Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-03
POMPEN RAPIDLY
RISING FROM ASHES
Famous House of Mysteries
of Submerged City Al
most Restored.

HUME, FEBRUARY > tN.A.N.A.J, Jill
der the magic wand of Prof. Amedeo
Maiuri, director of excavations, Pompeii
is literally rising from its ashes:
Like that strange song I heard Apollo
When Ilion, like a mist, rose into
towers"
Perhaps the most important Of all
the hidden monuments, for such they
may be called from an archaeological
and historical point of view, is the
''house of mysteries" which Prof.
Maiuri has now almost completely
brought to light, while the magnificent
frescoes adjoining the marble halls of
what was once the residence of some
Ponpeiian millionaire have been
restored by experts to their original
splendor. so that they may be regarded
as the most perfect specimens OF ancient
painting which have come down to US
The villa or house of mysteries
is beautifully situated on sun-kissed
Just beyond the walls which guard
the dead city, and must have been sur
rounded by gardens and vineyards and
rare ornamental plants, such as Pliny
so accurately describes
AS regards the rather weird name
which has been given to it by
Psychologists, it is derived from the
fact that the real meaning OF the
"dyonisiac megalography," a series of
marvellous paintings which decorate the
"triclinium." has hitherto not been
satisfactorily explained, although it is
evident that they have religious or
occult significance, illustrating the
Orphic or Dycnisiac cult.
Overwhelmed During Change.
A careful study reveals that the
i1-sfr
process of renovation or of recon-
struction when the Vesuvian catas-
trophe submerged it, because half OF
the house is decorated, while the walls
of the other half are bare. The
decorated part is the eastern half OF the
villa, consisting of a spacious "tri-
clinium," two cubicles and great
rectangular hall, adorned with. some OF
the finest paintings hitherto discovered
in Pompeii.
It is evident that the owner was |
deeply imbued with the spirit Of Hell |
lenism for there is an esthetic charm |
in the pure, elegant design OF his man |
sion which could hardly have been sur
passed in Athens itself. The peri |
stylium," with its numerous marble COL |
umns connected by massive pluteum |
of brickwork, gives one an impression of |
great magniflcence, and a singular |
sense of harmony pervades the whole |
building, as if it were an old-time SYM |
phony turned to stone.
The fresco paintings in the "triclin- |
ium," with their extraordinarily vivid /
and powerfully designed life-size f1g-- |
ures, at once attract our interest and |
admiration. They are eminently 'dy- |
manic" as painters Of the modern |
school would say, and belong to the |
second Pompeiian period.
There can be little doubt" said Prof. |
Maiuri during a short interview which |
was privileged to have with him, that
We have here a representation OF the
mysteries of Dyonisos, as there was !
mystic significance in the songs which. |
while celebrating the joys and sorrows
of Bacchus, symbolic the alternate
phases of life in nature, which dies in |
Winter and joyfully resurrects in |
Spring But paintings in the 'triclin-
ium' have an occult and transcendental |
meaning which does not differ much !
from the spirit of the Christian mys
meant to signify that man can only |
achieve happiness through suffering and |
self-sacrifice."
Beautiful Figure in Series.
The most outstanding figure in the |
whole series of mural paintings Is a |
beautiful young woman, evidently |
1.-THE Vestition" she is draped in syn |
done" and closely yelled in The Cate
Chests" while youth, wearing the en- |
blemS Of the Dionysiac cult, reads the |
ritual of the mystic service from a |
scroll. Then there are the scenes Of |
The Agape," or love feaSt-servants |
busily handing round ritual foods and |
vases for the Observation-Disclosures by |
The Annunciation-Silenu Forttelling |
the Future"
These scenes of martyrdom and |
TRANSPORTATION, human grief culminat |
ing in an explosion Of almost tragic JOY, |
together with the solemn liturgical |
service, have a striking affinity with !
the Christian ritual" says Prof. Maiuri. /
Continuing his excavations in the |
house of mysteries, Prof Maurt had /
the good fortune to make another most |
important discovery. While removing |
the deep layer of volcanic lapilli which |
completely INSTRUCTED the great peri |
styliunn, marvellous statue came to |
light. 1t represents Roman matron |
draped in a mantle which covers her |
head and a rich stola, which deScends |
in elegant folds to the ground. The |
features have dignified, but very sweet |
expression The arch Of the Roman |
nose is very pronounced, and it was this |
particular, mentioned by the historian |
Svetonius, which at once led Prof. Mai |
uri 70 conclude that ne was IN the pres |
ence of portrait statue Of Livia, the
beautiful and virtuous wife of the En-
peror Augustus, "genere, probate,
forma Romanarum eminentissima," as
Velleius says. Prof Maiuri described to
me in vivid terms the intense emotion
he felt as he saw the cleaning white
statue gradually emerging from the
funereal pail Of jet-black lapilli which
had covered it for nearly 1000 years.
Statue Feet High.
TIE statue is about 6 feet high, and
in Immense marble Of dazzling white
ness. Fortunately it is in an almost
perfect state of preservation, the only
damage II has sustained being the loss
of the right hand. with two fingers de-
tached which, however, has been recoy-
cred among the lapilli and will be put in
its place by expert restorers. Indeed,
II may be regarded as almost miracu-
lous that this fine statue. which has
not only an artistic but also a great
historic value, should have escaped al
most Scatheless from the catastrophe in
which so many works Of art of priceless
value persisted.
II is strange that the head which