Pompeii

Pompeii was an ancient Italian city that was ruined by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Although the entire town was destroyed, the volcanic ash that blanketed the city kept it very well preserved which made it easy for archaeologists to discover how the people of Pompeii lived. The architecture of Pompeii was similar to the rest of the Roman empire, but there with a few noticeable differences which were discovered by studying the House of Vettii.

The Garden at the House of Vettii

The layout of the House of Vettii

The House of Vettii was owned by Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva, two wealthy freedmen, who represented the "nouveau riche" of Pompeii. The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius wasn't the first disaster to strike Pompeii, there was an earthquake in 62 AD, which led to many of the wealthy citizens of Pompeii to move and make room for people like Vettius Restitutus and Vettius Conviva. The House of Vettii had many murals that depicted some rather...obscene images; a depiction of Priapus (the God of fertility) and scenes from brothels, but there were also images of cupids making wine which makes historians think that the Vettii relatives made their money by selling wine. Also, many of the walls were painted in red and gold, which were considered the colors of Pompeii.

Cupid wine mural

Other Blogs- I was really excited when I decided to look at Natalie's blog to see she had actually been to Pompeii. She had some really great images from her trip and I always think it's beneficial to be able to have a point of reference with someone who has actually been to an area before. Also, the picture of the "fast food" restaurant was really neat.
Rachel's blog discusses the four wall painting styles of Pompeii which was interesting. The first style is supposed to resemble marble, the second style highlights architectural features, the third style focused on intricate detailing and the fourth focused on panoramic scenes.