POMPEII EXHIBIT

My sister and I went to the new Pompeii exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and while it was nice enough, I’m afraid I was disappointed.  The exhibit does give a very clear picture of life in and around 79CE, mostly as enjoyed by wealthier Roman citizens.  There is a wide range of everyday items, like pots and fishing gear, as well as some astonishingly intricate gold and silver jewelry.  All of this is instructive and interesting, but all related to life.  What the exhibit fails to convey is the awful death these people suffered. 

Those who know me well know that I wear a silver ring containing a black piece of Vesuvius rock.  I bought this some 40 years ago when I visited Pompeii for real.  The ancient city and its attendant volcano were only a short bus-ride from the naval base at Naples, where my ship was home-ported.  I have tried and failed many times to convey how absolutely eerie it was to walk around in those deathly quiet streets.  Such tourists as there were spoke in hushed tones, partly because voices spoken aloud would echo through the empty streets and shops.  You could really feel the ghosts of the departed population.

The Franklin Institute tries to convey the destruction and terror, and largely fails.  A short film compressing an eruption lasting a day and a half into a few minutes was not very convincing, although the animated pyroclastic flow at the end was quite dramatic.  People actually coughed on the stage mist as though it were really dust.  But it was inadequate.  I also think that four were too few of the casts of the dead to really convey any scale.  Many thousands died.

The exhibit’s worth the price of admission, partly because you also get general admission to the Franklin Institute itself, and can play with the toys.  But if you get the chance, go and see the real thing.  Here are four pictures I took in my visit all those years ago.

This is the mosaic tile floor of the entryway to a residence, undoubtedly belonging to one of the wealthier residents.

This is how people crossed the streets, which for the most part were muddy sewers.  The breaks in the pathway were for wagons and chariots.

This is a sign painted on the wall.  It might be a street name or the business name.

Finally, here is a shot down one of the streets.  Dozens of similar street have been excavated, all in about the same state of destruction.  The silence was palpable.