Pompeii and Herculaneum are ancient Roman towns that were popular for their wealth and extravagance of their locals. Both the towns were consumed by a massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. The two towns together with their residents got buried under the magma and ash of the volcano. Pompeii was a prominent high-end town that was mainly inhabited by Romans known for the lavish living while their volcanic slopes allowed for olive groves and grape farming. It was a beautiful ancient town with a perfectly built stadium and theatre. Mount Vesuvius` had been dormant for centuries which meant the Herculaneum and Pompeii locals were unaware of the impending risk associated with the imminent eruption of the mountain. The early warning signs were thus assumed which led to the complete destruction of the cities. The paper shall compare Pompeii and Herculaneum analyzing the similarities and the differences between the two Roman towns.
History
Herculaneum was connected to Herculaneum in ancient tradition as it emanated from Greek hero named Herakles which indicated that the city had Greek roots. The town was historically under Greek control as it was common as a trading venue primarily due to its closeness to the Gulf of Naples. The city changed hands after Samnites took over and dominated the Greeks. However, in 89BC the Romans took control of the town after the social war. However, after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD, the town was completely buried under approximately 55 feet of ash (Bradley, 2013). The town was hidden while still largely intact until explorations were made in the 18TH century. However, despite excavation efforts still being done, over 75% is still buried under the ash. The town worshiped gods such as Hercules, Apollo, and Venus. The Herculaneum locals believed Hercules was the founder of Mount Vesuvius and the town as well.
Pompei was located close to modern day Naples and was a large high-end Roman city located in the wealthy suburbs of Campania Italy. The town is believed to have been founded by the Oscans in the late 6th century but came under Roman domination early in the 4th century (Bradley, 2013). Pompeii became a Roman colony earlier on in 80BC upon joining a fairly unsuccessful anti-Roman republic rebellion. The town was also a high-end state similar to Herculaneum, although not quite at the level of Herculaneum, and had a gymnasium, a port, and a well-designed amphitheater. The Mount Vesuvius eruption destroyed the Roman city, consequently killing all its inhabitants and buried it under ash. The town was buried for nearly 1500 years until some of its remains were rediscovered in 1599. However, proper rediscovery was made in mid-18th century whereby the remains were rediscovered in whole due to the lack of moisture and air which made it possible for some of the remains to remain intact. Consequently, the city has been a prominent tourist destination for over 250 years and has a world heritage status from UNESCO which highlights its prominence as one of the world`s most popular destinations.
Population
The two towns were located close to each other which led to Herculaneum being commonly referred to as the sister town of Pompeii. Both the towns were occupied by the Samnite and Greek people who lived in the areas until the Roman conquering. From the statistics gathered by Watts (2015), the towns were not congested as they had populations in thousands. To explain further, Herculaneum had a small population of 5000 people. The population was mostly comprised of adults between 25 and 40 while children also made the bulk of the population. Pompeii was fairly larger and hard a significantly larger population than Herculaneum as it had a population of around 1500 people. The two towns were mainly inhabited by the Samnite and Greek people who perished when Mount Vesuvius erupted. The two towns were not large but Herculaneum was way smaller than Pompeii and as a result had a significantly lower population. This consequently made the towns susceptible to attacks, but they were well protected as they were high-end towns that were vital to the economy of the empire.
Economy
The ancient Roman world was characterized by its economic arrangement. To explain further, the rich were often secluded from the middle class while the middle class was also secluded from the poor. Consequently, this meant that people lived in locations according to their financial status. The rich associated with their wealthy counterparts while the poor were found in regions occupied by people in the same class (Sparavigna, 2016). Pompeii was a location for the wealthy people. It was characterized by three main economic activities that boosted the economy of the town. First, the area was fertile enough to allow for large-scale wine production which was exported to other regions. The size of the area allowed for such trade practices as did the volcanic soil and hot and wet climate which made it possible to plant grapes and produce wine as a result. This boosted the economy of Pompeii subsequently according to its widespread recognition for its participation in boosting the Roman economy. The wealthy people of the Roman Empire relocated to Pompeii, more so those involved in the wine business. Another financial activity undertaken by the Pompeii locals was the medium to large-scale production of craft goods which were essential for consumption by the locals (Sparavigna, 2016). The local pottery workshop as can be seen in Porta di Nocera proves that the locals were interested in pottery and craft as a form of creating sustenance. Moreover, finance was also a critical part of the Pompeii economy as wealthy business people often met up in Pompeii and planned for their business activities. This can be seen from the obtained financial records that detailed the business activities of the Pompeii locals. From the evidence provided, it is safe to conclude that the town was a self-sustainable as it had its own resources that proved useful in the maintenance of economic harmony in the region. The locals were highly regarded in the different areas of the Roman empire, more so due to its large-scale wine production.
The residents of Herculaneum also practiced similar economic activities to Pompeii although slightly different. As mentioned earlier, the Herculaneum town was wealthier than Pompeii, and as a result, it was occupied by wealthy merchants, generals, and political moguls. However, due to the prominence of slave ownership at the time, Herculaneum was also inhabited by slaves. Some of the prominent economic activities in the region were such as bakery, prostitution, and fishing as can be seen from the excavated remains. It is believed that doctors were commonly found in the region due to the need to attend to the prominent members of the society. Further, the rich in Herculaneum also fancied entertaining themselves mostly through drinking and sleeping with prostitutes. This characterized the economy of the region which was mostly designed to suit the preferences of the wealthy in the society. Moreover, the Herculaneum and Pompeii people had artistic influences a similarity. The preference for entertainment led to increased interest in sexual activities which explains why prostitution was a booming business at the time. Consequently, sculptors and artists became increasingly interested in depicting the sexual activities that took place in the bars and inns. This led to widespread reproduction of erotic art.
Architecture and town design
Pompeii had the popular Roman architectural design which was characterized by blocks commonly referred to as insulae. However, it is essential to note that Pompeii`s insulae was irregular due to the Greek origins that influenced the town. Although the town was populated by the upper echelon of the Roman Empire, it also had poor people whose primary jobs was to serve the wealthy. The Via Dell Abbondanza served as Pompeii`s main street and was did not have an efficient drainage as could be seen from the stepping stones and wheel ruts which were raised (Fant, Russel& Baker, 2013). Pompeii`s public center was where the main roads of Nola, Stabiae, and Naples met. Fresh produce including fruit and fish were often sold at the intersection while religious events also took place at the public center. The public center was characterized by its largely spaced columns which surrounded the fairly large town market. The town had numerous public baths which acted as the city`s public centers. Both men and women had access to the baths which were cheaply charged, more so for men. The baths had different designs with some designed to serve the wealthy while others were simple enough for the middle and low income earning citizens. There were a variety of options in Pompeii`s baths from frigidarium which was a cold bath, the tepidarium the sauna bath and the caldarium which acted as a heated batch. Private houses in Pompeii were more intricately designed, and the common design was the Atrium house. The house had a large room called an atrium which acted as the social and religious point of the house. Another style was the Atrium-Peristyle design which was a modernized version of the Atrium and was characterized by a garden which was at the center of the house which instead acted as the meeting or social point. The Villa, however, was the most substantial and most affluently designed Pompeii house. The villa was built on the outskirts of Pompeii and often acted as a holiday home for the wealthy Romans. The Pompeii people enjoyed their baths which can be seen from the design of both their private and public spaces.
The Herculaneum buildings have been better preserved due to the heat and density of the volcanic material that buried the city. Most of Herculaneum remains buried, but most of its architectural designs can be understood from the available structures. From the designs, it is safe to conclude that Herculaneum was more cultural and quieter than Pompeii. It had lesser trading activities but had better drainage due to the lack of paving stones and wheel ruts which were common in Pompeii. The Herculaneum theatre was wonderfully decorated with Greek designs and had a capacity of around 2500 (Cooley & Cooley, 2013). Herculaneum only had two types of baths, and the baths were gender restrictive unlike those of Pompeii. However, the baths were exclusively designed for the wealthy based on their design. The private houses followed the same design as Pompeii although they had finer finishes and more artistic inclusions which highlight the wealthy nature of the region. Most of the houses were double stories Atrium houses which were highly favored by the wealthy. The houses were brilliantly designed in the seaside to provide the occupants with scenic views.
In conclusion, Pompeii and Herculaneum are two historic towns that share similar features. From the comparisons conducted, it is clear that the two neighboring towns had a similar culture, traditions, and even economic activities. What is more, the two towns are bounded by the same history and were both regions inhabited by wealthy people of the Roman empire. The climate and volcanic soil made farming and appropriate economic venture, but the strategic location of the towns allowed for other economic activities such as fishing. Pompeii locals were known for their large-scale wine production, finance and art, and craft. Similarly, the Herculaneum people had artistic interests and were also farmers as well as fishermen. Prostitution was common in both towns as was baking and bar businesses. The economic activities were essential to the progress of the town. The extensive research on the design and architecture of the two towns helps provide additional information on how the locals lived. The remains obtained indicate the areas were occupied by wealthy locals who had a liking for baths and large Roman houses. Pompeii had a busier town center that served as a marketplace while Herculaneum was quieter and more intricately designed to suit the taste of the affluent. Indeed, although the two towns have their respective differences in terms of sizes, population, and location, they also have a host of similarities that help increase the understanding of the Roman Empire and the occupants of the regions.