The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-22
A BURIED CITY.
POMPEII, ITALY.
Domestic Architecture, Beautiful
Wall Decorations.
Houses Of Diomede and Glaucus, Hero Of the
Last Days "-InteTesting Excavations.
Light on Classic Literature.


travellers of the last halfcentufy. who loved TO
magnify the glories OF what they had seen TO the
credulous crowd, at a time when comparatively
few had all opportunity OF judging for them
selves.
Some OF such accounts Though true to ascertain
extent are misleading, giving one sided YER
sion. One Of the great charms of penetrating
The narrow streets of that long buried city, and
obtaining plimpses throwing light on the man
ner Of life OF its Inhabitants is that, saving Its
counterpart on a small scale Herculaneum, II
resembles nothing else than can be seen In any
part OF the world.
Then the beauty and artistic excellence Of
their house decoration painted two thousand
years, excite feeling OF wonder that the wealthy
classes OF modern days have been so slow in
waking up to that means OF making their homes
attractive.
According to PlIny, whose graphic account of
the destruction of the city, the death OF an uncle
there, and his own escape, along with his
mother. Is tile most important ana reliable III
formation on the subject, ne having been VIII
ness OF The scene, AN earthquake accompanied
The volcanic eruption and remains oil human
bodies nave been found crushed beneath the fallen
walls aud columns aud afford positive proof
that such was the case, and this has tended TO
give the shattered aspect TO tue ruins. There IS
also reason to believe tue buried city be-
came u quarry from which The Romans
carried MAJ bic aud other yaluables to adorn
their buildings, very little OF which has
been found during modern excavations.
The style OF these remains, pointing 10 period
about seven centuries before the Christian era, is
the nearest guide eXtant 10 The date OF tie found
ing OF P0npeil; its reputed NEUROLOGICAL origin
ascfueu To Hercules in common with that oil
Herculaneum, and named from fompe, In allu-
sion to the grande nr attending The exploits OF that
hero, being entirely presumption. According 10
tile most authentic history the city was hrst oc-
cupied by the Oscans, then the Etiuscans and al
terward by the Samniles, who, about the yea:
440. conquered The surrounding country.
The house OF DlOmede, Well-known wealthy
merchant, is on The street OF the tomDs and con-
ssts of three stories, not over the other, but
like Steps of stairs descending toward the court
yard Ill lie center. No less than seventeen llt-
man skeletons were found in The lower apart
ments where they seem 10 have fled for refuge AT
Tie lime OF the overthrow; skeleton supposed
10 be that OF Diomede was found at some dis
lance from tile house giving rise TO supposltion
lie was coward enough 10 seek personal safely III
Hight, leaving bis family 10 look out Tor Them
selves. The suppO.itOn. however, that the house
bearing his name was that OF Domede all rests
very slender basis, the name having been
found on tomb In the vicinity.
The house oil the tragic poet, so called from
painting found there, Is one OF special ntere 81,
being that selected by Lord Lylton as the inl-
aginary residence of GlaucuS. whose name IL
commonly bears. The following Is paIt of his
description of 1t: " The house OF Glaucus was at
once one OF the smallest and yet one of the most
adorned and finished of all the private mansions
ol l0mpeii. You enter by lOng and narrow
yestibule, on Tie floor of which is the image OF a
dog 10 mosaic and the wellknOwn cave Canum,
near WHICH was Il chamber oil some Size, Tor Tie
interior part of the house not being large enough
10 COM ain the Two eat divisions of private and
public apartments this room was sol apart Tor
the reception Of visitors who neither by rank nor
familiarity were entitled 10 admission IN the
penetralia of the mansion.
advancing up The vestibule, you enter an
atrum that, when first discovered, was rich i'll
paintings. which. in point OF expression, would
scarcely disgrace 4 Rafael. You may See item
now tIansplanted to the NeOpolllan Museum.
They aIe stlll the admiration OF cOnnoisseurs.
On one side the atrium a small staircase admit
ted to The apartments for the slaves on the second
floor. There, also, were TWO or three small bed
rooms, the walls OF which portrayed The rape
of Europa. the battle OF the AmaZons, etc.
You now enter The tabnum, across which, dt
either end, hang rich draperles OF Tyrlan purple,
poet reading his verses TO MS friends; and In
the pavement was depicted small aud
most exquisite mosaic, typical of the instruc-
tons given by the director Of the stage
10 his comedians. YOu passed through this
saloon aud entered the perislye, and here the
mansion ended. From each OF the seven columns
that adorned this court hung festoons of gar
lands; the center, supplying the place OF a garden,
doomed with the ralest flowers set III vases OF
white marble, were supported on pedestas. at
The LETT hand OF this ulmlnuiYe garden was a
small fame, resembling one of those chapels
placed at the side of roads IN Catholic countries
and dedicated 10 the Pena.es. Before 1t stood ii
bronze tripod TO the left of the cOlonnade were
two small cubIcula or bedrooms; to the right
was the trlellnium. This room i usually termed
Leda.' This charming apartment opened upon
the fragrant garden"
In IT'S present condition broken patches of red
and yellow enliveu thesshatteTed walls. A color
ing OF red extends about four feet up from tile
base OF each column. The walls OF the Chamber
OF Leda from which our sketch has been lax IN,
are deep yellow with dadO of dark blue
ground ON which are rows aud festoons OF de-
vices resembling White lace, band OF red Sepa-
raing The blue from the yellow coloring above.
The floor is mosaic, very diiapidaled, evidently
from the earthquake. POmpeiian wall-paintngs
were laid on with wax and boiling oil as
vehicles which account for the wonderful man
ner i'll which they have retained their brightness
in si'ite of FIRE, ashes and damp during he lapse
OF ages. The pant OF POmpeii richest in mosaic
is that known as the House of The Faun.
from the feet OF the bronze statuette of the
Dancing Faun having been found there Ons OF
tie most perfect aud remarkable historical
pictures eXtant Is the battle Of IssuS in mosaic
which forms one OF the tiOOrings, III which Alex
ander The Great Is represented charging The cav
airy OF Darius; The teSSeIe, or small pieces OF
winch ii Is composed, are OF different sizes, the
smaller being In the faces. OpIes sieninum is
the name given To Kind oil hO0ring found eX-
tensiyey at Pompell and frequently adopted in
Italian houses OF the present time. 1t consists
of bed of mortar, into which are stuck multi.
tude of small squares OF marble or glass. Ii is a
very agreeable surface to walk over. 1t has
been said, 1.-The mOderDS put their hands where
the ancienIs placed their feel" for the finest
tables in the palaces OF Naples are
formed of flooring found at Pompeii.
Considerable doubt Is thrown over the certainty
OF exact houses occupied by Individuals in the
buried city under consideration, but The houses
of Pansa and Sallust are admitted 10 be the most
authentic, their names having been found therein.
They are among the largest found there. a
large number of houses are distinguished by
some name, perhaps on account OF some work
OF ant unearlhed there, some by the names Of
soyereigus IN whose presence they had been dis
covered such as the house OF Queen Adelaide,
discovered In 1888, aud that OF the Emperor
Joseph the second; also, the house OF the King
OF Prussia and many are named according 10
signs showing the occupation carried on there.
Rows Oi sockets for the support OF those foot
less bases, known as amph0rR, are found at
sumo OF the houses. These vessels are supposed
to nave been used for containing oil and wine.
and were carried by Two men by meaus of L STAFF
passed through the ears OF the amphOr9
Close by a doorway we saw an Inscription
translated by our guide, who spoke GOOD English
besides French ana Italian, "Loafers not allowed
here" which seems 10 CORRESPOND pretty closely
with notices seen in our own city at suddIy en-
frances.
Ii appears to have been the custom OF Pom.
peilans 10 tabe their meals in Il reclining position,
il habit borrowed from Carthage. They did not
close round the table, but were waited on by
slaves, who presented portions of each dish on
slices of bread, which were afterward thrown
under the table; forks were unknown. After
each course The fingers were dipped In water and
wiped on napkins carried about the person Ike
pocket handkerchiets, aud often highly orna
mented; sometimes the hair OF 4 slave did duty
tie same way, and this points to a circumstance
we read OF IN The New Testament when Mary
showed a similar mark of devotion TO our LORD.
mas been found, and this has given rise 10 an
assumption on the part OF the author OF the
Last Days" that Il remnant OF the prosecuted
Zarenes fingered there.
Among tue heterogeneous articles excavation
has brought to light in modern days from Pom
peii great variety of bronze and iron uten-
sils. which, though evidently intended for The
prOsaic purpose OF the culinary arr, are dstin.
gusbed by certain grace of form and elegant
finish that, carried Out in the minor details OF
everyday life, as OF late years manufacturers
and their patrons have awakened TO realize
carry with Them Il charm aud add much TO the
pleasure OF LIVING.
Various bronze and earthenware lamps, some
of them OF great beauty, are found here; also
ordinary utensils, such us jely-mOds in form
of rabbits, birds, hares, etc, saucepans frying
pans and a portable stove in The shaue Of a
castle. having an arrangement fer heating water
Several surgical Instruments may also be seen
similar 10 those in use ut present, and locks.
keys, bolts, do0r-handles richly Ornamenled,
fittings Of harness, brides, stirrups, etc. Iron
stocks for holding prisoners fast BY the feet were
f,,r IVA ouo nd m le