The Importance Of City Life In Pompeii

Pompeii is an ancient town located in Italy, and due to the large scale eruption of the volcano Vesuvius, many of its structures have been preserved, allowing people to have a glimpse of what life during these ancient times might have been like . There is much speculation as to how the town obtained its name, however the general belief was that it was so named by the legendary hero “ Hercules” and was mainly under Roman rule . It has been seen tat not only did they put Hercules in high regard as the founder, but the people of Pompeii also worshipped gods such as Apollo, Bacchus and Venus . City life in Pompeii was socially divided, as many citizens were homeless and those who were considered as wealthy lived in beautifully constructed homes

and this gap could be a an indicator of economic inequality in the town during that time. However, even though there was a gap between the wealthy and the severely impoverished, there were also those who could have been considered as middle class citizens who neither lived on the streets or in extravagant mansions, but in smaller home where they spent their daily lives .

Beard suggested that besides the presence of shops selling goods on the streets, it was also possible that these streets may have been generally filthy due to the faeces that people and animals produced which thus created an unsanitary environment . One key aspect of Pompeian life was the extravagant gladiatorial events that occasionally took place in the “amphitheatre” . These events were known as “Munera Gladiatoria” and were a form of competition whereby warriors fought each other or foreign animals on some occasions, to the death , however, death depended on the performance of the gladiators . In this essay I am going to discuss how the gladiatorial games played an important role in the lives of Pompeii’s citizens in terms of its social, economic and political influence by examining the data obtained by scholars such as Beard (2008) and Weidemann (1992). I am also going to discuss how archaeological finding have allowed people to gain a better understanding of these events and how people in ancient Pompeii

lived.

Firstly, in terms of the social role that the gladiatorial game played in Pompeian society, it has been seen that they were used to show the difference in status between the upper and lower classes as only upper class people had the authority to host a game due to the amount of wealth that they had . The gladiatorial game were usually used by these aristocratic people when someone died and a part of the “funeral” procession and were rarely organised without reason . When these games did take place in the amphitheatre, people did not mix; instead they were seated according to class. The upper class were assigned seats that allowed them to obtain a better view, whilst spectators that were of a lower social standing sat closer to where the fights were taking place . Gladiators themselves were deemed to be of a lower class , usually on the same level as prostitutes , however if a gladiator fought well, their popularity would increase, which could have a positive effect on their class status . A common characteristic of the gladiators that fought in the amphitheatre s that they were usually criminals or people of non roman status most likely due to the fact that these groups were not looked kindly upon in society . Due to this, if someone from the upper class wanted to take part in the gladiatorial games for any reason, they were discouraged possibly due to the fact that they would crossing class boundaries and performing activities that were considered as beneath them . Lastly, in terms of the social role that the gladiatorial games played in Pompeii, as the games became increasingly considered as the norm, those who were against it, such as Christians, were sent to the amphitheatre as a form of punishment for not conforming to the Roman way of life, however this only happened as a last resort .

As mentioned in the introduction, the gladiatorial games had an economic influence in ancient Pompeian society as well. This was due to the fact that if a gladiator was able to accumulate enough money from successful fights, they could use this money to support themselves if they were ever released from their duties or sentence, however those who did not have enough money to support themselves had to other means of obtaining income that did not necessarily have to do with fighting . In terms of direct contribution to the economy, gladiators themselves were not required to pay “taxes” because the money they earned was considered as unclean, however the games continued despite this belief. As previously mentioned, upper class citizens were the benefactors of these games however even the wealthy had to meet a certain criteria in order to be able to host a gladiatorial game according to “Tiberius” , for example one had to have a certain number of horses in order to qualify.

When looking at the political or governmental role that the gladiatorial games played, there are various factors that need to be taken into consideration. The games were not solely a form of entertainment, but were also used by wealthy citizens, wishing to enter government as a way of gaining the support of other citizens living in Pompeii and they believed that organising such events would ultimately increase their popularity . Emperors ruling at the time also used the game as a form of celebration during a special occasion, for example when an emperor wished to introduce a “successor” to the rest of society . This act was used to show that the “successor” was worthy of the same respect as the emperor and further emphasized the power of the Royal family . Romans also used these games to display their power as an empire. This power was shown through the use of beasts not usually found in the area that had been taken from nations that Rome had seized and these animals also took part in the games . Those captured during wars or battles could also be made to fight in the amphitheatre, and this was supposedly an opportunity for them to continue living if they survived the battles that took place . Making people fight as gladiators can be interpreted as the way in which people in ancient Pompeii maintained justice, as courts could decide which criminals, as mentioned earlier, responsible for which crimes would be sent to the amphitheatre as punishment . “Slaves” were not exempt from being sent to the amphitheatre as their masters were by law allowed to send them there as punishment if they were dissatisfied .

Most of the evidence obtained on the events that took place in the amphitheatre such as the gladiatorial games comes from archaeological findings such as wall paintings of the various events that took place in the amphitheatre . We are also able to see how these events influenced society as there are a number of artefacts such as “vases” that depict gladiators in fights showing how important they were in Pompeian society . “Programmes” that have survived till today show us how people knew what to expect when they went to the amphitheatre and these have also allowed us to form ideas about how information was shared in this ancient city .

In conclusion, way in which people lived in Pompeii was greatly influenced by the events that took place in the amphitheatre. These events, especially the gladiatorial ones, which were the main focus of this essay, were able to shape Pompeian society socially as it reminded people of their social status and class, separating the wealthy who organised these events from the poorer people who were only allowed to be spectators or gladiators themselves. When looking at the economic role, whilst gladiators did not personally contribute to the economy, economic status was important if one wish to be able to host an event. Lastly, the political role of the games was also discussed. This included how they could be used as a way to get into government, introduce ones successor or display how strong a town under Roman influence was. This essay also discussed the archaeological evidence obtained, that has allowed people gain a better understanding of how the games were run as well as how important gladiatorial events were to the people of ancient Pompeii.