Pompeii

by Zanker, Paul; Schneider, Deborah Lucas

• ISBN13: 9780674689671
• ISBN10: 0674689674
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-15
• Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr

Summary

Pompeii's tragedy is our windfall: an ancient city fully preserved, its urban design and domestic styles speaking across the ages. This richly illustrated book conducts us through the captured wonders of Pompeii, evoking at every turn the life of the city as it was 2,000 years ago. When Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. its lava preserved not only the Pompeii of that time but a palimpsest of the city's history, visible traces of the different societies of Pompeii's past. Paul Zanker, a noted authority on Roman art and architecture, disentangles these tantalizing traces to show us the urban images that marked Pompeii's development from country town to Roman imperial city. Exploring Pompeii's public buildings, its streets and gathering places, we witness the impact of religious changes, the renovation of theaters and expansion of athletic facilities, and the influence of elite families on the city's appearance. Through these stages, Zanker adeptly conjures a sense of the political and social meanings in urban planning and public architecture. The private houses of Pompeii prove equally eloquent, their layout, decor, and architectural detail speaking volumes about the life, taste, and desires of their owners. At home or in public, at work or at ease, these Pompeians and their world come alive in Zanker's masterly rendering. A provocative and original reading of material culture, his work is an incomparable introduction to urban life in antiquity.

Table of Contents

Preface

Townscape and Domestic Taste

Townscapes

Domestic Taste and Cultural Self-Definition

Urban Space as a Reflection of Society

The Hellenistic City of the Oscans

The Roman Colonists' City

Townscape and Ideology in the Age of Augustus

The City's Final Years

The Domestic Arts in Pompeii

The Origins of the Roman Villa

Two Forms of Living Space

A Miniature Villa in the Town

A Courtyard with a Large Marble Fountain

A Garden as Sanctuary

A Parlor Overlooking Diana's Sacred Grove

Gardens Filled with Sculptures

Dining under the Stars

Large Pictures for Small Dreams

Domestic Taste and Cultural Identity

Abbreviations

Notes

Illustration Credits

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.