Tag Archives: Augustus

Bourbon Tunnels and Retrieving Lost Treasures

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Joanna muses on the Bourbon tunnels in Pompeii and Herculaneum

Pompeii, Casa dell'Efebo, Bourbon TunnelWhat is a Bourbon Tunnel, I hear you ask?

This image shows what is believed to be a Bourbon Tunnel in a decorated wall in the Casa dell’Efebo (House of the Ephebus) in Pompeii. But there’s more to that hole than you might think.

We need to go back to the early 18th century when monks in Resina, the town that had grown up over Herculaneum, were sinking a new well. By chance, they lighted on the upper tier of the theatre which had been adorned with beautiful statues. At the time, Naples was ruled by the Austrian Hapsburgs. When the wealthy Austrian Prince d’Elbeuf heard the news, he commissioned a programme of looting. His looters were to dig lateral tunnels from the well shaft and bring out what they found to decorate his new villa. Money talks, eh?

Looting was easy and fun? Not…

Looting was a dangerous occupation. Think about it. Continue reading →

Roman Soldiers on the Frontier : Tough or Tedious?

Hadrian's Wall Roman frontier

Hadrian’s Wall : Britannia’s northern frontier

The Roman Frontier? We Brits immediately think of Roman soldiers stationed at Hadrian’s Wall to defend the empire against painted marauders (the Picts or picti) from the barbarian north.

We imagine their life was cold and wet and miserable. Some of them certainly sent letters home to Rome to ask for warm woollen socks. Clearly northern Britannia was not a place for short tunics and sandals.

Hadrian's Wall Roman frontier

Hadrian’s Wall: not exactly warm and cosy?

On the German frontier, the weather was warmer than Britannia, especially in summer. Short tunics and sandals would have worked just fine.

But guarding a frontier against a potential enemy — who (mostly) didn’t attack — was probably 99% boredom.

So how did the soldiers fill their time? Continue reading →