People in Pompeii and Their Lifestyle – 9 Fascinating Facts

Have you ever wondered about the people in Pompeii and their lifestyle? This article gives you a vivid and in-depth glimpse.

1. History

The Great Discovery of the Lost City in the Pompeii Forum took place near Naples, Italy. Over 2,000 years, structures and personal things were beautifully maintained, with little damage from air and moisture.

Pompeii was indeed an old civilization in what is now the commune of Pompei in the Campania region of Italy, near Naples.

Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and several villas in the surrounding area (for example, Bosco Reale and Stabiae) were buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of volcanic ash and pumice after Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 AD.

Although it is primarily known for its Roman remains visible today, from 79 AD, it was built on the ruins of a much older city.

The Greeks pushed the city’s expansion from an early core (the ancient town) following the battle of Cumae in 450 BC.

1.1 Did Vesuvius Vaporize Its Victims?

The eruptive event in Pompeii lasted two days. The first phase was pumice rain (lapilli), which lasted about 18 hours and allowed most residents to flee.

Only around 1,150 remains have been discovered on site, which appears to validate this notion. Most escapees are likely to have managed to rescue some of their most expensive possessions.

Numerous bones were discovered carrying jewellery, cash, and silverware.

Pyroclastic flows, consisting of high-speed, thick, and searing ash clouds, began near the volcano, bringing down totally or partially all structures in their path, incinerating or smothering the surviving inhabitants, and transforming the terrain, including the shoreline.

The eruption had ended by the sunset of the second day, leaving only haze in the atmosphere through which the sun shone weakly.

2. People Of Pompeii And Their Lifestyle:

2.1. How Did The Inhabitants Of Pompeii Have Fun?

An ancient city unlike any other can be discovered snuggled along Italy’s coast! A fascinating archaeological site that was buried thousands of years ago by Mount Vesuvius’ volcanic explosion.

It’s a fantastic depiction of the ancient Romans who previously governed the region.

Visitors may walk the streets and look at the artefacts, learning about the daily life of these ancient beings.

One of the most common inquiries tourists have is regarding the Pompeii people’s lifestyle—how they lived, worked, and enjoyed their lives.

The Pompeii People’s pleasures are an enthralling find that highlights the contrasts and similarities between ancient Romans and modern-day people.

‘Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano’, which debuted last month at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada, analyses daily life in Pompeii via six separate sections on people who lived in the ancient city.

In this exclusive conversation, James Blake Wiener of the Ancient History Encyclopedia (AHE) talks to Curator Paul Denis about the exhibition and how modern lives mimic those of the ancient past.

2.1.1. Entertainment

One of the main attractions for any Pompeii resident was public entertainment. Gladiator battles, animal hunts, ceremonies, and even executions were among the oldest forms of entertainment.

The vast Pompeii Amphitheatre served as the major entertainment facility, hosting a variety of public events throughout the year.

It was a symbol of common ground among the classes, since everyone was invited to witness the public entertainment regardless of class.

2.1.2. Bath Houses

The usage of the bathhouses were an essential component of daily life in Pompeii. Bathing oneself used to be a social occasion involving socializing, conversing, and relaxing with your friends and neighbours.

The Pompeii Bathhouses were ornately constructed, with large pools and steam chambers that the residents gently passed through to wash away their everyday grime.

It wasn’t just a realistic daily duty for this ancient culture; it was the only time they could unwind after a long day of work.

Everyone in the neighbourhood went to the Baths for a nice and soothing afternoon break.

2.1.3. Feasts

Although some individuals ate on the street, more elaborate feasts were held in the triclinium (dining room) or gardens.

The high-class people of Pompeii ate a varied and exotic diet, holding multiple feasts in their residences for their friends and acquaintances throughout the week.

The feasts were always lavish, highlighting the host’s riches by presenting a variety of costly food and wine.

The more unusual the cuisine, the more stunning the feast, with rumours of giraffes, imported fish, and even flamingo bird meat being served at these exclusive dinner gatherings.

Upper society also enjoyed imported or high-class wine, which was offered in jugs and buckets to drunken visitors.

Whatever form of imported cuisine was presented, it was frequently boiled, smoked, fried, or baked with seasoned fish sauce or thick syrup wine.

As a result, all of the cuisine was extremely rich, which the Pompeii residents liked, even leaving room for decadent sweets like stuffed dates soaked in honey to end.

2.1.4. Festivals

Festivals were an important aspect of Roman religious life in ancient Pompeii. They were known as Feriaes, and there were three kinds of them.

The first were Stativae, which were yearly holidays with definite dates, a Contraceptive, which were mobile feasts, and Imperative, which were holidays observed on demand.

Depending on the festival, the celebrations were either sponsored by the Roman Church or rich Pompeii households. Here are a few of Pompeii’s favourite festivals.

• The Festival Of Vulcanalia

This was the very last festival ever held at Pompeii, and it was dedicated to the God of Fire. Vulcan was the god of fire and volcanoes, and he was known for his mastery in metallurgy.

Large bonfires and shrines were set up across the city to commemorate the occasion. There were several games, and live fish or small animals were sacrificed to the God of Fire by being thrown into the fires.

• The Festival Of Diana

On the Ides of August, a Diana celebration was conducted at her Shrine at Lake Nemi near Aricia, which coincided with Aricia’s reputed creation date.

The festival’s beginnings are likely to predate the transfer of Diana’s worship to Rome in the third century BCE and may date back to the sixth century BCE or before.

2.1.5. Brothels

Prostitution was socially and legally acceptable in Pompeii’s ancient culture. It was common for Roman males to frequent these brothels on a regular basis to blow off steam or to enjoy themselves in a group setting.

There was no stigma in the city since the brothels were treated like any other service. The settings were dark and intimate, with a succession of small rooms decorated with flickering candles, lovely draperies, and a sexual vibe.

Since the buildings had limited windows, enormous frescos of exotic actions were painted on the walls to provide spectacular vistas.

Each modest chamber had a companion eager to greet their next visitor. These were largely ladies, although there were a few guys in there as well.

The appearance of these companions varied, but because the city’s beauty standards favoured blondes with light complexions, immigrants from northern European nations were often seized and sold as sex worker salves.

Other prostitutes bleached their hair blonde to appeal to the visitors in order to compete with these foreigners.

2.2. The Terrifying Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

When it comes to Mount Vesuvius in Italy, the issue isn’t if it will erupt, but when. Geologists and volcanologists who study Mount Vesuvius easily admit that an eruption is imminent.

As a result, the Vesuvius Observatory analyses seismic activity, gas emissions, and other signs 24 hours a day to determine when the eruption will occur.

2.2.1. Pompeii Bodies

According to new research, most perished instantaneously as a result of the intense heat. Residents of Pompeii may have been subjected to temperatures far beyond 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Italian experts.

The positions of the bodies suggest how people died. Some of the Pompeii victims recovered in the foetal position, according to researchers.

Because it’s a frequent symptom of suffocation, many experts believe the victims were killed as hot gases raged through the city.

Scientists also know that pouring pumice triggered roof collapses, killing several Pompeians who stayed inside. However, excavators also discovered corpses in good condition.

Many Vesuvius victims were discovered face down.

Roberto Rossellini, who set a sequence in his film ‘Journey to Italy’ showed the finding of several casts in Pompeii.

Unfortunately, many of the castings on exhibit were destroyed or severely damaged by bombs in 1943, yet the tireless efforts of Maiuri and his colleagues allowed for a partial repair.

The castings that survived the war, however, are now housed in the rebuilt Antiquarium, which opened in 1948.

An estimated 2,000 individuals who perished in the Ancient Roman city when they couldn’t flee were asphyxiated by the gases and ashes and then covered in volcanic debris, leaving a record of their physical presence millennia later.

In the initial stages of the eruption, people who hadn’t fled the city in time were trapped inside their dwellings. They were submerged under pumice stones or killed by the roofs and walls caving in due to the volcanic debris.

It reached about three metres in height. Of these victims, only the bones have been found.

2.3. Pompeii Archaeological Park

Pompeii, the location of the world’s most famous volcanic tragedy when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., is today an important archaeological site that gives an incredible view into the everyday routine of a regular Roman town from over two thousand years ago.

Pompeii, like adjacent Herculaneum, is a one-of-a-kind global treasure that transports visitors to the first century AD.

However, in this situation, you may stroll directly into the world, as if the original occupants had just stepped aside. It is not simple to get there by public transportation, so if it is within your budget, a tour makes the most sense.

It’s also helpful to have someone take you around the vast park.

2.4. Antiquarium of Pompeii

The Antiquarium of Pompeii, which was created between 1873 and 1874 by Giuseppe Fiorelli, began as an exhibition site presenting archaeological artefacts that portrayed daily life in the ancient city.

The structure was severely damaged by World War II bombs in 1943 and again in 1980 due to an earthquake.

The museum was closed to the public for 36 years until reopening in 2016 as a temporary exhibition venue. In January 25, 2021, the museum reopened as a permanent display site.

Visitors may examine archaeological findings from the excavations, castings of Mount Vesuvius explosion victims and displays chronicling Pompeii’s settlement history before becoming a bustling Roman metropolis.

Following that, a high-temperature pyroclastic flow reached the city at fast speed and filled all the spaces that had not yet been swallowed by other volcanic debris, causing anybody remaining in the city to perish instantly from heat shock.

The remains of these victims stayed in the same position as when the pyroclastic flow hit them, and the shape of their bodies was preserved even after the organic components disintegrated since they were covered by calcified layers of ash.

Since 1863, a little more than a hundred castings have been manufactured using the technology pioneered by Giuseppe Fiorelli.

There are the skeletal remains of an embracing couple, known as the “two maidens”.

Their hug is eternal, clinging to one other before their end. They were considered to be two ladies at first, thus the term “two maidens”.

However, comprehensive anthropological testing on the duo’s bones and teeth proved that one was a young guy.

Scientists discovered young twins aged 10-12 years old after discovering what seemed to be the same bones twice in a cellar.

When they examined the twins’ skeletal remains, they noticed that they both had the same anomalies on their teeth, indicating an unexpected condition – congenital syphilis.

Unexpected because historians and other researchers had previously assumed that congenital syphilis did not enter Europe until the 15th century.

As the location had rich volcanic soil nearby, crops abound, assuring the city always had lots of fresh fruit, cereals, and water with high fluoride levels.

Despite their strong teeth, there is evidence that a large proportion of the Pompeii population was overweight. Around 10% of the population were rotund and hairy.

It is an old city that has been totally preserved, with buildings, artefacts, and human remains discovered amid the ruins.

Archaeologists have discovered 1,150 bodies out of 2,000 amid Pompeii’s debris, revealing the victims’ prior lives and final moments.

Unfortunately, the building in which the plaster castings were originally held was heavily damaged during WWII, and they are now scattered across the city.

2.5. What Are People From Pompeii Called?

Pompeii, on the other hand, obtained Roman citizenship and was quickly integrated into Roman history.

The city’s primary language was Latin, and many Pompeii aristocratic families Latinized their names to show integration.

2.6. What Did The People Of Pompeii Do?

These included old forms of entertainment such as gladiators fighting animals, rituals, and even executions.

The massive Pompei amphitheatres were the principal attraction, hosting various events throughout the year.

2.7. Did Any People Survive In Pompeii?

Between 15,000 and 250,000 people lived in Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the vast majority of them survived the cataclysmic eruption.

Cornelius Fuscus, a surviving Roman, died in what was called in Roman legend as Asian – now Romania.

2.8. What Happened To The People In Pompeii?

There are several views as to whether persons stuck within boats perished as a result of heat exposure or asphyxia. Following that, their bodies began to fry. The skin expanded and drew moisture to the bone.

2.9. What Did The People Of Pompeii Do?

These incorporated ancient entertainment like gladiators fighting animals, ritual, and even executions. The large amphitheaters of Pompei were the main attraction, and hosted countless events all over the year.

Residents of Pompeii and adjacent Herculaneum who chose to stay rather than evacuate were killed as a blast of ash and noxious gases barreled over the city walls at over 100 miles per hour, destroying everything in its path.

3. Conclusion

In Pompeii, there isn’t much to see. Expect little unless you are a historian, archaeologist, etc.

You get the image – in multiple meanings of the phrase – in 10-15 minutes. However, once inside, it is simple to become disoriented, making it more difficult to exit.

But it’s a must-see destination. You can discover the remnants of History that you were taught in high school here.

So, what are you waiting for? Plan a vacation to Pompeii and spend time with your family.

Read more here.