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| Because Pompeii was buried so thoroughly and quickly, its everyday items, art, and even bodies were discovered perfectly preserved and in natural context. So Pompeii became a place of great importance to Classics scholars. |
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| Graffiti |
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Pompeii is one of few good resources for Ancient Roman graffiti. |
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The graffiti in Pompeii are so important because they let us have a glimpse into the lives and concerns of common people. Most literature that has been preserved in Latin was written for educated, wealthy upper-class citizens. They were not the majority by far.
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Most graffiti were very personal, much like today. For example,
EPAPHRODITUS CUM THALIA HAC
was found on a wall. It simply records the meeting of two slaves, but leaves to the imagination what they were meeting for.Another person wrote,
amantes ut apes vitam mellitam exigunt.
and that sentiment was answered by someone else,
vellem
who obviously had not experienced the same positive effects of love. |
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| Reflection Journal Entry #3: If you were to write graffiti, what would you write? Why? Would it be an accurate representation of yourself, your interests, and your concerns? Why or why not? Finally, do you think modern graffiti represents modern interests and concerns? |
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| Archaeological Artifacts |
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| Much of the artwork of Pompeii is beautifully preserved. Because of that, it can be used to understand much about Roman daily life. |
| The mosaic on the right, for example, shows a fierce looking dog straining against a chain. It says "CAVE CANEM." What does that image tell you about the Romans? |
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This lararium houses Roman lares, protective gods found in every Roman household. Problem #3 Based upon the image on the lararium, what values do you think might be important to the family that owned the house? Why? |
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 These are three pictures of Roman kitchens and kitchenware. The two above are both pictures from actual Pompeian kitchens.Problem #4 Based upon these three pictures, what tools were similar to modern-day kitchen tools? What are different? What do you think were their general methods for cooking? |
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This picture is from a different lararium, but is still simlar to the previous picture. Problem #5 Compare the two pictures. What values might differ between the families who own each lararium? What brings you to this conclusion? |
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| Archaeological Artifacts |
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| Casts were created of the dead Pompeians so that we can witness even now their final moments of life. What do you notice about the method used to display the casts in these two pictures? |
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| How is this picture different from the previous two? Reflection Journal Entry #4 Taking note of the fact that the Romans cremated their dead, why do you think it was so important to finally have human remains to study? |
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Additional Resources:
More Pompeian Graffiti
A Detailed Study of the Pompeian Forum
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