{"id":5165,"date":"2026-09-21T10:44:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T08:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.morosofi.it\/?p=5165"},"modified":"2026-09-21T10:44:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T08:44:46","slug":"en-three-myths-about-pompeii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.morosofi.it\/en\/en-three-myths-about-pompeii\/","title":{"rendered":"Three myths about Pompeii"},"content":{"rendered":"
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POMPEII \u2022 HISTORY \u2022 CURIOSITIES<\/div>\n

Three Myths About Pompeii You Probably Still Believe<\/h1>\n

There are things we think we know about Pompeii\u2026 but the archaeological evidence tells a different story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pompeii is one of the best-known ancient cities in the world. And precisely because we have seen it so many times in documentaries, films and photographs, some ideas have become almost impossible to question.<\/p>\n

But the archaeological reality is often much more fascinating than the legend.<\/p>\n

So here are three myths about Pompeii<\/strong> that are worth debunking.<\/p>\n


\nDiscover Pompeii with me
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\nMYTH #1
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPompeii was buried by lava\u201d<\/h2>\n

\"myths<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

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The reality is very different.<\/h3>\n

When we think about a volcanic eruption, we often imagine a huge river of glowing lava slowly flowing through the streets.<\/p>\n

That is not what happened at Pompeii in AD 79.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius was explosive. Huge quantities of ash, pumice and lapilli<\/strong> \u2014 solid volcanic fragments \u2014 began falling over the city.<\/p>\n

In other words, Pompeii was not buried by a giant flow of liquid lava<\/strong> as it is sometimes portrayed in films.<\/p>\n

During the first phase of the eruption, volcanic material progressively covered the city. Later, extremely hot pyroclastic currents reached Pompeii and contributed to its destruction and final burial.<\/p>\n

So what actually fell on Pompeii?<\/strong>
\nAsh, pumice and lapilli. Not a gigantic river of liquid lava flowing through the city.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Want to see Pompeii differently?<\/h3>\n

On a guided tour, we can go beyond the usual explanations and discover the details that many visitors miss.<\/p>\n


\nBook a Tour with Me
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\nMYTH #2
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you see a phallus, there was a brothel\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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The phallus had an important apotropaic function.<\/h3>\n

Phallic symbols are everywhere at Pompeii. And this often leads to an immediate assumption: if you see a phallus, you must be looking at a place connected with prostitution.<\/p>\n

In Roman culture, however, the phallus could have an apotropaic function<\/strong>: it was associated with protection against bad luck and harmful forces.<\/p>\n

It could appear in different contexts and was not limited to places connected with sex. Phallic amulets and pendants<\/strong> were also worn as protective objects.<\/p>\n

The Archaeological Park of Pompeii has documented phallic amulets among jewellery and personal objects found in the city, in a context associated with protection against bad fortune.<\/p>\n

So remember:<\/strong>
\na phallic symbol on its own is not proof that there was a brothel there<\/strong>. Its protective meaning was much broader.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\nMYTH #3
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPompeii had a red-light district\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

\"myths<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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There was no official prostitution district.<\/h3>\n

Pompeii certainly had places identified as lupanaria<\/strong>, the most famous being the Lupanar that visitors can still see today.<\/p>\n

But this does not mean that prostitution was confined to one official district, separated from the rest of the city.<\/p>\n

Archaeological and epigraphic evidence instead shows prostitution as a phenomenon embedded in the urban fabric<\/strong>, appearing in different buildings and contexts.<\/p>\n

The graffiti are particularly revealing. Some include names, prices and references to sexual services<\/strong>. In several examples, the price of two asses appears.<\/p>\n

And there is even a famous example that shows how much prices could vary: a graffito referring to Arruntius<\/strong>, a man, records a price of 27 asses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The most interesting part?<\/strong>
\nProstitution was a recognised reality of Roman society, but those who practised it were nevertheless strongly stigmatised socially.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
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Pompeii is much more than it seems.<\/h3>\n

Myths, graffiti, symbols, houses and everyday stories: on a guided tour we can read the city through these fascinating details.<\/p>\n


\nLet’s Plan Your Pompeii Tour
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The real Pompeii is even more fascinating than its myths.<\/h2>\n

And perhaps that is what makes archaeology so fascinating: every time we think we know a story, one small detail can completely change it.<\/p>\n

Pompeii is not simply a city \u201cfrozen in time\u201d. It was a city full of people, habits, fears, beliefs, desires and contradictions.<\/p>\n

And that is exactly why it is worth discovering in person.<\/strong><\/p>\n


\nBook Your Guided Tour
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Morosofi Guided Tours \u2022 Unusual Guided Tours<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  POMPEII \u2022 HISTORY \u2022 CURIOSITIES Three Myths About Pompeii You Probably Still Believe There are things we think we know about Pompeii\u2026 but the archaeological evidence tells a different story. Pompeii is one of the best-known ancient cities in the world. And precisely because we have seen it so…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[208],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"yoast_head":"\n3 Myths About Pompeii: Lava, Phalluses and Brothels<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"3 Myths about Pompeii. Was the city buried by lava? Did phallic symbols point to the brothels? 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