The Bruner Family Journey: Contrasting Images of Ancient Rome: Pompeii & Ostia Antica

The ruins of Pompeii, with Mt. Vesuvius in the background

Traveling from Lecce to Rome, we stopped about mid-way in Pompeii, just outside of Naples. In what is widely regarded as the most storied natural disaster in history, Pompeii - along with nearby Herculaneum (which Eden and I visited in 1999) - was completely buried in the year 79 by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, one of Italy's three active volcanoes. The two cities were lost to the world, covered by a thick layer of ash for nearly 1700 years, until they were rediscovered by excavations in the mid-18th century.

As I explained in my college thesis From Rococo To Neoclassicism: A Sociological and Political Analysis of Stylistic Change (you really should see the movie), the discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum had a massive impact on European painting in the second half of the 18th century. Artists were inspired by these newly found classical cities (and by other social, political and economic factors that are beyond the scope of this blog post) to move away from the frivolity, daintiness and ornamentation of the Rococo style, towards a weightier, more virtuous artistic movement that looked back to the model of ancient Greece and Rome. Flirtatious aristocrats on swings painted in flowing lines and hazy pastels gave way to serious, civic-minded heroic figures painted in sharp angles and primary colors. Sounds pretty awesome, huh? Well, it gets a bit tiresome after about 100 pages or so.

In any case, what was bad for the people of Pompeii (no one likes to be covered in hot volcanic ash, especially if you had plans that day) was pretty good for us. The site has been a popular tourist destination for over 250 years, and it offers a remarkably detailed look into what daily life was like at the height of the Roman Empire - well, at least the daily life of the rich and famous. Pompeii was a retreat for vacationing senators and other prominent Romans, who built lavish villas and came here to play, relax and otherwise have an ancient good time. Such a good time, in fact, that many believe a number of artistic images that initially were discovered at Pompeii were reburied due to their adult content. Apparently, the hedonism of ancient Rome wasn't considered in good taste in 18th century Europe.

Adult entertainment in Pompeii

He didn't make it

The site is extremely well preserved, having been protected from the elements and human contact for 17 centuries. Recently, however, conservation has become a critical issue, as evidenced by the collapse in November 2010 of the House of the Gladiators, which many blame on longstanding neglect by the Italian cultural authorities.

The ruins at Pompeii are quite extensive and include a huge network of streets (complete with tracks made by horse-drawn carriages), homes, temples, baths, public spaces, and a full range of community facilities (there's a theater, amphitheater, gymnasium, basilica, market-hall, and, of course, a brothel). It takes half a day just to walk around the place and see the major sights. There's some incredible artwork, especially in the Villa dei Misteri, which contains one of the finest collection of ancient frescoes in Italy. To top it all off, there are plaster casts on display, made from the skeletal remains of some of Pompeii's victims, showing their precise bodily positions immediately before their demise. In all, Pompeii offers a powerful and poignant history lesson.

Jeremy exploring Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica is another well-preserved ancient Roman site that spontaneously made its way onto our Italian travel itinerary. Located at the mouth of Tiber River, Ostia served as the seaport of ancient Rome and was a prosperous city in its own right. Ostia thrived for about 800 years, but as Rome declined, the city ultimately was abandoned. Its harbor silted up, causing the shoreline to shift to the west over the centuries, such that Ostia is now three kilometers from the beach. But the same mud that confined Ostia to oblivion also protected and preserved its archeological treasures from theft and deterioration. The site is conveniently located near Rome's international airport, so it makes a great way to kill a few hours if you have to switch rental cars because of a flashing red light indicating in a foreign language that something is urgently wrong with your vehicle. Eden and Talia generously offered to exchange the car, while Jeremy and I spent a couple of hours exploring the ruins. It's a large, varied and impressive site, and it's amazing to think that only two-thirds of the ancient city have been unearthed to date. It's definitely worth a visit, even if your rental car is functioning properly and you have no reason to swing by the airport.

Ostia reached its peak around the year 200 after a series of major harbor improvements. At one point, the city had 100,000 inhabitants. It first served as a fortified naval base but as Rome secured its military control over the Mediterranean, Ostia shifted its focus to commerce. One of the site's principal monuments is the Piazzale della Corporazioni, which has been referred to as "an early version of Wall Street." Traders came here from all over the known world to sell their wares. There's also a vast complex of warehouses, which played a crucial role in keeping food and goods flowing to the big city. Perhaps the most interesting part of our visit was stumbling across the ancient fishmonger sign (in mosaic), where Jeremy wondered whether Romans ate sushi 1800 years ago (probably not).

Ostia is a fascinating contrast to Pompeii. Whereas Pompeii was a resort for wealthy and powerful Romans, Ostia was a town of everyday merchants and workers. Together (along with Herculaneum), they offer a tantalizing taste of the world of the ancient Romans. Ostia doesn't get nearly as much tourist attention as Pompeii, and surely one reason for this is that Pompeii's fame and cultural significance are without parallel. But another reason is that the treasures of Ostia - which would be a must-see attraction if located almost anywhere else on the planet - tend to get overlooked among all the sights and pleasures of the Eternal City. And you, too, will be lured away by the city's glories if you read our next post.