The Romans had their own version of fast foods.
Most citizens bought food from local Thermopolies (from the Greek
"hot city"). The food here was prepared and stored in large amphoras
that were warmed by the fires from below.
Pompeii is not the
first city destroyed by the volcano Mount Vesuvius. Cities from the
time of the Bronze Age were also destroyed a few centuries before.
The time has passed, people have forgotten and began to settle in
these lands, attracted by volcanic soil enriched with minerals
perfect for growing vineyards and large trees. After the eruption,
people returned to this land for the same reason.
According
to approximate estimates, about 15,000-20,000 people lived in the
city. Of these, about 10,000 to 16,000 people died. The rest were
saved. The new Roman emperor even took care of the survivors.
The Romans were among the first who began to build their toilets, not only in private homes, but also as separate public toilets. True, there were no partitions in them, and instead of toilet paper they used a sponge on a stick, one for all. The Romans only moistened this sponge in water. However, going to such a public toilet was also very dangerous. Thieves and gangsters who robbed visitors often worked there. Some Romans even wore talismans for successful toilet visits.
Crossings across the street in Pompeii are somewhat similar to ours, but unlike modern painted Romans made them of stone. The fact is that during the rain sewers could not cope with the streams and the streets were often flooded. Carts could pass between the stones. (Roman House and Street)
Archeologists found many statues Pompeii. They were hewn out of
stone, marble, made out of bronze. After discovery, royal families
sent them as presents to other royal homes throughout Europe.
Masters throughout the continents copied these statues or made new
ones in the manner of the Romans. However, they made a small
mistake. In ancient times, statues were painted in bright colors.
However, through the centuries the paint was lost. Sculptures copied
ancient works of art, thinking that they are colorless. In fact, the
ancient Romans would not appreciate the modern statues. For them,
they were very boring and not realistic.
Romans had many
gods. All conquered nations retained their gods, while recognizing
the gods of the Romans as the main ones. In addition to the official
pantheon, each family had its own patron god, the so-called genius
of the family. It was the own god of the house, to whom Lararia, the
altars dedicated to the home god, were built. In the photo above, a
thermopoly depicts such a lararium in the upper right corner with
the image of the gods.
The Romans did not greatly appreciate
childhood as an important point in the formation of man. In fact,
the children in the understanding of the Romans were inferior
people. Therefore, in the whole city there was not a single
structure or playground for the game, intended for children.
In ancient times there were no social media like ours. But people
no less wanted to leave their stupid and unnecessary opinion. To do
this, use the walls of toilets, houses, etc. In the sense of these
inscriptions are not far removed from our modern inscriptions on the
fence. Sometimes there were interesting entries.
The eruption
of Vesuvius began the day after the celebration of the god Vulcan on
August 24, 79. Many residents took it as a good sign from the gods
and therefore very few people used the nearly 24 hour window to
escape from the city. Some continued to live an ordinary life: they
cooked food, cleaned their houses, even decided to visit a local
bathhouse. They only avoided going out because of falling pumice.
The city was destroyed only on the morning of the next day on August
25. Then a wave of geological rocks swept the city at a speed of 450
m/h / 720 km/h with a temperature of 1830 F/999C (Chronology of the Death of Pompeii).
The eruption of 79 was not the first blow to the city. As early
as 62, Pompeii was seriously damaged by an earthquake. Even 17 years
later, some buildings were not completely renovated. Lead pipes were
still laid along the streets, as after the earthquake the aqueduct
was damaged and could not supply the entire city for weeks.
Other interesting facts about Pompeii.
Most interesting facts