Magnificent Ruins

This article originally appeared in the Metro Plus edition of the Hindu 

"Cave Canem" reads the Latin inscription on the floor. "It means beware of the dog," exclaims my ten year old reading from her pamphlet. We are at the entrance of the House of the Tragic Poet in the ruins of Pompeii outside Naples, Italy."Vedi Napoli e poi muori" (See Naples and die) is a popular saying. For my daughters, it was Naples' dead neighbour Pompeii that mattered. History lessons that had described the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD and the subsequent destruction of Pompeii had brought the city vividly to life in their minds. The Roman senator, Pliny the Younger has documented the events around Mt. Vesuvius' eruption. Pliny's writings are believed to be the only eye witness account and hence amongst the most valuable recountings of Pompeii's destruction. Visiting the ruins in Pompeii was on the top of my daughters agenda even before we boarded our flight to Italy.

Naples, the capital of the Campania region, is a little over two-hours journey south of Rome. From there we get on the circumvesuviana – the local train connecting cities around Mt. Vesuvius – and a short while later are at the Pompeii Scavi station. Within walking distance from the station is the entrance to the ruins of Pompeii.The ruins are far bigger than I had imagined. Cobbled streets, some still in better condition than roads in India, are laid out in a grid pattern. Stepping stones, wide enough for pedestrians to cross over the streets and narrow enough for chariot wheels to pass over, are placed at intersections. This was helpful to Pompeii's citizens as the roads were flooded each night to clean them.I cannot help being amazed at the foresight exhibited by the city planners two thousand years ago. According to my guidebook, the House of the Tragic Poet is not the biggest residence in Pompeii, but is by far the most impressive with the mosaics and fresco art that adorn its walls. Vibrant paintings that are remarkably well preserved, decoratethe walls. They depict scenes from Greek mythology. Many frescoes are of gods and goddesses and are interspersed with some that I consider too risqu for my children. The simplicity of the house belies the rich artwork found in it and the origin of its owner continues to intrigue historians.

We've spent nearly an hour at the tragic poet's house when my husband announces, “let's see how the other half lived." He shepherds us towards a big building who’s owner must have clearly been well to do. The House of the Faun, a luxurious private home has numerous rooms, atriums and peristyles(columned porch) running around them. The statue of a dancing faun on top of the impulvium - a rectangular basin for catching rainwater, has my children captivated. "He reminds us of the sartyr in theNarnia chronicles!" As I wander through the house, I come to the beautiful mosaic depicting Alexander the Great's defeat of the Persian king Darius in battle. It is one of the few original art works left in place, unlike most of the other original sculpturesand statues, including the eponymous faun, which have been housed in a museum in Naples.

When we finally walk out of the House of the Faun, the afternoon heat strikes me like a blow. We head to the Forum. In all Roman cities the Forum served as the city center where political, religious and social life was centered. The Forum at Pompeii is no exception, with temples of Jupiter and Apollo anchoring one side of a large open space and lined by ruins of colonnaded buildings on two other sides.

As I sit on a bench to rest my weary feet, I notice Mt. Vesuvius framing much of the horizon, a surreal backdrop to the ruins. Even as I try to imagine the day in 79AD, when the sleeping giant awoke, I hear a loud cry. It is from my daughters who have wandered away a little bit. I drag myself to where they are and am shocked at the sight that greets me. The plaster cast of a human body lies in front of us, a poignant reminder of the tragedy. This is the moment that remains etched in my memory - I could imagine Pliny the Younger's utter despair as he recorded the aftermath of the volcanic eruption., a well-paced novel set around the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.