Ad99998 04 026a/eng
Die unterirdische Stadt Herkulanum
Beschreibungstext eng
Miscellanies XXXV. Vol. IV. No. 24., THE SUBTERRANEAN HERCULANUN., In the reign of the Roman Emperour Titus and the year 79 after the Birtli of Jesus Chrift ons of the most terrible éruptions of the Mount Vefuvius happened. Heavy clouds of burning ashesand pumice-ftones ejected from the Volcano, ebanaed at first, day in night and then falling down like a devafting rain covered and deltroyed the wbole adjacent country. Herculanum a large town and Colony of the Ancient Romans ßtuated on the Sea-Sbore between Naples and Pornpejum was also buried by this terrible Catafirophe. The ràin of ashes and pumice fiones covered its streets and houfes, wbilethe infortunate inhabitants had hardîy time enouoh to fave themselves and their beit eliects; fréquent shovveTS soon after changed these ashes into a bard and folid fubltance, and a torrent of glowing Lava which streamed from the bursting Volcano towards the Sea, covered Herculanumvvith a bind of Stone-Cruft from 60 to ßo feed thieb. Thus this opulent town disappeared from the furface of the earth and some Centuries after tllis terrible event nobody knew where this flourishing town had been Gtuated; at lait the little town Porticî was huilt on the plain which covered Herculanum and it was only by chance that its fubterranean ruins-were discovered in the lait Century. P»ince d'Elhoeuf from the houfe of Lorrain built in 17*20 a counfrv houle near Porticî when a neighbouring peafant dig, c;ing, at the famé time a weil, found various precious pièces of inaible. The Prince bearing of It, bo-ugbt that pièce of ground of the peafant, dug deeper and found a great quantity of antiquities and statues of the greatest value; but the kingof Naples soon prohibited ail further fearchin-g, and it was only 30 years after, that the government permitted to dig, again. After having pierced the Lava to a depth. of Qo feet they discovered the streets of Herculanum and found an immenfe quantity of ltatues, antic Vafes, facrificial instruments and excellent Fresco pictures (paintingi on humid Lime), These treafures were taben out of the fubterr raneous town, as may be fee» Fig. 1. , r and put in the Royal Mu feu m-at PorticL As it was impoihble to uncover the wboîe Herculanum without pulling down Portici, paP* fages were dug througb the Lava by which me ans the ruins of tins famous town may be seen by Torch-ligbt. The first »nagnificent Tluilding dIscoverecîr was the Théâtre of which our picture Fig. 2. r offers the plan,. The inner part of this-édifice affords an excellent View of its Magnitude and superb décoration. It was large enougb to contain 10000 Men, and the fpectators arrived froma corridor, as the verti-cal opening (a) shows, througb seven doors (Z>), ), to-their fit* of Toplius> The walls were ornamented with statue* of nrarble that ßood in niches, and hurle» o£ brouce placed on prominent pedefrals. The Proscenium or the frage was deeorated with pillars. of the Co-rinthiari or der and flatus* of tlieiVlufes,
