Street Theater: A Pompeian Neighborhood in Five Acts
Dr. Jeremy Hartnett (Wabash College)
Thurs. Apr. 14, 2022 at 7pm
Eaton Humanities 1B80 [New Location]
When we think of Roman cities, it is tempting to conjure images of temples, baths, and amphitheaters.听 This talk storms into the narrow听streets of Pompeii to make the case that, for most Romans, the real action happened on the neighborhood level.听 By examining five stories at just one intersection far from the monumental center of this city, we will learn about (a)听streetside religion, the former slaves who presided over it, and the suspicions that they sought to tamp down; (b) eating and drinking by regular folk, as well as the key connective roles played by barmaids in Pompeian society; (c) small-scale industry and the way that shopkeepers deployed deities to push product; (d) neighborhood rivalries across competing businesspeople and their efforts to outdo one another via听street听signs; (e) and the retorts that elite Pompeians used to undercut upstarts.听 All told, we will see how ancient historians repopulate 鈥渆mpty鈥� ancient spaces with a raucous cast of upper-class politicians, slaves, hucksters, donkeys, and so many more 鈥� all trying to scratch out a living, make their mark, and upstage competitors in the听street.
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