The old Pompeii

1. The old Pompeii The life of the roman population in the Republican era occurred in different points of the city. The Roman cities are divided in different areas and different activities occur in each of them. The center of the daily life is the FORUM, usually located at the city's geographic center at the intersection of the main north-south street, the cardo, and the main east-west avenue, the decumanus.

2. The forum The forum is the square where trade occurs. Political activities like the civil and commercial debates and judgements take place in the basilica which is also used as the centre of economic life. The basilica is usually situated near the forum and it is usually divided into three naves by twenty eight columns of “latericium”. Religious life occurs in the temples, usually collocated next to the basilica. At the center of the forum are memorial stones. One of the examples of the roman forum is surely the forum of the archeological city of Pompeii.

3. Pompeii's forum lies in the south-west corner of the expanded Roman city but at the heart of the original town. The area within the porticos of the forum at Pompeii is empty, except for statues portraying local dignitaries or Roman emperors. All around the square, behind the colonnades, there are secular and religious structures, including the town's administrative offices. The forum is a big rectangular square surrounded on three sides by buildings and closed in the fourth by the Jupiter’s temple. A lot of marbles and bronze statues of the most important citizens are on the plinth. Big pieces of marble called “travertine” prevent the vehicular traffic from Marina Street and dell’Abbondanza Street. The forum, however, generally is closed to all, but not to pedestrian traffic .

4. Entertainment Roman people like enjoying themselves. The places of entertainment in Rome are the theaters and amphitheaters. Both of the buildings are often situated out of the city like those of Pompeii. In some cases the roman theatres are built like the Greek theatre, using the incline of the natural caves, laying on some hillside. Among these there were also Pompeii’s theaters. The theatre In Pompeii there are two theatres: “The Big Theater” and “The Odèion”. The Big Theater was built in the Hellenistic era in the natural cave of the hill. It was extended in the Augustus era with the addition of the “summa cavea” and the “tribunalia” on the two lateral entries near the orchestra. It could host 5000 people. The scene is like the Roman theater. The Odèion was built about the 80 C.E. by two magistrates, who also gave the city an amphitheater. It has two orders of steps and it can host 1000 spectators.

5. The architects of the roman theaters don’t take advantage of the natural incline to build the cave. The steps lied on an architectural structure built specifically for the purpose. The structure is delineated by some steps or superimposed orders of arches with tunnel vault. So the theater can be built in every city. The Roman Theater of imperial era is different from the Greek one for the scene that is as high as the cavea and for the disappearance of the orchestra. The scene, that is the background and the stage for the actors, is also a structure with various steps. In the Imperial era this buildings became more important than in Republican era when Roman people took part in political life.

6. The amphitheatre Another place of entertainment is the amphitheatre that means double theatre. It is an elliptical structure, built through superimposed orders of arches, so it can support platforms where a thousand of viewers can sit. At the center there is a circular place called “arena”, where the gladiators fought against ferocious beasts. In the arena there can be also naval combats. In Imperial era, when the “civis” didn’t take part in the political life anymore, the emperors attracted people in the amphitheaters by giving them exhibitions of every kind. In fact the amphitheaters became one of the emblems of the Roman city and there is one of it in every important city. The earliest amphitheatre known is located in Pompeii, it can host 20000 spectators. Seating is assigned by rank, both civic and military, so that the Roman hierarchy is on display at every event. A painting on the wall of a Pompeian house records an unfortunate incident that occurred in the amphitheatre. A brawl broke out between the Pompeians and the Nucerians, during a gladiatorial contest in 59 CE.

7. CREATED BY:Giusy GerliEmanuele Sirica Sara Casillo Martina Aquino