In 1986 a group of art students visited the historic, once buried city of Pompeii, Italy. This particular small group of hard working students might have stayed at a small hotel just beyond the walls of the ancient city. They also might have taken a liquid courage fueled midnight climb and stroll into the ruins under cover of darkness and explored parts of the archeological site they would otherwise never have seen. Thankfully the only intentions were to see what they could see and no damage was done or evidence left behind. This type of behavior is not condoned here but youthful exhuberance and the desire for exploration can not always be controlled.
One of the wonders of the ruins of Pompeii is the connection to a past that is mysterious and powerful. It is easy to let the mind recreate what the place might have been like in its glory years and what strange inhabitants may have been lurking in the villas, temples, bars and brothels. The gods were plentiful and ritual and magic were the order of the day. That all changed for the citizens of Pompeii on August 24, AD 79.
Those art students were sure lucky that they were not eaten by a pack of hungary dogs.
ReplyDelete