Villa Of Mysteries Essay

The Villa of Mysteries, which is located in the ruins of Pompeii, is a Roman villa that has been miraculously well preserved, especially considering the damage sustained during the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. It is composed of stone and brick orthogonal walls surrounding the peristyle, or atrium. The only break in this orthogonal nature of the villa is the semi-circle exedra on the southern wall. The Villa of Mysteries has three levels and large exterior balconies overlooking the Italian countryside with the rear of the building facing back to Pompeii. There is a strong element of axial symmetry with the peristyle being at the center of both axes. Best known for it’s well maintained frescos in one of the smaller rooms, …show more content…
This was a period of unrest in Pompeii, during which the city took part in an unsuccessful rebellion against the Roman empire. It was in 80 BCE that the rebellion was crushed and Pompeii was once again firmly under Rome’s control. This provides an interesting context for the building and by extension it’s famous frieze. The cult of Bacchus, otherwise known as Dionysus, was expressly outlawed in the Roman empire, save for special cases granted by the Senate. It is not known whether or not the owners of the Villa of Mysteries had one such special permission. The cult was introduced to Rome by the Greek cultures in southern Rome. The conflicting influences of Greek against Roman cultures may have been one of the factors in Pompeii’s decision to try and break away from the Roman empire. The Villa of Mysteries is not located within the city limits of Pompeii, but rather some 400 meters north. This separation from the rest of the city gives the villa a certain degree of privacy which would have been greatly needed to practice the rites depicted in the frieze while the Roman empire frowned on such