FlightHub Presents: The History behind the Secret Cult of Pompeii
FlightHub Review can give you a million reasons for visiting Italy; with its fabulous food, rich and diverse history, wonderful sights and monuments, it’s no wonder that the country is the second-highest ranked tourist destination in the world, with visitors reaching over 79 million people each year.
But where to go you might ask? FlightHub could tell you that visiting the must-see’s like the Coliseum in Rome, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, or Vatican city, are all wonderful places to see and to be enjoyed. But FlightHub wants to take you somewhere a little off the beaten tourist track, to a place where you can walk among a preserved Roman city unchanged by time. This city offers you the unique opportunity to see what life was really like back in 79 AD. The City of Pompeii is a testament that no city under the powerful protection of the Roman Empire is safe from the ferocity of a temperamental Mother Nature.
On August 24th, 79 AD in the middle of the afternoon Mount Vesuvius erupted above the city of Pompeii, spewing tons upon tons of molten ask, sulfuric acid and reached temperatures of 482 °F, which ultimately obliterated the city. Though devastating, the eruption managed to preserve the city and left is perfectly intact for eternity.
If you can only see one archeological site while in Italy, FlightHub suggests this site over others as it is home to one of the most beautiful—and unusual—Fresco’s found to date. One that has stumped almost every historian and archeologists for years, the site is called The Villa of Mysteries.
Preserved for more than 2000 years from the same volcanic ash that destroyed the city, the villa is found in the center of the city, and was home to a prestigious member of Roman society. Though many citizens in Rome participated in cults, what made this particular villa puzzling was and frustrating to historians and archeologists alike was the intimate depictions of the Fresco’s found on the walls of the villa.
When the Villa was unearthed, archeologists were amazed at what they found beneath the volcanic ash as it appeared to be a Fresco depicting some kind of cult. Known as the “Initiation Chamber”, upon further investigation the consensus was that these cult members worshiped the god Dionysus, as the appearance of the mythical maenad was present in the paintings, and were part of a cult known as the Dionysian Mysteries who practiced a secret religion.
But what makes this cult special and mysterious was its participants. Drawing from secret or unknown cults from the interior of the ancient world, the depictions of the Fresco indicate that the cult was ruled by a matriarch. Recruiting from the marginalized groups of Roman society, the cults were formed by women, slaves and foreigners who used intoxicants to reach stages of worship and enlightenment. They believed that this transformation and removal of inhibitions mimicked the transformation that Dionysus had himself, therefore worshipping the god in the purest way. What FlightHub found most fascinating about the Villa of Mysteries is that it offers a rare glimpse into the secrecy of female initiation into the cult (which were previously unknown), as they watch the transition from outsider to cult member.
What also makes this Fresco particular beautiful is the vivid colors and rich textures of the paint. Frescoes a painting technique executed while plaster is still wet, therefore the application must be executed quickly as it dries very fast. While viewing the scenes, FlightHub suggests to take a moment and appreciate the artist’s skills and mastery of their work.
