The Destruction of Pompeii.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 20, 15 May 1902, Page 15

The Destruction of Pompeii.

In a lecture delivered by the Rev. J. Burns before the members of the Belfast Central Catholic Club Literary Society reference was made to the destruction of Pompeii by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Previous to the year 79 of the Christian era (B^id the lecturer) Pompeii, a busy town by the sea, some 16 miles south-east of Naples, contained a population of 2.1,000 to 30,000 inhabitants. Ib partook of the usual fortunes of other cities in conquering and being conquered by various tribes or peoples until it shared the fate of almost all Europe, and became absorbed in the vast Empire of Rome. The beauty of its situation attracted the great Roman nobility, who made it a pleasant retreat from the noise and tumult of Rome. Cicero possessed a villa in it, and there wrote his offices : Seneca passed his youth within its walls, and many, men equally famous in history found a home in this lovely southern resort. In the year a.d. 65 it was partly ruined by an earthquake, which drove away in terror its inhabitants, who, however, soon returned and proceeded to repair the damaged town. Just 1G years afterwards the dreadful Vesuvian eruption took place that was destined to wipe the town off the map of Italy. For three days Vesuvius, which is about six miles distant, continued to pour out hundreds of thousands of tons of inflammable matter, which, wafted by the strong winds, rested on the doomed town, and buried it high above the top of the tallest buildings. Under the accumulated weight the roofs soon gave way, and at the end of three days not a single trace of the once buay town could be discovered. Indeed so complete was its extinction that for 1700 years no one seemed to know the location of the town, and to chance alone must be attributed ita discovery.

Only in the middle of the eighteenth century were excavations begun owing to the discovery by a farmer who, in digging tht ground, oame upon some object* of art. Sinoe then various rulers and Governments have spatmodioally undertaken to resurreob the old Campanian town, until at the present moment the greater portion has been laid bare, and we now tnny walk its streets and visit its houses, with little inconvenience But even jtt no living thing, except the little green lizards, olaims any part of it at an abode. Fortunately the greater part of its former inhabitants had time to escape, and those only perished who were physically incapable of flight or who, having fled, returned to plunder or to oarry away their "goods. From the human remains already discovered it has been estimated that fully 2,000 fell victims to this terrible visitation. The bouses, but for the fact that they are roofless, are in a good state of repair, and in many instances the f resooes and mosaics are almost as fresh as in the days of Pompeh'B glory. Private houses, with a few exceptions, were only two storeys high, the apartments small and curiously arranged, according to our modern ideas, but very richly decorated. The general plan of houses consists of an outer court, uncovered, with a marble basin in the centre to receive the rain-water. This court, with the rooms and porticoes opening off it, was destined for the reception of visitors. An inner court of similar dimensions, but arranged as a flower garden, and with cubicles or sleeping apartments and a dining-room, built round the square, was dedicated to domestic use. In many instances the business houses and workshops have been left as they were found, and there we may see the surgery, the provision store, the bakery, and many other houses of the professions and trades. The streets are generally straight and very narrow, provision being made for only one wheeled vehicle to move therein. Like the streets of modern Naples, the carriage way ia paved with blocks of lava, and on either side are raised footways which are connected by stepping stones that the pedestrian might cross the road in rainy weather without the risk of wetting his feet. The struoture of the streets make it clear that they were not constructed for horse traction, slaves being probably employed to do the haulage.