Herculaneum, In The Shadow Of Vesuvius

An eerie quietness enveloped me as I passed through the gate high on the hill overlooking the blue sea below and descended the pine-lined winding pathway to the entrance, pieced only by a few chirping birds that seemed to welcome me.

As I quickly gazed over the site, it was like a still-life, devoid of any visible movement.   Only at the lower levels could I see some visitors milling around.

A village frozen in time, Herculaneum is now an on-site burial ground and excavation site for those very unfortunate souls who gasped their last tortuous breaths there in the shadow of Vesuvius.

The residents of Herculaneum, a very posh and exclusive resort community, were the crème de la crème of Roman society, much more wealthy than those of Pompeii.  Just south of Naples, it offered fabulous views of Vesuvius hovering above them and the blue Mediterranean below.

The houses were staggered on a hill, most offering a dreamy view of the sea from their luxuriant gardens, It was a gated community that only the wealthiest Romans and a few freed slaves could enjoy.

The world was their oyster.  They had it all!  Wealth afforded them a life of luxuriant living.  Clothed in the finest of the latest fashions and with their bodies adorned in eye-catching gold and jewels, they were the most envied of all Roman citizens!

I have to admit there was some reticence in visiting either Pompeii or Herculaneum as my trip to Naples was one to offer distractions to my annual holiday grief.  I decided it would be a shame not to visit such a historical site, however tragic the event was.

Furthermore, I had already learned a lot about the history of Herculaneum and had seen some preserved artifacts at the Archeology Museum of Naples the day before.

I selected Herculaneum over Pompeii for several reasons.  First, it is smaller and easier to fit in a day’s visit without rushing through.

There were fewer visible skeletons to be seen during their last few moments in excruciating agony and pain.  Just hearing about how they died was difficult enough.

Roman houses and artifacts are better preserved there.  Frescoes are naturally faded with visible erosion, but the coulurs are quite visible.

No, it doesn’t have the famed porno mosaics of brothels like Pompeii, which recently reopened, but there are many mosaics in Herculaneum that are in good condition.

It was an easy 40 minute ride on the suburban train to reach the town of Ercolano on the Amalfi Coast.  A warm breeze greeted us as we descended the main street towards the protected remains.

It was just a typical Autumn night a little after midnight around the 17th of October, 79 AD when Vesuvius started to rumble and spew volcanic ash in the air.     During the night, some felt a few rumbles of the earth, normal from time to time there.

Seismic rumblings and earthquakes had been recorded in the past, but not volcanic eruptions of Vesuvius.   Here is an example of a honeycomb construction the Romans used to be quake-resistant, copied from original masters of architecture: honeybees!

This is an amazing testimony not only of the ingenuity of honeybees but of Roman architects, now used today for stability and seismic resistance.

None of the rumblings were alarming enough to send anyone to the cave-like shelters on the beach below them.  Some residents decided to leave after the first explosion that occurred after midnight.    By the time the second larger eruptions were visible the next day, it would prove to be too late.

Those who did stay quickly gathered their jewelry and other important belongings and headed to cavern-like shelters on the beach.  Women and children went inside and the men out on the beach.

Apparently, news reached the Roman navy , and some boats were sent to rescue them.  As they tried to approach the beach, the heat was so extreme they were pushed back out to sea, except one, where sailors had already succumbed.

Waves of superheated gasses, over 400 C/752F, mixed with thick flakes of volcanic ash quickly blew down the slopes throughout the area killing the remaining residents almost immediately.

The eruption was so heavy with ash and debris it thickly covered Herculaneum with 25 meters/82 feet of ash that wasn’t discovered till 1709.

As I crossed over a short bridge where the grass is seen today, it was the sand beach at that time.  The sea in the course of over 2000 years has receded several hundred yards.

The arched-like caves where hundreds of women and children huddled, hoping to escape unharmed. Of course, they had no protection from the superheated air that surrounded them.   Skeletons of men were scattered on the beach.

I didn’t want to stare at their skeletons jumbled below, nor get a closer view of these innocent victims. As I quickly entered one of the main streets, there was no one else to be seen.

Stillness permeated the air much as one finds in a cemetery.   Occasional bird chirps, and the sound of soft wind rustling some leaves, broke through the tranquility.

Where once there were sounds of relaxed vacationers looking forward to another day, now the scenes were frozen in time, like a still life painting.

I felt rather strange walking into their spacious homes as if I was secretly invading someone’s privacy, though they have been vacant since 79AD.

Many portals were luxuriously decorated with elaborate wall carvings and beautiful frescoes covered walls and ceilings.  Intricate mosaic floors with decorative designs were encountered often and built-in altars to honor their gods.

Roman houses seemingly all had large squared inner courtyard entrances with a large central pool.  It must have been de rigueur to have impressive entrances with center pools to greet one’s guests.

I could easily imagine them gathered around the pool and fountain, surrounded by leafy plants and flowers, perhaps lounging about in their lavish robes while eating at low tables alongside them.

Bedrooms were set across the pool with doors that gave views of the central greenery.  A large room placed in front, facing the street had a thin screened wooden door that slid shut if one wanted to have some privacy from the central courtyard.

This door survived intact.   Wooden bed slats in one of the bedrooms survived as well.

 

 

 

 

On one of the streets, I was amazed to find a series of deep earthen pots lined up that is said to have been a buffet-type eatery where one could stop off for hot meals, called a Themopolium.

There was space behind to sit and eat on site and I suppose an ancient takeout too.

 

 

 

 

Of course, there was a wine store still full of roman amphorae wine vessels. and casks.  The photo is taken through a protective fence.

All streets were named with house numbers, some having plaques indicating the names of the family who inhabited them.  Many had large outdoor gardens as well.

 

 

A resident white cat snoozing in the sun was oblivious to the few visitors crossing her path.

I was glad to see a quiet respectful tone among others tourists looking around.  Perhaps they too felt a sense of compassion for these innocent victims who suffered a horrible death.

One outdoor carving that intrigued me looked like a surgeon removing a barbed spear with a long knife.  Likewise, a lovely draped damsel in front of a nude male with a sheaved knife around his waist.   Yikes, certainly not very comforting to any patient, contemplating treatment!

After I visited the village, I went inside the small museum, where there was the charred rescue boat that floated ashore.   

 

 

 

 

The museum had some very beautiful iron tables built to hold oil lamps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was an array of fishing tools one would see today such as corks, metal bait sinkers, and of course nets and tools to repair them.

The Romans, both men and women were said to be enamored of cosmetics, and each house had an array of creams, ointments, beauty potions, and makeup found in bedrooms, which they put on before dressing and affixing their wigs.

Draping themselves in gold and silver jewelry along with silk robes testified to their wealth.

This plaque quotes a roman poet mocking how they went to sleep with their set of teeth aside and “their face” in a hundred boxes.

Gold and silver objects were often set on display in their houses to further impress guests.

Glassware was cheap to make and preferred over metal bowls and plates, as they did not taint foods with an off taste.   The charred remains of a round-scored loaf of bread was amazing to see.

All of Herculaneum has not been uncovered,  so there are daily excavations going on.

Afterward, I sat on the ledge overlooking the village below, and peaceful-looking Vesuvius in the background. As I was collecting my thoughts and feelings,   I saw a dark gray cloud hovering over its crater.

It was like it was an eerie remnant of the past: an omen to remind us that however peaceful Vesuvius looks, it remains one of the most dangerous volcanos in the world.   In the past, it erupted approximately every 20 to 30 years, the last being in 1944.

Vesuvius is classified as a stratovolcano, that is sitting above a tear in the African tectonic plate, creating a window for the earth’s bubbling mantle to burst through under intense pressure with pyroclastic flows spewing lava, lava rocks, pumice, ash, and superheated waves of volcanic gasses.

Basking in the last rays of the setting sun; pervading fear and disbelief that something so catastrophic like this could happen so quickly, without much warning.

When facing the unknowns and uncontrollable forces of nature, our human fragility reminds us all that we are at the mercy and must learn to live in concert with nature, not foolishly believing we can conquer it. 

Scientific prediction methods we have, but as we have seen lately, not always reliable.  If man is unpredictable, nature seems to be much more so! 

A little over a week before we had arrived in Naples, there was a deadly mudslide on the island of Ischia,  35 kilometers from Naples with its own volcano. Smashed homes, cars and muddy debris were shoved down into the sea, killing 12 residents.

A few days ago, a horrific earthquake in Turkey killed untold thousands, as many victims remain buried.   Turkey, like Italy and Greece, is over heavy seismic activities from the movement of tectonic plates.

Despite that Vesuvius is way overdue an eruption, its slopes are cultivated in vineyards as before.   The Almafi coastal towns are heavily inhabited.     Famous for fabulous cliff views of the sea and for their lemons, they draw loads of tourists.

Naples, with a population of over 3 million, is also at risk.  The Vesuvius Volcanic Observatory, the oldest in the world, keeps close watch over its seismic activity, and the other volcanos in the area.  There is an evacuation plan, but I wonder how successful it could be in such a populated area.

The whole area offers uncontestably beautiful sea views, but at what level of risk would you be able to assume living there?