Women
In many Roman towns, women are oppressed and locked in. Many think that Pompeii is the same. This is not true. Women experience a rigorous and active lifestyle they can lead in Pompeii.
Women have many rights – they can be educated, own, lease or sell property, take part in business (as is portrayed in paintings and advertisement) and become important members of society.
- The Pompeian priestess Eumachia, who donated a glorious building to the Fullers Guild.
- Julia Felix owns and manages one of Pompeii’s largest villas.
Women also have great political authority, acting as election campaigners. Less, wealthy women can also lead satisfactory lives as innkeepers, midwives, doctors, sellers of vegetables, shop assistants, weavers, money lenders, butcher or fishers.
As well, there is many an opportunity for young, single women to find romance in Pompeii.
Public Facilities
Pompeii is a city renowned for its convenience. As such, it provides many public facilities for its citizens, or guests. Public facilities, highlighted on the map, in Pompeii include:
- Amphitheatre
- Small and Large Theatres
- Baths
- Toilets
- Shopping centres
- Palaestras
Recreation/Leisure activities and entertainment
Pompeii is said to be the city of a thousand wonders. Each day brings new sights and shows for its people. Or, you can relax, kickback, and enjoy the mood.
Banquets
Prominent in every class in the city of Pompeii is the parties and banquets, which include a varying amount of delicacies. Banquets begin in the afternoon and last for hours, with visitors obliged to bring their own napkins and toothpicks. Shoes are expected to be left outside, and beautiful slippers placed on each guest feet. Everyone feast on the food with fingers and/or spoons, and lie three per couch.
The most important visitors are situated in the middle and lesser visitors on the couch to the right, with the host on the left couch. All guests are expected to obey a general set of rules for polite behaviour. Some banquets are said to be so magnificent that they are portrayed as reliefs or mosaics.
Home Entertainment
For those more reserved, there are also many home entertainment activities. The wealthy can relax and enjoy the environment, enjoying the cool sea breezes and spectacular views. The open roofed solariums allow sun baking, and the cubicula diurna rooms let in cool breezes and shade during hot weather. The exedras overlook gardens and provide an excellent sot for quiet reading and relaxation. These rooms are seen in some of the magnificent houses in Pompeii.
Bodily Pleasures
Taverns provide gambling and plentiful drink. Gyms are also present in Pompeii, with swimming pool and an open sports ground.
Baths
Pompeii boasts some of the greatest baths in the Roman world. Four are built in the city, with different entrances and facilities for men and women. The baths contain tepidarium, caldariam, laconicum and frigidarium facilities, as well as rooms attached for listening to poetry or music, reading books, removing unwanted hair, eating and latrines.
Plays and Festivals
In Pompeii, theatres stage religious festivals and plays, such as comedies, mimes and pantomimes. On hot days, the open air theatres are covered with a portable roof, and the audience given water.
Blood Sports
Pompeii is known for blood sports, which helps to promote character building in both men and women. Blood sports range from fights between professional gladiators, between animals and unarmed prisoners, or professional bestiari.
Fans can buy goods such as lamps, decorated with the faces of their favourite gladiators, and write graffiti about them.
Health
Pompeii is a town which experience a very high standard of health. Our public baths keep the citizen clean, and thus prevent disease. Our food is fresh, and harvested daily to prevent rotting or stomach aches. The city has its own cleaners to prevent the pile up of rubbish, though each person is expected to help keep the city clean as much as possible.
Employment
Work is available for all classes and sexes in Pompeii. Our cities fertile soil allows us to grow an astonishing variety of crops and to have market gardens with lemon, fig, almond, plum, cherry and pear trees. We also specialise in olive oil, wine, woollen goods and dyed materials. Garum also provides a large industry in Pompeii. People are able to find employment in any of these areas easily.
Pompeii also provides a great opportunity for merchants, with easy access to trading vessels. Our great wool storehouse and the main shopping mall are examples of our commercial heritage.
Taverns, bakeries and clothing industries are plentiful in Pompeii, and provide work for both men and women. The wealthy can also work in Pompeii, by acting as landlords, jewellers and land owners.
Housing
There is no real class differentiation in Pompeii. All areas of the city are prosperous and clean. The city also provides isolated retreats outside the main town. However, most live in the insulae or residential blocks, where plenty of housing is available. These houses provide a variety of styles to suit everyone’s tastes, including the atrium house, atrium peristyle house, villas and apartments.
Religion
Pompeii offers a varied and diverse religious culture, suitable for people for all faiths.
Household Gods
Household gods and spirits protect each dwelling. They should be given the same love and attention as the rest of the family, and can be terribly dangerous when angered. A family should pray and pay homage to the household god/s each day.
There are many types household gods including
- the lares: spirit protectors of the house
- the penates: protect the family food supply
- the genius: guarantees fertility
- other imported and native gods
Great gods
Pompeii provides many great temples and altars for the major gods, who bring wealth and protection to the city. Pompeii also has temples dedicated to Emperor Augustus, first emperor of Rome, as well as emperor Vepasian. Currently in Pompeii, there are the following temples:
- Temple of Apollo
- Temple of Jupiter
- Temple of Isis
- Temple of Fortuna Augusta
- Temple of Lares
- Temple of Venus
- Temple of Vespasian
- Doric Temples
Mosaics and frescos
Pompeii is known throughout for its magnificent art. The cities wall paintings, mosaics, murals and sculptures portray life in Pompeii.
Examples of this art are present throughout the city. In the Villa of Mysteries, walls have screens painted on the, above which is painted sky. This is designed to give an optical illusion, an example of the second style popular in 90-10 BCE.
The House of the Centenary has a fabulous white room, entirely covered in a delicate leaf pattern, an example of the fourth style in 55-79 ACE.
As well as being beautiful, mosaics also serve a purpose, such as the guard dog in the House of the Tragic Poet.
