Similarities Between Pompeii And Herculaneum

1303 Words6 Pages
The ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were very open to other cultures compared to other non-roman cities. Various buildings and artefacts show the religious and cultural influences of foreign religions and cults in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Due to the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 these buildings and artefacts have been preserved. Due to Pompeii expansive trading with the Hellenic east these foreign religions and cults have appeared in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The existence of these buildings and cult objects shows that Pompeii and Herculaneum were multi cultural societies that integrated other cultures and religions despite the fact that there was an official religion of Rome. The two most predominate religions were The cult…show more content…
The notion of an afterlife had great appeal to lower class people as ideals of personal connections, deliverance and an afterlife. The temple iteself1 gives an insight to the cult. It is located outside of the forum in the theatre district this shows that due to the fact that it is a foreign religion and is not seen as a roman official religion it was not allowed in the forum. The temple was originally built in the 2nd century and was destroyed in the earthquake of 62 AD and was rebuilt obviously sometime between the earthquake of 62 AD and the eruption of 79 AD. the reconstruction was paid for by the freedman (libertini) Numerius Popidius Celsinus. The temple was uncovered in 1763, and archaeologists were able to tell that it was in fact a Egyptian cult buy a translation of an inscription saying "Numerius Popidius Celsinus, son of Numerius, restored the temple of Isis from the ground up after it had been totally destroyed by an earthquake. The town council, coopted him into their assembly when he was only six years old, (and) without charge, in consideration of his generosity." this inscription alone gives so much information: it tells archaeologists that the temple is of the cult of Isis. it shows that it was destroyed in the earthquake of AD 62 and that it was rebuilt…show more content…
The foreign religion like the cult of Isis gave the promise of life after death to its followers which in the same way as the cult of Isis did would have brought many followers to join. The cult also drew in followers by its "escape from worldly reality into mystic communion with the god and the promise of life after death". The roman historian Livy wrote on the presence of the cult of Dionysus/ Bacchus in Italy and he talks on the evolution of the cult from one where women only attended three times a year to it being exclusive to men and its celebrations and rituals which involved feasting which occurred five times a month. Livy writes "Men apparently out of their wits, would utter prophecies with frenzied bodily convulsions" .the cult of Bacchus/ Dionysus was seen as a threat to public order by the roman senate due to the excessive nature of the rituals of the cult so much so that the senate passed a decree that allowed consuls to abolish Bacchic/ Dionysian communities .The most famous source of evidence on the cult of Bacchus/ Dionysus is found in the villa of mysteries outside of Pompeii. inside of which there is a fresco that spans across three walls in the living quarter of the villa. the fresco gives insight in to the initiation of the foreign religion. however archaeologists and historians disagree with the interpretation of the of the fresco. the main theory is that
Show More
Related

  • Constantine Arch Of Constantine Analysis

    1200 Words  | 5 Pages

    victory. This arch contained relief sculptures and also spoils of the Jerusalem Temple, in which during his leadership there was occurrence of two disasters. There was a great fire in Rome together with the Vesuvius eruption, which buried Herculaneum and Pompeii. During these two occasions, Titus was actively lending aid to those who were distressed. He was not friendly with his successor, Domitian and also his brother were comprised of both inflated and fluted columns. On its both upper left and

    Read More

More about Similarities Between Pompeii And Herculaneum

Open Document