Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 19.djvu/465

Rh POMPEII arose in part from the physical changes consequent on the eruption, and it was not till 1748 that an accidental dis covery drew attention to its remains, and revealed the fact that beneath thi vineyards and mulberry grounds which covered the site there lay entombed the ruins of a city, far more accessible, if not more interesting, than those (pre viously discovered) of the neighbouring llerculaneum. It was not till 1755 that systematic excavations on the site were begun, and, though they were thenceforth carried on more or less continuously during the whole of that century, it was not till the beginning of the present century that they assumed a regular character ; and the work, which had received a vigorous stimulus during the period of the French government (1806-1814), was prosecuted, though in a less methodical and systematic manner, under the suc ceeding rule of the Bourbon kings (1815-61). Of late years the process has been carried on, under the enlightened direction of Signior Fiorelli, in a much more careful and scientific manner than before, and the results have been in many respects of the highest interest. At the same time the invention of photography has enabled the directors to preserve a far more satisfactory record of every step in the explorations than could previously be attempted. It would be impossible for us to present our readers in this place with anything like an idea of the results of these excavations. Interesting as are the numerous works of art that have been brought to light, and important as is their bearing upon the history of some branches of ancient art, they cannot compare in interest with the flood of light which this marvellous discovery has thrown upon ancient life in all its details, enabling us to picture to ourselves the ways and manners and habits of life of a cultivated and flourishing population eighteen centuries ago, in a manner which no amount of study of ancient literature could pos sibly accomplish. We must confine ourselves in the present article chiefly to those points which bear more immediately on the topography and character of the town of Pompeii, referring our readers for other details to the numerous works in which they have been described and delineated. The town was situated on a rising ground of small elevation, separated by a distance of less than a mile from the foot of the actual rise of the outer cone of Vesuvius. This eminence is itself undoubtedly due to an outflow of lava from that mountain, during some previous eruption in prehistoric times, for we know from Strabo that Vesuvius, though presenting in his time all the appearances of an extinct volcano, had been quiescent ever since the first records of the Greek settlements in this part of Italy. But the position of Pompeii in ancient times differed materially from that which it occupies at the present day. It was situated close to the sea-shore, from which it is now more than a mile distant, and adjoining the mouth of the river Sarnus or Sarno, which now enters the sea nearly two miles from its site, but the present course of this stream is due in part to modern alteration of its channel, as well as to the effects of the great eruption. It is certain, however, that in Strabo s time Pompeii owed much of its prosperity to its serving as the port of the adjoining plain, and the neighbouring towns of Nuceria, Nola, and Acerrte (Strabo, v. c. 4, 8). The area occupied by the ancient city was of an irregular oval form, and about two miles in circumference. It was surrounded by a wall, which is still preserved around more than two-thirds of its extent, but no traces of this are found on the side towards the sea, and there is no doubt that on this side it had been already demolished in ancient times, so as to give room for the free extension of houses and other buildings in that direction. These walls are strengthened at intervals by numerous towers, which occur in some parts at a distance of only about 100 yards, but in general much less frequently. They are, however, of a different style of construction from the walls, and appear to have been added at a later period, probably that of the settlement of the Koinan colony by Sulla. Similar evidences of the addition of subsequent defences are to be traced also in the case of the gates, of which no less than eight are found in the existing circuit of the walls. Some of these present a very elaborate system of defence, but it is evident from the decayed con dition of others, as well as of parts of the walls and towers, that they had ceased to be maintained for the purposes of fortification long before the destruction of the city. The gates are now known by names given them in modern times from the direction in which they led, as, the gate of llerculaneum, of Stabile, of Nola, &c. No trace has been found of their ancient appellations. The general plan of the town is very regular, the streets- being generally straight, and crossing one another at right angles or nearly so. But an exception is found in the street leading from the gate of Herculaneum to the forum, which, though it must have been one of the principal thoroughfares in the city, was crooked and irregular, as well as very narrow, in some parts not exceeding 12 to 14 feet in width, including the raised trottoirs or footpaths oi&amp;gt; each side, which occupy a considerable part of the space,, so that the carriage-way could only have admitted of the passage of one vehicle at a time. The other streets are in some cases broader, but rarely exceed 20 feet in width, and the broadest yet found is less than 30, while the back streets running parallel to the main lines are only about 15 feet. They are uniformly paved with large polygonal blocks of hard basaltic lava, fitted very closely together, though now in many cases marked with deep ruts from the passage of vehicles in ancient times. They are also in all cases bordered by raised trottoirs on both sides, paved in a similar manner ; and for the convenience of foot passengers, these are connected from place to place by stepping-stones raised above the level of the carriage way. Such an arrangement must have presented a con siderable obstacle to the passage of vehicles; and altogether it is evident that the streets of Pompeii, like those of most Roman towns, were calculated much more for foot passengers than for any extensive traffic of wheeled carriages. In other respects they must have been far from presenting the lively aspect of the streets of modern and even mediaeval towns, and must rather have resembled those of Oriental cities, the living apartments all opening towards the interior, and showing only blank walls towards the street ; while the windows were generally to be found only in the upper story, and were in all cases small and insignificant, without any attempt at architectural effect. In some instances indeed the monotony of their external appearance was broken by small shops, occupying the front of the principal houses, as it were let in to the main build ing ; these were in some cases numerous enough to form a continuous facade to the street. This is seen especially in the case of the Street of Herculaneum, and that of Stabise, both of which were among the principal and most frequented thoroughfares. The former of these main lines of street, which, as already described, led from the gate of Herculaneum to the forum, was crossed, a little before it reached that important centre, by a long straight line of street, which led directly to the gate of Nola. Two other parallel lines of street struck off from the forum itself towards the east, and these have been followed as far as the points where they cross nearly at right angles another main line of street, which leads direct from the gate of Vesuvius to that of Stabiye, near the theatres, thus traversing the city in its whole width from north to south. Almost the