Pompeii: Religion Influence Egyptian Culture

In Pompeii, religion shows an influence Egyptian culture. In particular, the Egyptian goddess Isis, goddess of health, marriage and wisdom, had a notable presence in Pompeii. One of the most notable influences Isis and the Egyptian culture had on Pompeii was the Temple of Isis, erected in devotion to her within the city. The temple was situated near the Large Amphitheatre in the Pompeiian Forum. Source A also shows the influence of Egyptian culture. It depicts a marble statue of Isis, found in Pompeii. This statue shows that the worship of Isis was not limited to just the Temple and that she must have been worshiped by more than a select few. Isis’ popularity may have stemmed from the fact that she was considered to be, according to R.E Witt, ‘a friend of slaves and the …show more content…
This has caused some areas of the site to be changed to a point where it is not the original building anymore, creating a lack of authenticity. Scaffolding for conservation work that is evident on some buildings may also add to the lack of authenticity. This can be seen with Source E, where an ancient Pompeiian building has been converted into the “Autogrill Café”. This impacts the respectability of Pompeii as original buildings are converted for the purpose of profit, ruining some of the authenticity of the site. A similar scenario can be observed with the failed attempt to spark an increased tourist interest, PompeiViva. Some parts of the Pompeiian site were replaced to make them more appealing to tourists. For example, Pompeii’s large amphitheatre was covered with fibreglass, a plywood stage was erected and the ancient seats were covered with concrete so it could be used for theatre productions to ironically raise money for conservation. However, none of the money raised from the theatre productions actually went to the conservation of the