In 79 AD, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the ancient city of Pompeii under several feet of volcanic ash, but it also unexpectedly preserved a living Roman city for future generations. During the archaeological excavation, the murals in Pompeii were particularly eye-catching. They not only demonstrated the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient Roman art, but also served as a window for us to glimpse the daily life, beliefs and aesthetics of the Romans two thousand years ago.
Discovery and preservation of Pompeii frescoes
Most of the murals in Pompeii are preserved on the walls of private homes, public buildings and shops. Due to the rapid burial of volcanic ash, these murals avoided weathering and human damage, and the colors are still bright today. Since Pompeii was rediscovered in the 18th century, archaeologists have excavated more than 1,500 well-preserved murals, many of which have been moved to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples for exhibition, while some are still preserved in their original locations for tourists to appreciate.
Pompeii murals are divided into four types according to their style:
1. The first style: imitating marble walls and using painted patterns to create a three-dimensional effect.
2. The second style: Use perspective to draw virtual architectural landscapes and expand the sense of space.
3. The third style: exquisite and delicate, mainly featuring mythological scenes and small decorations.
4. The fourth style: a fusion of the first three styles, with rich colors and full of dynamics.
Daily life in Rome as depicted in frescoes
1. Food and banquets
Pompeii murals vividly depict the Romans’ food culture. Banquet scenes were often seen on the walls of the “Tricolinium,” the dining room. Wealthy Romans reclined on couches and enjoyed wine, bread, olives, and seafood. A famous mural from the “House of the Faun” depicts people feasting in a garden, with a table full of fruit and wine.
Archaeological evidence shows that the Pompeii people had a rich diet. In addition to locally grown wheat, grapes and olives, they also imported spices, fish and exotic fruits. The banquet scenes in the frescoes not only reflect the Romans’ hedonism, but also show their social style.
2. Commerce and handicrafts
Pompeii was a prosperous commercial city, and the murals depicted many aspects of market life. In the “Baker’s House”, graffiti on the wall recorded transactions, while in the “Laundry” murals, workers were washing and ironing clothes.
The most interesting are the murals in the taverns, which usually depict menus and prices. One mural says “1 asce buys a glass of wine” and “2 asce buys a plate of lentils.” These details allow us to calculate the prices of ancient Rome – according to purchasing power conversion, 1 asce is about equivalent to 0.5 US dollars today.
3. Love and entertainment
Pompeii’s murals are full of erotic themes, some of which are even quite explicit. On the walls of the “brothel”, the murals depict sex scenes in different poses, with prices marked on them. These murals are not only a “menu” for sexual services, but also reflect the Romans’ open attitude towards lust.
Mythology and Faith: The World of the Gods
The Romans worshipped polytheism, and there are a lot of mythological themes in the Pompeii murals. In the “Mystic Manor”, a 50-foot-long mural depicts the secret rituals of Dionysus, the god of wine. The women in the painting dance in a trance, which may symbolize some kind of religious initiation ceremony.
Today, Pompeii attracts more than 2.5 million tourists every year, and its murals still tell the world about the world swallowed by the volcano. If you have the opportunity to go to Italy, you might as well spend 2-3 hours strolling through the ancient city of Pompeii and let these bright murals take you back to Rome in the 1st century AD.
