Scenes in a Pompeii Tavern

   
     Welcome back, for this blog we are going to be exploring a few scenes that were painted in a Pompeii tavern. A tavern, in this case, is either an inn or possibly a pub that catered to the lower classes during this time period. It is said that the lives of the lower class frequently appear in the art of Pompeii. In the first scene, there is an image of a prostitute named Myrtale kissing a male. The caption depicted above the painting reads: “I don’t want to, with Myrtale.” The second image is that of a prostitute serving two men drinks while they fight for her attention and affection. Meanwhile, the third image shows two men playing dice and arguing. One might question why a tavern owner would have such paintings in his place of business. There is the possibility that even though the tavern catered to the lower class, the paintings could be making fun of some of the things the owner sees occur in the tavern. Also, it is important to notice the role of women in these paintings. Both women in the scenes were prostitutes, which shows how little respect men had for women back then. Many women were seen as simply a means to produce children or for male pleasure, which is disheartening, but a part of every society's past it seems. The fact that the two women are prostitutes could also show that they needed the money and that may have been the only form of work available for them. These three scenes give the onlooker some insight into the types of lives much of the lower class lead during this particular time period, which would have been sometime between 500 BCE and 100 CE. Well, that is all folks, catch you next blog.