Pompeii - Early Origins
Relatively little is known about the towns early history. The earlist inscriptions found in the town (c475)BC are Etruscan. Otherwise the earliest decipherable writing from 2nd C BC is Oscan and this provides the main documentary source before it became Roman
In the 1st C BC Strabo describes the Bay of Naples. Near to Naples is the hill fort of Herculaneum. The Oscans used to occupy Herculaneum and Pompeii past which the River Sarno flows. Then the Etruscans, Pelasgians and and after that,Samnites
Traditionally it was thought that Pompeii was in habited by Oscans then Greeks, Etruscans, and Samnites before falling under Roman rule in 290BC. The problem is that archelogocal evidence does not always support this.
- 8th C BC Oscan Samnite devlopent with Etruscan influence (Atrium) style of Villas
- 6th C BC Greeks from Cumae take town. Pop. 2000
- 5th C BC 474 BC Etruscans defeated by Greek Cumae
- 4th C BC Samnite Wars
- 90-89 BC Social Wars and Pompeii beseiged by Sulla
- 80BC Sulla enters Pompeii and becomes under Roman Control
There is an impression that the local people were settling the area due to the convenient location as a crossroad between areas, prosperous local and foreign commerce, the excellent naval and land transport connections. Probably date the city of Pompeii to the 8th century is too risky, even if archaic pottery was found. It may have started as a market place with few buildings however due to its wealth it could have grown to the level of a city between 7th and 5th century (use of Opus Quadratum and Papamonte walls?) The Etruscan influence was probably weak as this area was too far from Tuscany (cultural centre) and probably as soon as the Romans started their conflicts with the Etruscans, the population of Pompeii went to the Roman side. Under Roman influence and protection around 4th BC Pompeii was fortified probably using as base parts the already existing Papamonte walls. Then probably it experimented a gradual growth until what was covered by the Vesivius.
If there was settlement in Pompeii in approximately the 8th century BC modern historians are reluctant to accept this possibility. And, though there is little evidence of physical structures, there is some evidence of small pits and post-holes together with some potsherds in the House of Amarantus. Post holes under the House of Joseph and possible evidence of wooden huts near the Triangular Forum would suggest that there was some occupation however limited.Given that the area of Campania was such a fertile region with natural harbours and fresh water etc. it is hardly surprising that there might be farming settlements in Pompeii prior to the foundation of the town proper which most likely happened during the 6th century BC.
Hpwever, deeper digs in older parts of the city and core samples of drillings resulted in exposing layers of sediment. Three sheets of sediment have been found on top of lava underneath the city. Animal bones, pottery shards and plants were found. Carbon dating suggests that the oldest of the layers dates from the 8th - 6th c BC.
Fiorelli’s idea of study of the building materials used at Pompeii may have given an understanding of some of the methods used by the different inhabitants of Pompeii, however not a fully comprehensive one but Fiorelli’s method was far too rigid. For example, the House of the Surgeon was dated by the early excavators to the 4th Century BCE based on the opus quadratum technique used in the fascia of the house. However, this technique is associated with the building traditions of the Roman Republic dated to the 2nd Century BCE (Roman Art, Heintz, 1988). This date is also confirmed by the findings of modern archaeology within the stratification directly below this building, such as coins and pottery which can be dated only as far back as the 3rd Century BCE. Details of recent excavation of the House of the Surgeon can be found at:
http://interactive.archaeology.org/pompeii/field/11.html
Mau’s study of the wall paintings of Pompeii, placing them in chronological order, was a reliable technique in understanding the artwork traditions, but again only for a limited time. Although the artwork can be placed into different eras, these only cover late Republic and early Imperial Roman, again only going back as far as the 2nd Century BCE. Although the artwork can be associated to Roman traditions, the depictions show an influence from Etruscan art and can also be related to Greek myth highlighting, the idea of Romanisation. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/pompeii_art_gallery.shtml
Fiorelli in 1873 related development to the different materials and methods that these tribs would use to build structures. August Mau altered Fiorellis chronology and divided wall painting in to four styles
Francis Haverfield hypothesized an original old city or Altstadtin the south west of the city. The House of the Surgeon was thought to be oldest house about 3rd C BC but was this because it got confused with foundations of earlier buildings. Later on more evidence was brought to suggest that most houses were built 3rd to 2nd C BC not 4th C BC as easlier thought and it was also concluded that Monumentizations didnt take place before the 2nd C BC.
It seems feasible that an old city Aldstadt predated an enlarged Pompeian town but no good evidence has been found. The best argument to support it, is that towns were laid out in a regular fashion with an east west road and a north south road disecting it where the forum would be. While the rest of Pompeii seems to conform to that pattern, the Aldstadt does not which could suggest it was part of an older setllement
Excavations undertaken by the British School in 2000 concluded that the walls gates and towers dated to 6th C BC. Further excavations were undertaken in the porposed Altstadt area but nothing ealrier than 2nc C BC was found.
Roman Colonization of Pompeii
The Pompeians were among the Italian allies opposed to the Romans during the Social War (91-87BC) but the town was beseiged by Sulla and who then settled as many of four thousand veterans there. It was first a municipium before becoming a colony. It adopted the Roman Constitution and latin supplanted Oscan on the inscriptions. It is possible that native Pompeians were excluded from politics for many decades after this. It is believed that Cicero bought a villa here close to the Heculaneum gate.
The arrival of the veterans led to a major change in the look of Pompeii. Magistrates spent money on monuments and individual colonialists built the Amphitheatre, Forum Baths, Theatre and improved the Stabian Baths. They also built a temple to Venus as a guardian to both Pompeii and Sulla.
The slave revolt led by Spartacus may have had an impact on Pompeii, which started nearby in Capua. Cicero fled to Pompeii when Caesar crossed the Rubican as he did not want to get embrolied in a political battle. He later left Italy and returned after Caesar's assassination.
