Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-10-14
For the Spectator.
POMPEI AND HERCULANEUM!
FROM NOTES ABROAD.

During my sojourn at Naples made it con-
venient and suitable in accordance with my
wishes, to spend day at these resurrected
cities and with the exception of my excursions
in and around Rome regard it as one of the
most interesting made by myself while in Italy.
We left Naples at 10 oclock, A. M, on the
train for Pompei, and after very dusty ride,
in an ordinary railroad car for IA miles, We ar
rived at small station only few hundred
yards from the ancient city. The town of Pom
pei (which will speak of as first in order be-
fore telling you anything about Herculaneum,)
was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake
at the commencement of our era, and it had
not recovered from the havoc caused by this
catastrophe, when in the year 79 it was buried
along with three other cities-Stabia. Retiua
and HerculaDeum, under shower of boiling
water, volcanic cinders and lapilli, elected from
Vesuvius. This last catastrophe lasted no less
than three days. AS regards the surrounding
country its general nature. location, fertility,
&c., it is omparable for beauty and the ex-
tent of its productions. In reference to its past
and ancient history there has been much theo-
ry and speculation INDUCED as to its general
character. Our guide, who spoke very good
English and appeared to be man of consider
able intelligence, told US that certain sayants
had quite we'll established the fact or rather be-
lief, with great degree of plausbility, that the
beautiful and extensive plain separating Pom
pei from Casteilammare called Messigna, was
bay which was filed up by this terribly grand,
this completely desolating volcanic eruption.
This oninion founded besides on the study and
scientific analysis of the soil, has been confirmed
by the discovery of several masts buried iu the
ground, 40 feet deep, in the same place now
still called La Marina I merely cite this in
relation to my subject to show you the general,
complete and immense nature Of this eruption,
which was so disastrous in terminating the l,u-
sn0 existe nee and covering up from the eyes of
the world for near eighteen hundred years, sew
eral fine and elegant cities Yet, after all this
misfortune which struck Pompei, it saved
its treasures and monuments from the destroy
ing hands OF the barbarians, who appropriated
the wealth and annihilated the finest works of
art of Latium, Campania and Sybaris. So that
now both Pompei and Herculaneum have the
unique merit of furnishing to the world, besides
the preservation of their monuments and
houses. host of objects which reveal the pri-
vate life of the Latin population. All of these,
or at least most of them, had they not been
thus singuarly preserved, would have, long
since, 10 the natural order OF decay, disap-
peared from the sight of man, and even their
history would now have been subject for doubt,
conjecture and scientific cavilling. We spent
pal streets, and strolling in and among the most
remarkable ruins of this excavated city. The
chief ruins that we visited, and whose names
have on my memorandum, are the House of
the Faun,' the ''Basiica," the Temple of
Jupiter" the ''Triumphal Arch the Public
Seat" the Temple of Fortuna" the "Stabian
Therma" the civil Forum" the House of
the Tragic Poet" that of Pansa, the ''Amphi-
theatre the Temple of Neptune" and the
"Villa Diomed." Most of these ruins are in
good state of preservation some of the
houses have superb mosaic floors, and the walls
covered with elegant paintings, representing
various historical, mythol gical and every day
life scenes. From most of these buildings con-
siderable quantities of Interesting debris have
been taken to the grand Museum at Naples
such statutes, paintings vases, frescoes, mo
saics, household fu, ,niture, &C., &c. There is
abundant evidence ia Pompei of the good taste
of the Pompeans in fine arts, and also their
luxurious mode of living, And you will not
fail to appreciate also that curious double exls-
tence of public and private life, to be remarked
always amongst the ancients, Ia lost art with the
moderns, and quite thing OF mythical exis.
tence.) The Pompeian houses generally had
two stories. sometimes three, and were covered
bv a roof or by a terrace called Pergula. The
public portion had always its vestibule, Prothy-
run, a court, Atrauna, IN corner OF which
little temple. Lauarium., and all around portl-
co, Cavaedium then the chamber of audience,
lablinun.; and on each side, Alae. two open
waiting rooms; from these and the 1atttnun.,
a corridor, Fauces. that leads to the women S
apartments This, as near as l can remember
from nv impressions and my notes, is the gen
eral arrau cement Of the public portions OF the
dwellings of the rich and the most respectable
classes of the people, and this forms one part
of that double existence" that have referred
10. The other part is the private portion and
appliances of their living, and feel sure that
YOU will admire system that appears very
| comfortable and complete. The private and
domestic portion of their houses. almost inva-
riably looking into garden, had the mems
apartments. Andronatis, and that of the women
Gunaeconitis the dining room, 7ricliaium, ano
next the Erellra for winter dining-room; the
kitchen and its accessories. Culine /; the Biblio
theco; the Pnocotheca; the bath room Nyn
phaeuna and another larger garden, Xystus
with porticos for amusements in the summer
The little rooms on the second floor, and some
times others over these. Coenacula, served a
depots for provisions, or if they were separate
they were let. The paintings and mosaic
which decorated their rooms were DESCRIPTIVE
of their uses. The slaves, ostiarii. had tn
charge of the entrances, and lived in rooms ad