#CLST6 For my #LookCloser7, I focused on the stone amphitheater and the Domus Sirici. I wanted to look at the amphitheater because it is in remarkably good condition given its age. It was built in 70 BCE and was one of the first stone amphitheaters for gladiatorial combat [1].
Many of the seats are covered in grass, but some are still visible. The main structure of the theater looks almost completely intact. Using Google Earth, I was also able to get a sense of its location in relation to the rest of Pompeii. /2
As seen here, the amphitheater was walking distance from many of the homes in Pompeii-- explaining the large crowds at gladiatorial events. Next, I looked at Domus Sirici. It was owned by Publius Vedius Siricus who "belonged to the political and trade class of Pompeii" [2]. /3
The home is located towards the middle of Pompeii and is actually a result of two houses being merged together in the 1st century BC [3]. Looking at a plan of the house below, I might guess that rooms 14 and 15 originally belonged to a separate home. /4
This is because there is no internal doorway connecting these rooms to the rest of the home. In the plan, 2 is the entrance, 6 is the atrium, and 16 is the kitchen [4]. Attached is an image of the atrium. I attempted to line up a Google Earth view of the home with the plan. /5
I believe the small, skinny, room directly next to the Domus Sirici marker is room 5 on the plan. I also noted, as explained in our Roman Art reading, that even though this is a very large house, it is connected to other houses--which is typical of Pompeian architecture [5]. /6
I was especially drawn to this home because of its wall paintings. The paintings seem to be a mix of a few styles. I believe the stones at the bottom of the walls are painted and would be from the first style (masonry style). /7
I also see ornate style in the orange squares with small designs in the middle. Finally, I see intricate style in the way the walls are divided into different sections [6]. /8
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