Ancient Roman Culture and Art

For the past two days Charlie and I have continued our travels back in time to the days of the Roman Empire ca. 2000 years ago.  Yesterday we spent most of the day in the National Archeology Museum which was amazing, and today we explored the ancient city of Herculaneum. I especially like the color mosaics constructed from thousands of tiny tiles assembled into beautiful images, the majestic marble and bronze sculptures in every corner, and the large tightly fitted paving stones in these ancient streets.

The eruption of Vesuvius buried Pompei and Herculaneum in the year 79 A.D.  Pliny the younger wrote “a black and dreadful cloud, broken with rapid zigzag flashes, revealed behind it variously shaped masses of flame … Soon afterwards, the cloud began to descend, and cover the sea. I looked back and a dense dark mist seemed to be following us, spreading itself over the country like a cloud.”  At Herculaneum we saw charred blackened wooden building beams, piles of metal coins that were welded together from the heat of the pyroclastic flow, and yes a few human bones. A vivid reminder of the destructive power of geologic processes!