Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 19.djvu/468

Rh 448 I erected in Rome itself. But apart from its early date it has no special interest, and is wholly wanting in the ex ternal architectural decorations that give such grandeur of character to similar edifices in other instances. Being in sreat part excavated in the surface of the hill, instead of the seats being raised on arches, it is wanting also in the picturesque arched corridors which contribute so much to the effect of those other ruins. Nor are its dimensions (430 feet by 335) such as to place it in the first rank even of provincial structures of this class, though it may still strike a visitor of the present day as surprisingly large for a town of the population of Pompeii. But, as we learn from the case of their squabble with the people of Nuceria, the games celebrated in the amphitheatre on grand occa sions would be visited by large numbers from the neigh bouring towns. Adjoining the amphitheatre was found a large open space, nearly square in form, which has been supposed to be a forum boarium or cattle market, but, no buildings of interest being discovered around it, the excavation was filled up again, and this part of the city has not been since examined. Among the more important public buildings of Pompeii were the thermye, or public baths, an institution that always held a prominent position in every Roman or Gneco-Roman town. Three different establishments of this character have been discovered, of which the first, excavated in 1824, was for a long time the only one known. Though the smallest of the three, it is in some respects the most complete and interesting; and it was until of late years the principal source from which we derived our knowledge of this important branch of the economy of Roman life. The vast series of edifices known by the name of thermse at Rome, as well as those in other provincial towns, are in such a state of ruin as to throw little light upon the details of their arrangements. At Pompeii on the contrary the baths are so well preserved as to show at a glance the purpose of all the different parts while they are among the most richly decorated of all the buildings in the city. We trace without difficulty all the separate apartments that are described to us by Roman authors the apodyterium, friyidarium, tepidarium, cald irium, itc., together with the apparatus for supplying both water and heat, the places for depositing the bather s clothes, and other minor details which were for the first time revealed to us by the discovery of these interesting buildings. It is obviously impossible for us in this place to enter into a detailed description of these arrangements, for which we must refer our readers to the professed treatises on Roman antiquities, as well as to the larger works on Pompeii (see also BATHS, vol. iii. p. 435). The greater thermae, which were not discovered till 1857, nor fully excavated till I860, so that they are not described in the earlier works on the subject, are on a much more extensive scale than the others, and combine with the special purposes of the building a paltestra and other apartments for exercise or recreation. The arrangements of the baths themselves are, however, almost similar to those of the lesser thermae. In this case an inscription records the repair and restoration of the edifice after the earthquake of 63, but the period of its original construc tion is unknown. It appears, however, that these two establishments were found inadequate to supply the wants of the inhabitants, and a third edifice of the same character, but on a still more extensive scale, was in course of construction when the town was overwhelmed. The remains of this, which were first discovered and excavated in 1877, are, however, of comparatively little interest from the incomplete state in which the buildings were left. Great as is the interest attached to the various public P E I I buildings of Pompeii, and valuable as is the light that they have in some instances thrown upon similar edifices in other ruined cities, far more curious and interesting is the insight afforded us by the numerous private houses and shops into the ordinary life and habits of the population of an ancient town. In this respect Pompeii stands alone, among all antiquarian discoveries, the difficulties of exploration at Herculaneum having greatly checked all further investigations on that equally promising site. But here again it is impossible in an article like the present to do more than briefly advert to the general results of the excavations (compare ARCHITECTURE, vol. ii. p. 420-21, and PI. XVil.). The houses at Pompeii are generally low, rarely exceeding two stories in height, and it appears, certain that the upper story Avas generally of a slight construction, and occupied by small rooms, serving as garrets, or sleeping places for slaves, and perhaps for the females of the family. From the mode of destruction of . the city these upper floors were in most cases crushed in and destroyed, and hence it was long believed that the , houses for the most part had but one story ; but recent ! researches have in many cases brought to light incontest able evidence of the existence of an upper floor, and the , frequent occurrence of a small staircase is in itself sufficient proof of the fact. The windows, as already mentioned, were generally small and insignificant, and contributed nothing to the external decoration or effect of the houses. In some cases they were undoubtedly closed with glass, but its use appears to have been by no means general. The principal living rooms, as well as those intended for the reception of guests or clients, were all on the ground floor, the centre being formed by the atrium, or hall, which was almost always open above to the air, and in the larger houses was generally surrounded with columns. Into this opened other rooms, the entrances to which seem to have been rarely protected by doors, and could only have been closed by curtains. All the apartments and arrangements described by Vitruvius and othw ancient writers may be readily traced in the houses of Pompeii, and in many instances these have for the first time enabled us to under stand the technical terms and details transmitted to us by Latin authors. We must not, however, hastily assume that the examples thus preserved to us by a singular accident are to be taken as representing the style of build- [ ing in all the Roman and Italian towns. We know from i Cicero that Capua was remarkable for its broad streets
 * and wide-spread buildings, and it is probable that the

i Campanian towns in general partook of the same character. At Pompeii indeed the streets were not wide, but they were straight and regular, and tke houses of the better i class occupied considerable spaces, presenting in this respect no doubt a striking contrast, not only with those of Rome itself, but with those of many other Italian towns, where the buildings would necessarily be huddled together from the circumstances of their position. Even at Pompeii itself, on the west side of the city, where the ground slopes somewhat steeply towards the sea, houses are found i which consisted of three stories or more. The excavations systematically conducted for many years past have presented us with examples of houses of every description, from the humble dwelling-place of the artisan or proletarian, with only three or four small rooms, to the stately mansions of Sallust and Pansa, 1 the last of which is the most regular as well as the most extensive of all, 1 It may be observed that the names given in most cases to the houses are either arbitrary, or founded in the first instance upon erroneous inferences. Hence they are frequently changed, and great ! confusion arises in consequence in comparing the different works on the subject. A few only of the best known may be considered as t established by long usage, among which, are the two here referred to.