Pompeii was rediscovered and excavated in the eighteenth century as one of the finest and most preserved examples of Roman architecture. Combined with the Roman influence was a pattern of development from several of the contemporaneous Mediterranean cultures of the time, which gave Pompeii a unique architectural flavor. It is this uniqueness that will become the central focus of this paper on the cultural history of Pompeii as reflected in the town's domestic architecture. The paper will begin with a brief history of the city of Pompeii, and then overview the different cultural influences which shaped the city itself. Then, the domestic architecture will be described, with a more detailed look at the influences of the Oscans, Greeks, Etruscans, Samnites, and Carthaginians. Of special note will be the influences of Rome on the city prior to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The paper will conclude with a brief look at other aspects of public architecture, not necessarily domestic.
Geographically, Pompeii lies close to the modern city of Naples. Naples itself was founded by the Greeks around 650 B.C., calling it Neapolis or "New City." The Greeks colonized the entire region, and settled at Pompeii as well. Subsequently, Pompeii fell under the influence of several of the powerful Etruscan city-states which were more powerful, at that time, than Rome. By the fifth century B.C., the dominant power in Pompeii became the Samnites who were aggressive Italian hillsmen coming from a number of fortified strong points throughout the Italian peninsula (Grant 9).
Rome was, however, becoming quite powerful herself, and between 310 and 302 B.C. defeated the Samnites and took over Pompeii. One should remember, though, that it was typical Roman practice to conquer a town and then leave it to its own devices, preferring instead to influence the conquered by cultural and pragmatic means. "Nevertheless, in 91 B.C., both Pompeii a...