維蘇威火山Mount Vesuvius,公元 1 世紀的壁畫龐貝古城的

 

古希臘羅馬信蛇有神力。

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這是一幅公元 1 世紀的壁畫，可能描繪的是維蘇威火山，即公元 79 年摧毀龐貝古城的火山。據信這是已知最早的火山描繪。在火山爆發時以及爆發前的幾個世紀裡，維蘇威火山的面貌與今天截然不同。有報導稱，山上生長著藤蔓，這些藤蔓是公元前 73 年斯巴達克斯和他的士兵在火山高處紮營時砍伐的。

普魯塔克記載：

「然而，山頂上長滿了野藤，他們從藤蔓上砍下所有需要的樹枝，然後把它們扭成堅固的梯子。”

詩人馬庫斯·瓦萊裡烏斯·馬蒂亞利斯（Martial）描述了公元 1 世紀山上的葡萄藤：

這裡的維蘇威火山被葡萄藤籠罩，綠樹成蔭；這裡的葡萄在桶中滲出汁液：這些山脊是巴克斯最愛的山脊，勝過尼薩的山丘。

這幅畫是在義大利龐貝古城百年紀念館發現的，可能不是完全準確的描繪，但它展示了火山及其藤蔓。左邊是酒神巴克斯，全身覆蓋著葡萄。

它現在位於那不勒斯考古博物館。

發現這幅畫的建築被命名為百年之家，因為它是在 1879 年（即自然災害發生 1800 週年）進行挖掘的。

© Carole Raddato (2018)

This is a 1st Century AD, wall painting, probably showing Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD. It is believed to be the earliest known depiction of the volcano. At the time of the eruption, and in the centuries leading up to it, Vesuvius looked radically different to how it looks today. There are reports of vines growing over it, vines which Spartacus and his soldiers cut down when they were camped high up on the volcano in 73 BC.

Plutarch records:

"The top of the hill, however, was covered with wild vines and from these they cut off all the branches that they needed, and then twisted them into strong ladders."

The poet Marcus Valerius Martialis (Martial) describes vines on the mountain in the 1st Century AD:

"Here Vesuvius is shaded green with vines; here the noble grape had exuded its juices in vats: these are the ridges which Bacchus loved more than the hills of Nysa."

This painting was found in the House of the Centenary in Pompeii, Italy, and is probably not an wholly accurate depiction, but it shows the volcano with its vines. To the left, Bacchus god of wine, is depicted covered in grapes.

It is now in the Naples Archaeological Museum.

The building in which the painting was found was named House of the Centenary because it was excavated in 1879, the 18th centenary of the natural disaster.

© Carole Raddato (2018)