Whenever anybody talks about historical ruins, there’s no getting away from the Amalfi Coast. Two of the most major archaeological discoveries from the Amalfi region include the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum that met with a sad dawning moment due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. These ruins offer an insight into life in the Roman Empire that’s as engaging as it is unique: the opportunity to take a walk down history, learning day-to-day life for those who at one time or another resided amidst it in a thriving city.
On the other hand, Pompeii is bigger and more famous between the two cities; thus, it is something to see for any interested in ancient history. Well-preserved because for centuries it was under the layer of volcanic ash, today Pompeii is one of the most interesting and important archaeological sites in the world. While going for a walk around the streets of the city, tourists seem to be transferred into other ages. Houses, temples, theaters, and stores are scattered over the ruins as if overthrown into life. Frescoes on the wall rank among the best examples of Roman art; mosaic on the floor speaks volumes about the wealth, power, and culture of the people. A walk through the ancient streets of Pompeii can almost hear the noise of the marketplace, and an imagination of lives in ancient Pompeii can be just as vivid.
Equally interesting to the history lover is the tour that takes one to Herculaneum. Smaller than Pompeii, the town offers an altogether more intimate visit, being far smaller and attracting fewer tourists. Herculaneum was also buried by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, like Pompeii. The thick layer of the volcanic mud smothered Herculaneum; really well preserved for that fact, it allowed the preservation of wooden structures, furniture, and even some foods. It gives a view of times past, in so much detail. It is also a place famous for its perfectly preserved villas, among them the House of the Deer and the House of the Mosaic Atrium, wonderfully preserved mosaics and frescoes that still brighten up today.
The whole feeling-that time lingers in the air-really does so to capture any visit to ancient ruins. Walking the streets of Pompeii or Herculaneum, one hardly can avoid feeling identification with those people who once called these places home. Ruins allow very few but telling and potent contact with the past: one may enter Ancient Houses, Ruins of Public Buildings, even Bathhouses or Public Toilets-all in one way or another testifying to daily rituals of Roman life. While Pompeii speaks to a vital Roman society with its impressive amphitheater and forum, Herculaneum represents a much quieter insight into private life.
This, however, is much more than just an archaeological visit to Pompeii and Herculaneum-in fact, almost in real-life time travel. Instead, it offers another completely different opportunity-to be the witness of history, to show how ordinary Romans lived and what happened during this catastrophic eruption that managed to ‘freeze’ these cities in time. If history is your thing, then these ruins are on the things-to-see list, and they can indeed be an overwhelming and reflective adventure about the fragility of life.
From a tour of the grand ruins of Pompeii to the more intimate ones in Herculaneum, these ancient cities form a window not only to the past but also to sobering reminders of churning great forces of nature at work and how short-lived human civilization is. Both are, in fact, testaments to the ingenuity of Ancient Rome, taking us right back in time into reminiscence of legacies left behind by our forefathers.