Archeological discovery reveals Greek Culture in Pompeii

[auroracoor1]

This is the description straight from the article. "Still more compelling is the reference to Greek culture in the tomb inscription. The epigraph states that Marcus Venerius Secundio “gave Greek and Latin ludi for the duration of four days”. Ludi graeci were theater performances in Greek language. “It is the first clear evidence of performances at Pompeii in the Greek language, which had previously been hypothesised on the basis of indirect indicators,” says the Director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel."

‘Extraordinary’ Tomb Discovery Provides First Evidence Of Greek Culture At Pompeii

Italy’s archeological park of Pompeii has offered up another remarkable discovery, this time in the form of an ancient tomb with mummified human remains.

www.forbes.com

 

[amygdalE]

This is the description straight from the article. "Still more compelling is the reference to Greek culture in the tomb inscription. The epigraph states that Marcus Venerius Secundio “gave Greek and Latin ludi for the duration of four days”. Ludi graeci were theater performances in Greek language. “It is the first clear evidence of performances at Pompeii in the Greek language, which had previously been hypothesised on the basis of indirect indicators,” says the Director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel."

‘Extraordinary’ Tomb Discovery Provides First Evidence Of Greek Culture At Pompeii

Italy’s archeological park of Pompeii has offered up another remarkable discovery, this time in the form of an ancient tomb with mummified human remains.

www.forbes.com

That is an extraordinary discovery because it implies that, if plays were performed in Greek, there must have been a Greek-speaking population for an audience. Since we have no Pompeian literature, scholars have usually assumed that Pompeii was a Roman (resort) city and that, for instance, the innumerable paintings in the city (often on Greek subjects) were not created by local Greeks and were copies of works in Hellas. They even forgot the nearby Oracle of KymE [Cumae in Latin] and the comic Atellan Plays in the same Campanian region, not to mention the books in Greek by Parmenides and the other Eleatic philosophers.

 

[cf_fraiser]

That is an extraordinary discovery because it implies that, if plays were performed in Greek, there must have been a Greek-speaking population for an audience. Since we have no Pompeian literature, scholars have usually assumed that Pompeii was a Roman (resort) city and that, for instance, the innumerable paintings in the city (often on Greek subjects) were not created by local Greeks and were copies of works in Hellas. They even forgot the nearby Oracle of KymE [Cumae in Latin] and the comic Atellan Plays in the same Campanian region, not to mention the books in Greek by Parmenides and the other Eleatic philosophers.

Thanks for the additional context

 

[amygdalE]

That is an extraordinary discovery because it implies that, if plays were performed in Greek, there must have been a Greek-speaking population for an audience. Since we have no Pompeian literature, scholars have usually assumed that Pompeii was a Roman (resort) city and that, for instance, the innumerable paintings in the city (often on Greek subjects) were not created by local Greeks and were copies of works in Hellas. They even forgot the nearby Oracle of KymE [Cumae in Latin] and the comic Atellan Plays in the same Campanian region, not to mention the books in Greek by Parmenides and the other Eleatic philosophers.

Not a Reply but an Addition to the things scholars have constantly forgotten: Pompeiians had books written in Greek. This is not hearsay, because, through delicate modern techniques, Italians have reconstructed a book (by Epicurus, 3rd century B.C.) by analyzing the charred pages due to the volcanic eruption of 79 A.D. Most of the works written by this hedonistic philosopher from Samos have been lost who advocated Ataraxia [tranquillity; ...] as the good of life.

 

[efhernandez_]

Not a Reply but an Addition to the things scholars have constantly forgotten: Pompeiians had books written in Greek. This is not hearsay, because, through delicate modern techniques, Italians have reconstructed a book (by Epicurus, 3rd century B.C.) by analyzing the charred pages due to the volcanic eruption of 79 A.D. Most of the works written by this hedonistic philosopher from Samos have been lost who advocated Ataraxia [tranquillity; ...] as the good of life.

So cool to see how we were all connected back then without technology, thanks for sharing

 

[k_tsoukalas]

This is an amazing discovery. I read somewhere that Pompeii in its early days was part of Magna Graecia (part of Ancient Greece) but then switched over to Roman control...

 

[amygdalE]

This is an amazing discovery. I read somewhere that Pompeii in its early days was part of Magna Graecia (part of Ancient Greece) but then switched over to Roman control...

In the 8th century B.C., various Greek trading posts [for pottery etc.] were etablished in southern Italy`. There followed Greek settlements [colonization] and founding of new cities... On a critical occasion, Pericles sent various Greeks to repopulate a city [Thourioi]; the sophist Protagoras and Herodotus were amongst them. Thourioi was attacked by Hannibal, but refugees founded what happens to be my native town. The hellenization was so vast that the Romans called southern Italy "Magna Graecia", which included Pompeii [near Naples/Neapolis and KymE]. For the sake of expansion in the Mediterranean, the Romans took administrative control of Magna Graecia, where they built roads to port-cities and their language became predominant. Pompeii and the island of Capri became Roman resort places, whereas the Sicilian Syracuse (the homeland of the great Archimedes) was conquered militarily. The Romans chased the vandalizing Hannibal off Italy and drove Pyrrhus of Epirus off Magna Graecia, but did not stop the invading Longobards, so that eventually my native town became an "oppidum Longobardorum" [town/fief of the Longobards] and lost its former freedom. Some toponyms and a bunch of words is what is left of its Greek culture. I have analysed the words of my native language: they are Greek and, at least in origin, Latin, and Italian (including some Italianized Longobardic words).

 

[efhernandez_]

In the 8th century B.C., various Greek trading posts [for pottery etc.] were etablished in southern Italy`. There followed Greek settlements [colonization] and founding of new cities... On a critical occasion, Pericles sent various Greeks to repopulate a city [Thourioi]; the sophist Protagoras and Herodotus were amongst them. Thourioi was attacked by Hannibal, but refugees founded what happens to be my native town. The hellenization was so vast that the Romans called southern Italy "Magna Graecia", which included Pompeii [near Naples/Neapolis and KymE]. For the sake of expansion in the Mediterranean, the Romans took administrative control of Magna Graecia, where they built roads to port-cities and their language became predominant. Pompeii and the island of Capri became Roman resort places, whereas the Sicilian Syracuse (the homeland of the great Archimedes) was conquered militarily. The Romans chased the vandalizing Hannibal off Italy and drove Pyrrhus of Epirus off Magna Graecia, but did not stop the invading Longobards, so that eventually my native town became an "oppidum Longobardorum" [town/fief of the Longobards] and lost its former freedom. Some toponyms and a bunch of words is what is left of its Greek culture. I have analysed the words of my native language: they are Greek and, at least in origin, Latin, and Italian (including some Italianized Longobardic words).

I love the Roman Empire, one of my favourites for sure. Thanks for sharing