I couldn't help but compare. It was raining the two hours we toured Pompeii, with an English speaking guide, and most of the cobblestone footing was original, from 2,000 years ago, making it difficult to walk. I could easily imagine what it was like to live there. Pompeii was a beautiful city. The whitewashed plaster covered every wall outside the home and every room inside the home had colored plaster, all over the city, most of it no longer exists but enough so you could imagine walking the streets, or coming into Naples Bay aboard a ship and looking up to the powerfully rich city on the hill. The homes would have been beautiful it would felt like royalty living there. Art work covered the walls. Wonderful color. Delicate floor tiles. Carved marble. Indoor plumbing. Thousands of people constantly celebrating, for Pompeii was a large city with a population of 20,000 with numerous activities to participate in. It was a designation city with shops, concerts, fast food restaurants, bars, art shows, coliseums, gladiator battles, and plays. There was beautiful bath houses with large steam rooms. They lived their lives fulfilling their every desire. They had lively discussion in the town square with politicians running for office. We know that because there was political graffiti painted on the outside walls of people's homes.
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| Original cobblestone road |
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| An example of the color plastered rooms inside a home. |
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| This is a mural of a successful hunting trip. It could have been to honor one of the Gods |
There was numerous prostitution parlors, with painted positions on the walls so you could pay for what you wanted. Gay prostitution was represented in the paintings by males being colored a little darker then the women, so you could point to your choice and amount you wanted to pay. If you wanted, you could paint or place a sculpture of a penis outside your own home to indicate your profession. I saw penises on walls and on the walks that pointed to the establishment offering such services. They worship a fertility God, Priaspus, whose penis was as long as an arm. So back then nudity implied strength and desire I think! We don't necessarily worship penises, but we sure place enormous values on body image. Beautiful people are always considered to have more going for them. Lets admit it, what we think of our ourselves is greatly discredited because we aren't one of the beautiful people. We worship the physical body too!
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| Sculpture of Penis |
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| A Male and Female |
We actually worship affluence just like they did. We get depressed because we can't buy, buy, buy. We compare our clothes, our homes, and our cars to that of others. Few of us would rather live simply. We want the beautiful life like the residents of Pomeii had. They lived it up fully not knowing it would be over in hours.
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| Temple of Hercules |
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| Temple of Asclepius, God of Medicine, 200 BC |
There were numerous God's worshiped-- Isis, Applo, Venus, Ceres, Diana, Juno, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury Minerva, and Neptune. We know because there were temples in the court yards and paintings of the God's in people's homes. Christianity had not reached this city before its destruction in 79AD. Pompeii was engulfed with poisonous gas and covered with 20 feet of ash. However God was still God 2,000 years ago! I can feel His heart. Many people died on the roads as they tried to escape. In the city alone 2,000 people died. It was obvious that the suddenness of the eruption wasn't planned or even understood. Meals were left on tables and bread in ovens.
We live our lives from day to day, week to week, the sameness overcomes. We continue to live our lives like we have thousands of days. Life is not guaranteed. We need to live like it is our last days. My brother who died from cancer once told me his cancer was a gift, because he said and acted on those things that were really important. I live everyday without telling people how much I respect them, how much I appreciate their talents, their work ethic, their leadership, their laughter, their joy, their faith. We let the littlest things control our attitudes, creep into our goals and dreams. When you plan your day, deliberately act on those things that are important! Carpe Diem "Seize the Day"
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| Man--any man, All Men |
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| Pomeii's large square and Apollo's Temple with Mount Vesuvius |
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| Pottery Merchant and his various goods for sell. |
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