Mt. Vesuvius

The Palaestra

Pompeii

In Roman times, the exercise yard was know as the palaestra and it was always a feature in every Roman town.

Pompeii had a particularly large palaestra, sized at just over a hectare, it consumed the towns entire south-eastern boundary.

Built in response to the Augustan wish of providing ample exercise and training grounds to their young, Pompeii's palaestra is unique as most were donated by public figures in the hope of gaining political momentum and support.

It provided access to running, wrestling, swimming and discuss.

A lesser know fact is that Pompeii originally had a much smaller palaestra know as the Samnite palaestra and was situated right next to the Triangular forum.

Three side walls were porticoed and the fourth was divided into three monumental entrances.

The athletes trained barefoot, so the ground under the porticos was just dirt and grass. In the middle there was a large swimming pool, the walls of which were lined with waterproof cement.

The deepest point measures 2.6m deep and the water was supplied by the castellum water tower through a lead pipe and flowed continually. The overflow from the pool was used to flush out a rather large latrine in the eastern end.

The area also held an alter for rites associated with the imperial cults along with trees and a fountain.

Herculaneum

The Herculaneum Palaestra took up an entire insula and its swimming pool was made to resemble a cross.

It was surrounded by trees and included a series of porticoed rooms.

Most of the Palaestra remains unexcavated though tunnels into the area enables us to determine the structure.

Competitive games were financed by wealthy citizens such as Nonius Balbus.

The Basilica

The Basilica was a large rectangular building situated on the south-west corner of the forum.

It was used for legal preceedings, gatherings and setting up commercial agreements as it was very large and spacious.

Not typical Roman style which used arches as its main support structure. This Basilica shows a distinct Greek influence with its extensive use of columns.

As the largest public building on site at Pompeii, it's remains still stand today at over 2,200 years old.

The central area was called a nave and the sides were called the aisles. The columns are exactly 11m high.

At the main entrance there appears 5 openings framed by large pillars which follows up 4 stairs to the real entrance, again, divided by 5 pillars.

Originally evolved from the Greek peristyle, a building with an internal courtyard and peristyle formed by rows of columns.

The Pompeiian basilica displays this origin but it was probably roofed and so its central rows of columns supported this roof rather than marked the edge of an internal peristyle.

The most widely accepted version is that the Basilica was roofed because there is evidence of continuous windows in the upper walls of the side aisles

The Amphetheatre

Them amphetheatre held the most popular forms of entertainment.