- My 20-day road trip to Italy eight.
Pompeii in ancient Rome was a port city and an important logistics hub. It is said that mail trucks and goods sent from here could reach the major cities of the Roman Empire in a matter of days.
Walking through the ruins of Pompeii, you'll see many dilapidated towers and deep courtyards. The courtyard floor is covered with expensive dahlia floors and the walls are inlaid with fine mosaics or marble frescoes. Although it has been buried deep under volcanic ash for more than 1,500 years, it is still vivid and the colors are clearly visible. As you can imagine, this must have been the villas of the rich or princely nobles of Rome.
There are also dozens of brothels in the city, scattered between the streets and alleys, and are one of the most striking buildings in Pompeii. However, at present, there is only a two-story small building open to visitors, called No. 18 Courtyard. There are 5 rooms on each floor of the building, each with a bed and a marble ** mural inlaid on the wall. These murals are brightly colored and beautifully composed, and they have basically maintained the style of more than 2,000 years ago. In addition, there are several public baths in the city, which are fully equipped and luxurious, and the walls are inlaid with naked ** murals. It can be seen that Pompeii is a veritable "wine capital", a paradise for the rich and noble of Rome to have fun.
In fact, the wealthy and princely nobles of ancient Rome lived in extreme luxury, and they spent extravagantly on eating, drinking, and merrymaking, even to the point of extreme evil. Legend has it that some love to eat sows, wild boars, flamingos, nightingales, etc., and some even like to eat moray eels, which are fed with slave meat, ....... In addition, there is also a common hobby, which is the bloody fighting show of the Colosseum. Therefore, the Colosseum is indispensable in many buildings in Pompeii. Pompeii's Colosseum is located in a prominent location in the city and is a large scale that can accommodate more than 12,000 people at a time**. Although it has been buried under volcanic ash for more than 2,000 years, it has basically maintained its original appearance.
Because of this, Pompeii, known as the "capital of wine" and "paradise of pleasure", was favored by the rich and princes of Rome. It is said that there was a saying at the time: "Enjoy life to the fullest, tomorrow is unpredictable." It nakedly reflects the arrogant and lascivious outlook on life and values of the Pompeii people. There is also a rumor among Italian folklore that the arrogance and lust of the people of Pompeii ignited the silent Mount Vesuvius, which eventually led to the annihilation of Pompeii. It reflects the people's disgust and curse for the life of Pompeii.
Pompeii was first built in the 6th century BC and was more than 600 years old when it was swallowed up by Mount Vesuvius. Judging from the archaeological discoveries and excavations, the Pompeii people who had no time to take refuge at the moment when the volcanic ash covered and solidified showed the form of pain, struggle, helplessness and waiting for death, although only the empty shell of gray stone without flesh remained, but it was still lifelike and the scene was terrible.
As the years passed, Pompeii, engulfed by Mount Vesuvius, faded from memory until it was discovered one day more than 1,500 years later by a chance excavation by locals. After archaeological discoveries and excavations over the ages, it has been rediscovered. Although only the ruins and architectural outlines with no signs of life remain, it is a blessing that a dusty piece of history can be brought back to life, and Pompeii can once again become the world's most popular spot.
When we left Pompeii, the mood was mixed. Regret, heaviness, sorrow, shock, horror and so on are mixed. I'm always wondering, how can a good city suddenly disappear?The world is eternal, life is limited, cherishing life and loving life may be the best warning that Pompeii left to future generations.
To be continued).