Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to your guided tour of Pompeii. We are starting off our tour in one of Pompeii’s finest treasures: The Villa of Mysteries. We are particularly focusing on the wonderful mosaic inside. The mosaic in the Villa of Mysteries not only gives contemporary society insight into the social classes and trade in Ancient Pompeii, it also illustrates one of the religious practices and rituals that were popular at the time. Firstly, we will be exploring how The Villa of Mysteries contributes towards our understanding of the social classes and trade in Ancient Pompeii, secondly how it furthers our understanding of religion at the time, and finally, why it is considered to be a treasure.
Although there are many speculations on what
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In Ancient Pompeii and other part of Italy, the Cult of Dionysus was extremely popular. It was particularly prevalent within the higher classes of Pompeii. The Cult of Dionysus is a cult dedicated to the worship of the god of wine and revelry, Dionysus. Initially, the cult was solely extended to women, however, subsequently men were permitted to enter. Members celebrated Dionysus in the Dionysian Mysteries. The Dionysian Mysteries were a
artworks that were displayed was a Statuette of Youthful Dionysos, god of wine and theatre.
The nineteenth century proved to be a big step toward exploring Pompeii and Herculaneum because Giuseppe Fiorelli introduced more scientific methods of excavating the site in 1865. Documentation and records were also carefully kept and finds were left in its original place. The ‘treasure hunting’ style was popular in the first century excavation on both Herculaneum and Pompeii. Paintings, mosaics, statues, columns, vases, and coins were looted and removed to be added to the collections of wealthy individuals and museums. For the most part, most of the objects were taken without the information such as location being
Although, he is the god of wine who gives festivities and tranquil state of mind. He causes people lose control of their sanity which leads to negative consequences. These actions contradict the norms of society, specifically targeting the role of women who are supposed to be civil. Instead, they dance and worship Dionysus out of their own will. He has a wicked way of punishing those who denied his existence as a god by driving them crazy. His powers lead from being peaceful to destructive. If Dionysus was concerned with morality he will not lead others to lose their sanity or control them against their own will. His actions of seeking revenge are viewed as cruel for murdering those who claim he is not a god. The way he sought revenge to punish those who believed he was not a god shows that he is not concerned with
Krystek, Lee. "Hagia Sophia." The Museum of Unnatural Mystery. N.p., 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
The wooden lintels, writing, and the unique calendar reveal clues about life in a society that thrived for over 1000 years. Many massive building are visible today, those built to pay tribute to kings and to please the deities. The M...
In mythology, Dionysus had a growing cult consisting mainly of satyrs, whom were half male human and half animal creatures, and maenads. On the artifact, there is a painting of Dionysus dancing with a maenad and on the other side there are two young men accompanying the god. However, the two young men featured on the krater are regular human males rather than satyrs, even though satyrs were some of Dionysus’ most prominent followers as his cult consisted of mostly men. Although, he did have female followers that were called the ‘Maenads’, whom also acted as servants to him and would often bring him wine and would dance along with him for entertainment, like so in this artifact. In fact, the maenads were considered his most significant followers with how ecstatic they would dance as seen on the krater, and many other artworks with Dionysus’s maenads also feature them dancing ecstatically.
Dionysus was the only god who was born to a human parent. He was the god of wine and festivity. His mother was Princess Semale, a mortal, and his father was Zeus. Dionysus is usually described as either a beautiful youthful god, almost feminine looking, with long curly hair entwined with grape vines and grapes, or an old bearded god. In addition he is credited with the invention of wine and also helping to inspire the theatre, both important parts of Greek life.
Orr, David Gerald. ""Roman Domestic Religion: The Archaeology of Roman Popular Art"." .Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green University Popular Press (1980): pp. 88–103. Western New England University Academic Journal. Pdf.
Events which stretch as far back as the reforms of the Gracchi brothers’ meant that the Rome was facing a Republic that was already deteriorating before Pompey had stepped into power. While Pompey’s quest for power was harmful, many other factors were also baleful to the Republic, and were hence instrumental in its decline. Gnaeus Pompeius’s measures to gain power were harmful because it was primarily a paradox to the principles of being part of a Republic with all its notions of shared and short power. The fundamental reason why there were other reasons for the decline of the system are that the military power was given to him, the already weak Senate, and the fact that Pompey was not the only player in the breakdown of the Republic due to the alliances he had made with Crassus and Caesar.
The private and public leisure activities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were largely abundant. Many activities could be participated in and were used often. These include Drama performances, gladiatorial games, drinking, gambling, brothels, exercise, gardens, baths and food and dining. All these were an important part of Pompeian and Herculaneum life. They were seen as important to keep the body and mind healthy in most cases. Though some opposed some of the activities like brothels, gambling and drinking. But all give a important look into the life of those in Pompeii and Herculaneum before the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius which completely destroyed both towns and all its inhabitants.
Across cultures, continents, and worlds, the majority of things within the scope of our very own humanity can be boiled down to two things: those who are dominant, and those who get dominated. Within these statuses lie stories of power struggles, rebellion, the rising and falling of those with influence, and the interconnection between a being with power and the people under his ruling. Through the visual works catered to this subject, we will discuss themes such as the power of immortalization, divinity amongst humans, what it really means to be a ruler, and many other details making up the ever-present, multifaceted relationship between rulers and their subject. With the assistance of the Blanton Museum of Art, I will be able to showcase
The Fragment of a Fresco is dated to 50-25 B.C., generally categorizing it into the Second Period of Roman paintings and placing its creation during the time of transition of Rome from a Republic to an Empire. This particular fresco was discovered in Pompeii, which is considered one of the leading sites of such pieces of art. While many Roman frescos throughout all four styles depict scenes of historical importance in both military and cultural aspects, this particular piece, Fragment of a Fresco, provides more of an architectural and interior design quality than that of other pieces from this time period.
In ancient Greece, Dionysus was the god of wine and ecstasy. "The myth of Dionysus is a
Greek tragedies began at a festival in honor of Dionysius, who was the god of wine. At the early festivals, drinking, quarrels, and sexual activity occurred frequently. Later on, tragedies gained much more respect and were taken very seriously. The plays dealt with man's relationship with god(s). These plays also dealt with a specific instance of life. The chorus wore goat-skins and served a great purpose in the tragedies, themselves. Thespis, the father of the tragedy, created an actor who talked with the leader of the chorus to further make the importance of the chorus seen.
“Volcanoes. Call them Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end” (Pellegrino 3). Volcanoes have been found, studied, and erupting forever. Volcanoes are a well-known piece of nature, but have you ever been in a volcanic eruption before? The conditions are horrible, the sky is black, and the city goes dark, and you can’t see the sun any more. You can barely breathe, and the volcano emits an avalanche of ash the size of a tsunami. What would someone do in that situation? Likewise, the city of Pompeii had an eruption, and no one knew what to do because no one had seen anything like that in their time period before. Imagine a person in that situation, knowing not what to do, and just running for their lives, but could not find a place to hide, or any place to find and to take shelter at. That same eruption is the one that radically changed the city many centuries ago. Pompeii, the small city next to the great mountain Vesuvius, was about to be changed forever, which later made it considered to many people “The city frozen in time” because of how it was preserved by the ash of the ground. The tragic eruption of Pompeii has changed the way people look at nature, especially in the form of volcanoes and natural disasters. Pompeii left a great fingerprint on human culture because of its well-known mountain, its eruption, and its astounding burial and preservation.