would the crowd react to a play?
If they liked it, they would applaud.
If they didn't like it, they'd throw fruit/veg/rocks/sharp objects.
33
From an architectual perspective, what was interesting about the amphitheatre in Pompeii?
It was the first permenant, stone structure in the Roman world.
34
What was special about the thermopolium of Asellina?
It was also a brothel.
35
What was the apodyterium?
The changing room in the bath.
36
What was the palaestra?
An outdoor gym.
37
What was the tepidarium?
A room in the baths with tepid water. It was room temperature. People would've cleaned themsleves in here from the Palaestra.
38
What was the caldarium?
A hot room in the bath with a hot water pool. They would've cleaned themselves in there by rubbing oil on themselves and scraping it off with strigilis. Here, women would've plucked their hair. Hot water opened people's pores.
39
What was the frigidarium?
A cold room in the bath with cold water. It would've closed theiir pores after the calidarium.
40
What were the main activities in the palaestra?
* Running
* Weightlifting
* Bowling
* Long jump
* Ball games
* Wrestling
41
Who went to the baths?
As they were very cheap, everyone could go. However, mostly men went to the baths. Boys would've gone with their fathers and girls went with their mothers.
42
What were the baths important for, other than hygeine?
The baths became a very social place where men would do business. As women didn't have to do business with people, they were there for less time.
43
What did people wear to the baths?
Nothing.
44
What else was there in the baths?
* Toilets
* Thermopolia
* Statues of the Gods
* Cubby holes (which acted as lockers to put things in. You would pay a slave to stand in front of it and guard it)
* A library
* Private rooms which you could rent out.
45
How deep was the water in the baths?
You would be able to sit n the water and your head wiouldn't go under.
46
How did the Romans heat the water in the baths?
Slaves would burn wood under the ground. The hot air would heat the floor and the walls of the baths, and was carried around by a **hypocaust** system.
47
What was the layout of the forum?
48
What was the weights and measures table used for?
People would make sure that they got what they paid for and weren't being cheated.
49
What was the temple of Jupiter used for?
The temple of Jupiter was where people would go to make speeches etc. It was very big and lots of people could fit into it.
50
What could you buy in the forum?
* Slaves
* Provisions
* Cereals
51
What part of the forum does each number represent?
1. Temple of Jupiter
2. Macellum (provisions market)
3. Sanctuary of the city lares
4. Temple of Vespasian
5. Building of Eumachia (fullers hall)
6. Cornilium (voting hall)
7. Duovors (chief magistrate) office
8. Council chamber
9. Aediles (junior magistrate) office
10. Basillica
11. Temple of Apollo
12. Control of weights and measures
13. Cereals market
14. Public toilet
15. Commemorative arches
52
At what time of day was the forum busiest?
Mostly in the mornings as the baths were used more in the afternoon.
53
What was the date of the eruption of Vesuvius?
24th August 79AD (at about 1PM - The Romans had no way of accuratley telling the time)
54
What were vigiles?
They were like the emergency services.
55
Why didn't some people leave when the volcano went off?
* They didn't want to be robbed.
* They were physically incapable of leaving.
* Slaves had to stay with their masters.
* People stayed to rob people who'd left.
* Some people thought they were being punished by the Gods (in which case it was pointless to leave as the Gods would kill them anyway).
* Some people were too scared and confused.
* A few people stayed to help others.
56
How did the eruption cause deaths?
* Poisinous fumes caused people to choke.
* People got hit on the head by heavy rocks that fell out of the sky.
* Roofs fell in on houses as tiny rocks called lapilli fell from the ash cloud. Seperatley, they were very light however their collective weight caused damage as there were tens of billions of them.
* Most people died because of gases.
* Many people killed themselves because they were scared (this was acceptable).
* Stampedes of people trying to leave Pompeii could've trampled people.
* People could've been killed by intruders who were trying to rob people as they left.
* Slaves could've killed their masters if they wouldn't let them leave/Masters killed their slaves if they tried to leave.
57
What else could you do at the forum other than buy things and worship?
You could borrow money, and would have to pay a high interest rate. If you couldn't afford to pay it back, you'd be made a slave until you worked off the money that you owed.
58
What did the graffiti on the walls say?
Some of the grafitti was about voting. Other graffiti was about gladiators. The grafitti is still there today.
59
When was there an earthquake in Pompeii?
In 62AD there was a huge earthquake which destroyed part of Pompeii. This was 17 years prior to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
60
What were the 'warning signs' before the volcano erupted?
A few days before the volcan erupted, there were big earthquakes in Pompeii.
61
Why weren't people affected by the lava from the volcano?
Some lava began to go down the volcano, however it lost energy and stopped before it reached Pompeii.
62
What currency did the Pompeians use?
Denarius and sesterces.
63
What did people think the eruption was?
As the sun disappeared behind the ash cloud, many people thought that the eruption was actually an eclipse.
64
How were the people of Herculaneum affected?
Ash fell from the sky and came down the mountain; straight towards Herculaneum. It was 500°C and incinerated everything in its path. Herculaneum was buried under 25m of ash. 300 people's skeletons were found in the boathouses, as many people had gathered there to try and find safety, however the intense heat incinerated their flesh immediatley.
65
How did the poisinous gases reach Pompeii?
A second big ash cloud (after the one that reached Herculaneum) headed straight for Pompeii.
66
What evidence is there to show that many people died choking on fumes from the volcano?
Plaster casts were recovered showing people covering their noses and mouths.
67
What evidence is there to show that people might have committed suicide?
Bottles which would've been used to hold poison were found near bodies.
68
What evidence is there to show that people were killed from being hit on the head by rocks?
Skeletons were found with bits of their skulls caved in.
69
Who was Pliny the Elder?
Pliny the Elder was Pliny the Younger's uncle. He was commander of the army and was also a scholar and well educated. When the eruption happened, he wanted to find out more and went to Stabiae (near Pompeii). We know that he had some kind of breathing disorder and this is why he died when the eruption happened and some of his men didn't.
70
Which people would've been physically unable to leave?
* Preganant
* Injured
* Elderly
* Babies and children
71
Who was Pliny the Younger?
Pliny was a scholar who lived on an island near Pompeii. He managed to witness the eruption from a safe distance so he wasn't killed, and his records are partly why we know so much about the eruption. He was extremely well educated and very intelligent, and was 16 at the time of the eruption.
72
Who was Giuseppe Fiorelli?
He was an archeologist who helped to dig up Pompeii. He came up with the idea to fill holes that were found with plaster, which later turned out to be plaster casts of bodies.
73
What was Giuseppe Fiorelli's idea for discovering more about Pompeii?
He wanted to find the outsides of Pompeii so that he could make a map of it and record things that he found and plot houses onto the map.
74
How did Fiorelli's excavation techniques differ from those of other archeologists?
Other archeologists would take things that looked valuable and sell them, They would also just dig straight down to try and find an alley and then dig into houses and scoop out debris. This was dangerous because debris was supporting walls and roofs so when the debris was removed, walls and roofs fell, destroying evidence and killing people.
Fiorelli told his archeologists to dig downwards until they found a roof, and then just dig down into the houses. This meant that there was less damage to houses and other pieces of evidence and the excavations were much safer. He also made them dig by layers, and because of this they were able to recover much more evidence and record more, so they learnt more about Pompeii.
75
What did the excavations look like before Fiorelli changed the methods?
76
What did the excavations look like after Fiorelli changed the methods?
77
Why was the eruption so violent? (Geographically)
Molten rock inside the volcano for 1500 years had been vapourised into foam and rose to the sky out of the volcano.
There was a huge volcano which caused the magma chamber to erupt after the initial eruption.
78
What is the Latin word for volcano?
**There is no Latin word for volcano.** The Romans didn't know what a volcano was and didn't know what was happening when Vesuvius erupted.
79
How tall was the ash cloud when the volcano erupted?
Only minutes after the eruption, the ash cloud was already 15km.
80
What did Vesuvius look like before the eruption?
81
What did Vesuvius look like after the eruption?
The top was completely blown off!
82
Why was Pompeii more affected by the eruption that it might have been on another day?
The wind was blowing towards Pompeii, which was unusual as it usually blew in the other direction.
83
Where did Pliny (both the Elder and the Younger) live?
They lived in the bay of Naples in a place called Misenum.
84
What is lapilli?
Pumice stone.
85
What happened after the initial eruption?
At about 9PM, heavier rock rolled down the volcano in a pyroclastic surge. This headed towards Herculaneum (where the people who fled Pompeii were gathered on the beach). A cloud of gas and ash that was 500ºC came towards them and incinerated everything in its path. It even turned the people on the beach to charcoal. The people in the boathouses died in this pyroclastic surge, as the soft tissues on their bodies were vapurised by the hot air.
86
What happened after the earthquake that caused the magma chamber to collapse?
The pyroclastic surge towards Pompeii, whic contained hot ash and poisinous gases and caused people to choke to death.
87
What would've happened to people in Pompeii who breathed after the second pyroclastic surge?
1. Inhale hot ash and gas, causing a fluid in the lungs to form.
2. The hot ash mixes with the fluid in the lungs, causing a thick, wet cement to form in the lungs and windpipe.
3. Gasping for breath.
This would've taked several minutes to kill someone and would've been extremely painful.
88
When did the ash cloud finally begin to collapse?
After 18 hours of eruption, the bottom of the column of the ash cloud collapsed.
89
What did the 3rd and final pyroclastic surge do?
It went over the bay of Naples and killed thousand who had fled to the countryside.
90
What areas was Rome in charge of?
Most of Europe and most of the Medeteranian.
91
How many council members were there and what were they called?
There were 100 council members called decurions.
92
How many council members had there been before Pompeii grew so large?
10 (hence the name DECourions)
93
How did the council work?
* There were no elections - if you were on the council, you were on it for life.
* When you died, the other council members picked a replacement.
* Every two years, council members would be picked (by the rest of the council) to take charge of any serious incidents (auovirs).
* Aediles were 2 men who were 'junior duovirs'.
94
What was the job of the duovirs?
To sort out any serious incidents.
95
What was the job of aediles?
* To maintain the aquaduct.
* Repair buildings.
* In charge of religious ceremonies.
* Keep the streets in good conditions.
96
How did you become a duovir?
You had to have been an aedile first.
* There were elections for leaders. These people would give speeches.
* These people would speak on the steps of the temple of Jupiter.
* There was graffiti of the walls in the forum encouraging people to vote for their favourites.
* They would speak in guilds and get others to vote for them.
97
What was the layout of a typical Roman house?
98
What were the different parts of a Roman house?
* **Fauces:** Entrance hall
* **Atrium:** Main room
* **Cubiculum:** Bedroom
* **Tablinum:** Study
* **Peristylum:** Garden court
* **Triclinum:** Dining room
* **Latrina:** Lavatory
* **Ianua:** Front door
* **Impluvium:** Pool for rainwater
* **Lararium:** Shrine of the household Gods
* Summer Triclinium
* Shops
99
What were the two historically important houses recovered after the eruption of Vesuvius?
House of the Faun
House of the Vettii
100
What was the main feature of the house of the faun?
There was a statue of a faun on the edge of the impluvium.
101
What decoration was there in the house of the faun which tells us that the owners were rich?
There was a mosaic on the the floor which showed a picture of Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia in the battle of Issus 333BC. This mosaic is called the Alexander mosaic.
102
What do mosaics in the house of the faun tell us about the owner's interests?
There are mosaics showing nature scenes from the Nile (Nilotic themes). This tells us that the family had business in Egypt, as corn grew there.
103
What features inside the house tell us about the owner's interests?
There were two gardens, one of which was converted into a theatre which could fit 40-50 people. This tells us the the family was very rich as they had a lot of company, and possibly interested in politics.
104
What is interesting and unusual about the house of the faun?
It could possibly have been two houses converted into one.
105
Who owned the house of the Vettii?
Two men:
Aulus Vettius Restitutus
Aulus Vettius Conviva
106
How did Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva know eachother?
They lived together, which suggests that they were brothers. However, as they had different last names they could've both been slaves who worked for someone called Aulus Vettius. When they were set free, they adopted this name out of respect as they needed 3 names.
107
How comes the Vettii's had such a large house?
They were very rich.
108
What can we learn about the Vettii's religious views and interests from their house?
There was a wall painting and in one other part of the house, there was a statue of the God Priapus, a fertility God. This means that at least one of them had a large family and/or that they were interested in farming.
109
What was different about the Vettii's house?
110
What do wall paintings around the Vettii's house tell us about their interests?
111
How was the house decorated?
It was decorated in bright colours, particularly reds and yellows.
112
What made the Vettii's house seem to have a good view?
'Windows' were painted on the walls, showing scenes of nature to give the illusion of looking out of a window. This kind of art is called 'Trompe l'oeil'.
113
How were Roman gardens decorated?
The Romans generally preferred green plants to brightly coloured flowers.
There were many statues in the gardens.
114
What special feature was there in the house of the Vettii that was very uncommon for a house?
115
What feature did rich people have in their houses?
116
What engineering feature was shown in rich Roman houses?
117
How did people make themselves moore comfortable in the theatre/amphitheatre?
They could've bought or rented cushions.
118
What was the main background scene at a Roman play?
A city street scene.
119
Was food and drink available?
Yes, but people could've bought their own as well.
GCSE Classical Civilisation
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