There are many borrowed identities of Herculaneum: Pompeii’s lesser-known twin, the Roman God Hercules’ abode, Vesuvius’ city… Herculaneum may be all this, but it is also so much more, a stand-alone prize that asserts its own individuality. From gashed glory to renewed renown, Herculaneum has emerged from the ashes to occupy its own place in the annals of time. Here’s all you need to know about this beautiful city’s rich history and heritage.
Much of what we see of Herculaneum has been a labor of love — frescoes, statues and busts have been painstakingly reconstructed to return them to their original state as much as possible. Without the efforts of Amedeo Maiuri, Andrew Wallace-Hadrill and their team, Herculaneum would long have been left to suffer an ignominious fate at the hands of vandals and thieves.
Although 75% of the town still lies undiscovered, what we see today has been protected as part of the Archeological Park of Herculaneum.
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Before the eruption of Vesuvius, Herculaneum was a well-to-do seaside port that housed Romans of nobility. Lavish villas, marble statues and intricate frescoes decorated its public landscape. After the eruption in 79 AD, this wealthy town was buried under several layers of ash and was forgotten for centuries. It was only over the last 300 years that bits of the ancient town were excavated and appreciated for its remarkable preservation of ancient Roman life.
Marcus Nonius Balbus was a public benefactor of Herculaneum who embellished the town with busts and statues. He was a Roman senator and Governor of Crete. Another government official, Appius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman general and noble whose name was found inscribed inside the Herculaneum theater.
Herculaneum garnered public interest as early as the 1700s, during the reign of King Charles of the Bourbon dynasty. While there is no formal date of when the Archeological park opened to the public, dedicated excavations gradually drew more people on site. Now, it is a tourist spot with dedicated services endeavoring to conserve and showcase the city’s past.
Experts believe that the Samnite House is one of the oldest structures in Herculaneum. It was at least 300 years old when Vesuvius struck.
In Herculaneum, the bodies were subjected to extreme temperatures of 500℃ or more, which liquefied their insides and reduced them to just bones. In contrast, at Pompeii, the pumice rain and ash cover were relatively shallower, cloaking the people in debris and thereby preserving their silhouettes.
The eruption preserved a remarkable collection of scrolls in the Villa of the Papyri. Scientists are now painstakingly deciphering these texts, offering a potential chance to directly access Roman philosophical and literary works!
Indeed. You can get a guided tour of Herculaneum’s ruins with an archeologist who will be able to shed light on the site’s past and present, conservation practices and more. They will also be able to tell you the significance of the frescoes you see, the houses you visit, etc.
Herculaneum serves as a chilling reminder of volcanic power but also offers a remarkable window into everyday Roman life. It's a testament to human resilience and the enduring power of history, reminding us of the importance of preserving the past for future generations.
