In autumn of 79 CE, a massive volcanic eruption occurred: the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The explosion blew off an entire part of the volcano, and smoke and fire shot into the air. A huge ‘mushroom cloud’ made up of pieces of pumice—a type of light and porous volcanic rock—followed, and an even bigger mass of ash blasted up after that. These clouds collapsed in the air under their own weight, and crashed down upon two cities near the area. Buildings collapsed, and even as many people tried to escape, they became trapped under the ash and pumice and many were unable to. The cities were buried, lost, and forgotten until many long years later.
One of the two cities that suffered that fate was Pompeii. One does not usually think of the culture …show more content…
Greek influence in the city can also be seen through the deities the inhabitants of the city worshipped. Many buildings and structures were dedicated to the gods of the Pompeian citizens. An example is the Temple of Apollo. Religion was not separate from other parts of living in Pompeii. Rather, it was an important part of daily life, and evidence of this can be seen not only in the public temples of the city, but also in the shrines and worship objects in the gardens and houses of the Pompeian residences. The large number of shrines dedicated to gods and worshipping them or asking for their intercession suggests that Pompeians truly believed in them and that they shaped much of how Pompeians lived their lives. In fact, there were many references to deities throughout Pompeii, in the forms of graffiti on city walls as well as on the wall paintings of some houses. This shows how important religion was to Pompeians and how it was also entwined in their daily lives. From early on, various foreign civilizations such as Greece and Egypt influenced the religion of Pompeii. Pompeian citizens worshiped gods like Apollo, Minerva, Isis, and Dionysus; some from Egypt, others Greek, others Roman, and still others
One of the two cities that suffered that fate was Pompeii. One does not usually think of the culture …show more content…
Greek influence in the city can also be seen through the deities the inhabitants of the city worshipped. Many buildings and structures were dedicated to the gods of the Pompeian citizens. An example is the Temple of Apollo. Religion was not separate from other parts of living in Pompeii. Rather, it was an important part of daily life, and evidence of this can be seen not only in the public temples of the city, but also in the shrines and worship objects in the gardens and houses of the Pompeian residences. The large number of shrines dedicated to gods and worshipping them or asking for their intercession suggests that Pompeians truly believed in them and that they shaped much of how Pompeians lived their lives. In fact, there were many references to deities throughout Pompeii, in the forms of graffiti on city walls as well as on the wall paintings of some houses. This shows how important religion was to Pompeians and how it was also entwined in their daily lives. From early on, various foreign civilizations such as Greece and Egypt influenced the religion of Pompeii. Pompeian citizens worshiped gods like Apollo, Minerva, Isis, and Dionysus; some from Egypt, others Greek, others Roman, and still others