- Hestia
- Hercules
- Gladiator barracks at Pompeii
- House of Pansa at Pompei
- Plan of House of Pansa - Pompeii
- Dionysis
- Dionysus from the Louvre Museum
- Demeter
- Columbarium
- Circus Maximus
- Chlamys
- Circus Maximus - Plan
- Cerae (closed and sealed)
- Cerae (open)
- Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs (Apollo temple at Bassa
- Basterna
- Balneum (Roman Bath)
- Balteus
- Roman Atrium
- Atrium
- Floor plan of the Erechtheum
- Plan of Parthenon
- Parthenon
- Artemis
- Athena
- Outline plan of Pompeii
The Regions are given as they were laid out by Fiorelli, the boundaries being marked by broken lines. The Insulae are designated by Arabic numerals. Stabian Street, between Stabian and Vesuvius gates, separating Regions VIII, VII, and VI, from I, IX, and V, is often called Cardo, from analogy with the cardo maximus (the north and south line) of a Roman camp. Nola Street, leading from the Nola Gate, with its continuations (Strada della Fortuna, south of Insulae 10, 12, 13, and 14 of Region VI, and Strada della Terme, south of VI, 4, 6, 8), was for similar reasons designated as the Greater Decuman, Decumanus Maior; while the street running from the Water Gate to the Sarno Gate (Via Marina, Abbondanza Street, Strada dei Diadumeni) is called the Lesser Decuman, Decumanus Minor. The only Regions wholly excavated are VII and VIII; but only a small portion of Region VI remains covered. The towers of the city wall are designated by numbers, as they are supposed to have been at the time of the siege of Sulla, in 89 B.C. - The Street of Tombs
The Street of Tombs 24. Villa of Diomedes. 16-23. Tombs—Group III. 16. Unfinished tomb. 17. Tomb of Umbricius Scaurus. 18. Round tomb. 19. Sepulchral enclosure. 20. Tomb of Calventius Quietus. 21. Sepulchral enclosure of Istacidius Helenus. 22. Tomb of Naevoleia Tyche. 23. Triclinium Funebre. 5-15. So-called Villa of Cicero. 1-4 a. Tombs—Group I. 1. Sepulchral niche of Cerrinius Restitutus. 2. Sepulchral bench of A. Veius. 3. Tomb of M. Porcius. 4. Sepulchral bench of Mamia. 4 a. Tomb of the Istacidii. A. Herculaneum Gate. C. Bay Road. KEY TO THE RIGHT SIDE 33-43. Tombs—Group IV. 33. Unfinished tomb. 34. Tomb with the marble door. 35. Unfinished tomb. 36. Sepulchral enclosure with small pyramids. 37. Tomb of Luccius Libella. 38. Tomb of Ceius Labeo. 39. Tomb without a name. 40. Sepulchral niche of Salvius. 41. Sepulchral niche of Velasius Gratus. 42. Tomb of M. Arrius Diomedes. 43. Tomb of Arria. 31-32. Samnite Graves. 10-30. Villa. 10, 11, 13, 14. Shops. 12. Garden belonging to Tombs 8 and 9. 15. Street entrance of Inn. 16-28. Rooms belonging to the Inn. 29-30. Potter's establishment. 1-9. Tombs—Group II. 1. Tomb without a name. 2. Sepulchral enclosure of Terentius Felix. 3, 4. Tombs without names. 5. Sepulchral enclosure. 6. Garland tomb. 7. Sepulchral enclosure. 8. Tomb of the Blue Glass Vase. 9. Sepulchral niche. A. Herculaneum Gate. B. City Wall. D. Road along City Wall. E-E. Vesuvius Road. - The Forum with the Adjoining Buildings
A. The Forum. 1. Pedestal of the statue of Augustus. 2. Pedestal of the statue of Claudius. 3. Pedestal of the statue of Agrippina. 4. Pedestal of the statue of Nero. 5. Pedestal of the statue of Caligula. 6. Pedestals of equestrian statues. 7. Pedestals of standing figures. 8. Pedestal for three equestrian statues. 9. Speaker's platform 10. Table of standard measures 11. Room of the supervisor of measures. B. The Basilica. a. Entrance court. 1. Corridor. 2. Main room. 3. Tribunal. 4-4. Rooms at the ends of the tribunal. C. The Temple of Apollo. 1. Colonnade. 2. Podium. 3. Cella. 4. Altar. 5. Sundial. 6. Sacristan's room. 7-7. Rooms made from earlier colonnade. D. D'. Market Buildings. E. Latrina. F. F. City Treasury. G. Commemorative Arch. H. Temple of Jupiter. I. Arch of Tiberius. K. The Provision Market—Macellum. 1. Portico. 2. Colonnade. 3-3. Market stalls. 4. Market for meat and fish. 5. Chapel of the imperial family. 6. Banquet room. 7. Round structure with water basin—Tholus. 8. Pen. L. Sanctuary of the City Lares. 1. Main room, unroofed, with an altar in the centre. 2. Apse, with shrine. 3. Recesses with pedestals. 4. Niche opening on the Forum. M. Temple of Vespasian. 1. Colonnade. 2. Altar. 3. Cella. 4. Portico. N. The Building of Eumachia. O. The Voting Place—Comitium. 1. Recess opening on the main room. 2. Recess opening on the Forum. P-R. Municipal Buildings. P. Office of the duumvirs. Q. Hall of the city council. R. Office of the aediles. S. Fountain. - The Villa Rustica near Boscoreale
A. Court. 1, 5. Cistern curbs. 2. Wash basin of masonry. 3. Lead reservoir from which water was conducted to the reservoir in the kitchen supplying the bath. 4. Steps leading to the reservoir. B. Kitchen. 1. Hearth. 2. Reservoir containing water for the bath. 3. Stairway to rooms over the bath. 4. Entrance to cellar under the inner end of the first wine press, in which were the fastenings of the standard of the press beam. C-F. Bath. C. Furnace room. D. Apodyterium. E. Tepidarium. F. Caldarium. H. Stable. J. Tool Room. K, L. Sleeping Rooms. N. Dining Room. M. Anteroom. O. Bakery. 1. Mill. 2. Oven. P. Room with Two Wine Presses. 1, 1. Foundations of the presses. 2, 2, 2. Receptacles for the grape juice, dolia. 3. Cistern for the product of the second pressing, lacus. 4. Holes for the standards of the press beams. 5, 5. Holes for the posts at the ends of the two windlasses used in raising and lowering the press beams. 6. Pit affording access to the framework by which the windlass posts were tied down. Q. Corridor. 1. Round vats, dolia. R. Court for the Fermentation of Wine. 1. Channel for the fresh grape juice coming from P. 2. Fermentation vats, dolia. 3. Lead kettle over a fireplace. 4. Cistern curb. S. Barn, nubilarium (?). T. Threshing Floor, area. U. Open Cistern for the Water falling on the Threshing Floor. V-V. Sleeping Rooms. W. Entrance to Cellar under the Inner End of the Second Wine Press; see B. 4. X. Room with Hand Mill. Y. Room with Oil Press. 1. Foundation of the press. 2. Hole for the standard of the press beam. 3. Entrance to cellar with appliances for securing the press beam. 4. Holes for the windlass posts. 5. Hole affording access to the fastenings of the windlass posts. 6. Receptacle for the oil, gemellar. Z. Room containing the Olive Crusher. - The Forum Triangulare, with Adjacent Buildings
A. Portico at the Entrance of the Forum Triangulare. B. Forum Triangulare. 1, 1. Colonnade. 2. Promenade. 3. Doric temple. 4. Semicircular bench, with sundial. 5. Sepulchral enclosure. 6. Altars. 7. Well house. 8. Pedestal of the statue of Marcellus. C. Open-air Gymnasium—Palaestra. 1. Colonnade. 2. Pedestal with steps behind it. 3, 3. Dressing rooms. D. Tank for Saffron Water. E. Large Theatre. 1. Dressing room. 2. Stage. 3. Orchestra. 4. Ima cavea. 5. Media cavea. 6. Summa cavea, over a corridor. 7, 7. Tribunals. F. Small Theatre. 1. Dressing room. 2. Stage. 3, 3. Tribunalia. G. Theatre Colonnade, used as Barracks for Gladiators. 1. Passage leading from Stabian Street. 2. Entrance. 3. Doorkeeper's room. 4. Passage to the Large Theatre, walled up. 5. Stairway leading down from the Forum Triangulare. 6. Athletes' waiting room—Exedra. 7. Room with remains of weapons and cloth. 8. Guard room. 9. Stairs leading to overseer's rooms. 10. Kitchen. 11. Mess room. H. Temple of Zeus Milichius. 1. Colonnade. 2. Altar. 3. Cella. 4. Sacristan's room. I. Temple of Isis. 1. Colonnade. 2. Cella. 3. Shrine of Harpocrates. 4. Purgatorium. 5. Hall of initiation. 6. Hall of the Mysteries. 7. Priest's residence. K. City Wall. L. Foundations of Steps. - Venus Pompeiana
An altar stands before the statue of Venus. In pre-Roman times this may have been the only shrine in the city at which worship was offered to Herentas; for by that name the goddess of love was known in the native speech. Venus as goddess of the Roman colony, was represented in an altogether different guise, and had a special place of worship elsewhere - North end of the Forum, with the Temple of Jupiter
North end of the Forum, with the Temple of Jupiter - Temple of Êa at Eridhu
- Winged Bull
- Winged lion with human head
- Raft bouyed by inflated skins (ancient)
- Raft bouyed by inflated skins (modern)
- Stone lion at the entrance to a temple
- Warriors swimming on inflated skins
- Man Lion
- Egyptian Corset
Egyptian Corset - Lady's Dress in the days of Greece
Lady's Dress in the days of Greece - A supposed monumental head of Sesostris
The most renowned monarch that ever reigned over Egypt was Sesostris. The date of his reign is not precisely known; but there is a carving in stone, lately found in Egypt among the ruins of an ancient city. which is more than three thousand years old, and supposed to be a portrait of him. It is doubtless the oldest portrait in existence. This king formed the design of conquering the world, and set out from Egypt with more than a million of foot soldiers, twenty-four thousand horsemen, and twenty-seven thousand armed chariots. His ambitious projects were partially successful. He made great conquests, and wherever he went he caused marble pillars to be erected, and inscriptions to be engraved on them, so that future ages might not forget his renown. The following was the inscription on most of the pillars: - SESOSTRIS, KING OF KINGS, HAS CONQUERED THIS TERRITORY BY HIS ARMS. But the marble pillars have long ago crumbled into dust, or been buried under the earth; and the history of Sesostris is so obscure, that some writers have even doubted whether he made any conquest's at all. - Ancient Egyptian flute concert
A flute-concert is painted on one of the tombs in the pyramids of Gizeh and dates, according to Lepsius, from an age earlier than B.C. 2000. Eight musicians are performing on flutes. Three of them, one behind the other, are kneeling and holding their flutes in exactly the same manner. Facing these are three others, in a precisely similar position. A seventh is sitting on the ground to the left of the six, 13with his back turned towards them, but also in the act of blowing his flute, like the others. An eighth is standing at the right side of the group with his face turned towards them, holding his flute before him with both hands, as if he were going to put it to his mouth, or had just left off playing. He is clothed, while the others have only a narrow girdle round their loins. Perhaps he is the director of this singular band, or the solo performer who is waiting for the termination of the tutti before renewing his part of the performance. The division of the players into two sets, facing each other, suggests the possibility that the instruments were classed somewhat like the first and second violins, or the flauto primo and flauto secondo of our orchestras. The occasional employment of the interval of the third, or the fifth, as accompaniment to the melody, is not unusual even with nations less advanced in music than were the ancient Egyptians. - Grecian harp and lyre
The representation of Polyhymnia with a harp, depicted on a splendid Greek vase now in the Munich museum, may be noted as an exceptional instance. This valuable relic dates from the time of Alexander the great. The instrument resembles in construction as well as in shape the Assyrian harp, and has thirteen strings. Polyhymnia is touching them with both hands, using the right hand for the treble and the left for the bass. She is seated, holding the instrument in her lap. Even the little tuning-pegs, which in number are not in accordance with the strings, are placed on the sound-board at the upper part of the frame, exactly as on the Assyrian harp. If then we have here the Greek harp, it was more likely an importation from Asia than from Egypt. In short, as far as can be ascertained, the most complete of the Greek instruments appear to be of Asiatic origin. - Greek Flutes
The flute, aulos, of which there were many varieties, was a highly popular instrument, and differed in construction from the flutes and pipes of the ancient Egyptians. Instead of being blown through a hole at the side near the top it was held like a flageolet, and a vibrating reed was inserted into the mouth-piece, so that it might be more properly described as a kind of oboe or clarionet. The Greeks were accustomed to designate by the name of aulos all wind instruments of the flute and oboe kind, some of which were constructed like the flageolet or like our antiquated flûte à bec. - Greek Lyres
The Greeks had lyres of various kinds, more or less differing in construction, form, and size, and distinguished by different names; such as lyra, 30kithara, chelys, phorminx, etc. Lyra appears to have implied instruments of this class in general, and also the lyre with a body oval at the base and held upon the lap or in the arms of the performer; while the kithara had a square base and was held against the breast. These distinctions have, however, not been satisfactorily ascertained. The chelys was a small lyre with the body made of the shell of a tortoise, or of wood in imitation of the tortoise. The phorminx was a large lyre; and, like the kithara, was used at an early period singly, for accompanying recitations. It is recorded that the kithara was employed for solo performances as early as B.C. 700. - A diaulos
The single flute was called monaulos, and the double one diaulos. A diaulos, which was found in a tomb at Athens, is in the British museum. The wood of which it is made seems to be cedar, and the tubes are fifteen inches in length. Each tube has a separate mouth-piece and six finger-holes, five of which are at the upper side and one is underneath. - Etruscan cornu
The flutes of the Etruscans were not unfrequently made of ivory; those used in religious sacrifices were of box-wood, of a species of the lotus, of ass’ bone, bronze and silver. A bronze flute, somewhat resembling our flageolet, has been found in a tomb; likewise a huge trumpet of bronze. An Etruscan cornu is deposited in the British museum, and measures about four feet in length. - Hydraulic Organ
To the Etruscans is also attributed by some the invention of the hydraulic organ. The Greeks possessed a somewhat similar contrivance which they called hydraulos, i.e. water-flute, and which probably was identical with the organum hydraulicum of the Romans. The instrument ought more properly to be regarded as a pneumatic organ, for the sound was produced by the current of air through the pipes; the water applied serving merely to give the necessary pressure to the bellows and to regulate their action. The pipes were probably caused to sound by means of stops, perhaps resembling those on our organ, which were drawn out or pushed in. The construction was evidently but a primitive contrivance, contained in a case which could be carried by one or two persons and which was placed on a table. The highest degree of perfection which the hydraulic organ obtained with the ancients is perhaps shown in a representation on a coin of the emperor Nero, in the British museum. Only ten pipes are given to it and there is no indication of any key board, which would probably have been shown had it existed. The man standing at the side and holding a laurel leaf in his hand is surmised to represent a victor in the exhibitions of the circus or the amphitheatre. The hydraulic organ probably was played on such occasions; and the medal containing an impression of it may have been bestowed upon the victor. - Roman trumpets
The tuba was a straight trumpet. Both the cornu and the tuba were employed in war to convey signals. The same was the case with the buccina,—originally perhaps a conch shell, and afterwards a simple horn of an animal,—and the lituus, which was bent at the broad end but otherwise straight. - Roman girl and tibia
The British museum contains a mosaic figure of a Roman girl playing the tibia, which is stated to have been disinterred in the year 1823 on the Via Appia. Here the holmos or mouth-piece, somewhat resembling the reed of our oboe, is distinctly shown. The finger-holes, probably four, are not indicated, although they undoubtedly existed on the instrument. - Egyptian bronze representing a flying man
In the Hall of the Gods, in the Egyptian Museum, there is a small bronze plaque of great antiquity, where we see in relief a man flying the two extended wings. It is true that we agree to consider this piece as a symbolic composition rather than as the representation of an aircraft. - An Egyptian Funeral Cortege
It need not be inferred from what we have written that all bodies were hidden away in the tomb. On the contrary, many were consumed on the funeral pile, some were buried in the earth, while others again, after they had come from the embalmer's shop, were kept in the house for years, until finally they were deposited in the catacombs. The mourning for a good king lasted the space of seventy days, during which the people sang hymns commemorating his virtues, reading their garments, and covering their heads with mud and dust, some three hundred persons of both sexes coming together twice each day to publicly sing a funeral dirge, the entire nation abstaining from meat and other dainties during the whole time. On the last day of mourning, or in some instances many months afterward, the time for sepulture arrived. Supposing that an embalmed king is to be laid away, perhaps in a tomb on which a lifetime of preparation has been bestowed, the body is now brought out from the closet, where it has been carefully stored since the funeral ceremonies were performed, and given to the undertaker, who comes with a sledge-hearse, as shown in the engraving. The several figures are thus arranged: in the center appear the sacred cows, decked with elegant blankets and ornamental head and neck gear, which last (of a peculiar pattern) is found attached to the heads of all female animals, in Egyptian bass-reliefs, drag-ropes in this case being fastened to the horns, evidently " more for ornament than use," two attendants furnishing the motive-power, while the third acts as conductor. In the foreground are four more representatives of the genus homo. First, we notice the priest, as indicated by the peculiarity of his dress. He appears in the act of anointing the dead body with sacred oil, or some other liquid, from a vessel of peculiar shape. Just in front of the priest, squatting near the earth, we find a mercenary mourner, her hair disheveled, her breasts exposed, and her hands fixed in the position most expressive of grief, no doubt crying as sincerely as in hired mourning it has ever been done. Around the third figure centers the greatest interest, since it represents the dead dressed in cerements for the tomb, to which the body is now about to be carried. The fourth, supporting the corpse in a leaning position, represents an attendant, who, in all probability, officiates both as priest and undertaker. - Egyptian Sledge-Hearse
In one instance, as in the figure, taken from a tomb in Thebes, — an attendant is shown, pouring some kind of a liquid from a jar upon the ground, over which the sledge is drawn, to facilitate its progress. Examples of this nature are frequently seen in Egyptian bass-reliefs, depicting the removal of heavy loads. On this sledge-hearse the mummy-case, enclosing the corpse, is distinctly observed. With characteristic tenderness, two females steady the mummy as it moves along over the rough surface of the ground; the priest, meanwhile, mounted in front, scroll in hand, recites a panegyric, or perhaps delivers a funeral oration in honor of the dead. - Elegant Sledge-Hearse
A very showy affair is found in the next illustra-tion, rivaling the mourning equipages of modern times. Among other figures appear emblems of stability and security on the side panels. In this instance the undertaker removed a portion of the paneling so as to expose the head of the mummy-case. It would seem from this, that the modern practice of showing a coffin through a glass side is of great antiquity. Indeed, we seldom find anything new that has not an antiquarian origin, thus verifying the words of the wise man, "There is no new thing under the sun." - Wagon and Boat, from a mummy bandage
A singular instance of the wagon and funeral-boat in combination has been found on the bandage of a mummy, now preserved in the collection of S. d'Athanasi. It is supposed by some modern authors that Herodotus, in speaking of the religious ceremonies in honor of Mars, as performed in the city of Pampremis, refers to this vehicle. Among other things, he tells us that the priests placed an image in a wooden temple, gilded all over, which they carried to a sacred dwelling; "then the few who were left about the image draw a four-wheeled carriage containing the temple and the image." - Greek war galley
At this point, it is worth pausing to consider in detail the war galley which the Phœnicians had developed and which they handed down to the Greeks at this turning point in the world's history. The bireme and the trireme were adopted by the Greeks, apparently without alteration, save that at Salamis the Greek galleys were said to have been more strongly built and to have presented a lower freeboard than those of the Phœnicians. - Greek merchant ship
Greek merchant ship - Clay Pipe from Babylon
“Clay pipe from Babylon, the most ancient yet found, apparently modelled to imitate the skull of some animal. It still sounds clearly the intervals of the common chord.”