Trojan Frescoes, Newly Uncovered in Pompeii

Recently, excavations in Pompeii have uncovered three Trojan frescoes. These dining room decorations appeared in the villa of Aulus Rustius Verus, a wealthy politician known from other evidence in Pompeii. In front of his fancy home, a bakery and laundry he owned have already been excavated. You might remember reading my post about the first “pizza” shown on the wall in this home attached to a bakery.

Mythological Scenes in the Trojan Frescoes

This excavation continues on one of the “insula” or city blocks of Pompeii that archaeologists had left buried. In order to fix drainage problems that would destroy the fragile site, this area now needs preservation. So we are enjoying fresh discoveries, and these three frescoes depicting scenes from the myths related to the Trojan War are two of my favorites. So which mythological characters got prime billing in this Roman banquet room? Helen and Paris (identified by his other name, Alexandros, on the wall), Leda (Helen’s mother) and Zeus disguised as a lecherous swan, and Apollo and Cassandra.

Consistently Unhappy Love Depicted

There’s three tragic love stories for you. Whether you believe Helen was abducted or went willingly, that tale has a long drawn out, grim plot line. No one wants to bring ten years of war on their loved ones, nor brutal defeat. At Paris’ feet sits a very worried looking dog. Leave it to the dog to know a bad house guest when it sniffs one. Leda had a lot of explaining to do to her husband when she got pregnant by a swan. She did get a gorgeous but troublesome daughter out of the ordeal. Then there’s Apollo’s lust for Cassandra. Immortal love for humans rarely ends well for the mortal. Just saying no to Apollo, a thus eminently sensible response to this problem, turns out to be a crushingly disastrous one. You’ll know everything but no one will believe you. Cassandra’s expression on the fresco says it all, and at least now, we all believe her.

The director of Pompeii’s archaeological park says of these chosen subjects:

“The mythological couples provided ideas for conversations about the past and life, only seemingly of a merely romantic nature…In reality, they refer to the relationship between the individual and fate: Cassandra, who can see the future but no one believes her; Apollo, who sides with the Trojans against the Greek invaders but, being a god, cannot ensure victory; Helen and Paris, who, despite their politically incorrect love affair, are the cause of the war, or perhaps merely a pretext. Who knows?”

The Dining Room Decor

The backdrop to these Trojan frescoes are walls painted black, which the archaeologists are explaining as a way to hide the smoke stains created by too much night dining. Highly practical, but it seems an extreme solution. I’m not sure dining surrounded by blackness is appealing, but yes, the frescoes would stand out against such a bleak backdrop. I kind of wonder if this color choice was part of the image Aulus Rustius Verus wanted to project. Dominus tough guy. But the archaeologists probably know what they’re talking about. I do remember a lot of dark walls and Pompeiian artwork. So probably it was a regular thing. But I kind of like it as a reflection of the personality of a Pompeiian politician. Maybe I’m over-influenced by my feelings about some contemporary politicians.

There are also over a million tiny white tiles forming the mosaic floor, which would brighten things up for everyone but the person who had to lay them.

Photos and Further Reading

There have been a number of articles about this especially beautiful find. Here are three articles of particular note that have excellent photos of the new Trojan frescoes.

Smithsonian Magazine, ‘Spectacular’ Frescoes of Helen of Troy, Apollo and Zeus Unearthed Among the Ruins of Pompeii

The New York Times, In Ancient Pompeii, Dinner Surrounded by Myth

The Art Newspaper, Stunning frescoes revealed at Pompeii