Patriarchy In Pompeii

Pompeii was an ancient Roman city, located in what is know today as southern Italy, that remained lost to the world for over sixteen hundred years after a volcanic eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius left it blanketed in ash. As the city was unearthed a clearer picture of Roman life began to emerge. Though several Roman cities were merely left to disrepair after the empire fell and not impacted by a volcanic eruption, they were affected by the elements that fell upon them in the nearly two thousand years that Pompeii was covered. The city of Pompeii became one of the most valuable sources of information regarding ancient Roman civilization. Through the use of information and artifacts gathered, after the excavation of Pompeii, religious beliefs, …show more content…
The painting shows a wealthy business man, Terentius Neo, and his wife who remains unnamed (Strayer 253). This shows the patriarchal aspect as she is, clearly, seen as less than her husband due to the fact that it was not seen fit to mention her name on the corresponding plaque of the painting. However, both husband and wife pictured seem to have been educated at least to the point of being literate. This was made apparent because of the scrolls and writing tablets pictured in the hands of the couple (253). During this time period, only the elite could afford the luxury of an education because all other citizens would need all members of the household contributing to the workload. This pictured the hierarchy in Roman society. Another discovery in support of the hierarchical structure is a painting that shows a grand banquet being held in Pompeii (253). The rich, differentiated due to their extravagant and colorful robes, are served by those who are most likely slaves, apparent due to their plain white robes. The Pompeians enjoyed things typical to ancient Romans including those of gladiator fighting. Which explains the discovery of the oldest known Roman amphitheater made of stone (Jashemski