Antiquity is often associated with radiant marble and cheerful festivities, but behind the facade of the Roman elite there were often deep human abysses and unprocessed tragedies. The following contemplation delves into the psyche of a survivor of a devastating natural disaster and shows how the horrors of the past shaped the seemingly carefree lives of the powerfulit is a testimony that even the greatest luxury cannot heal the wounds of the soul if the trauma is relentlessly pushed to the surface.
The illusion of carefree splendor
Dark eyes flash in the penumbra of a magnificent chamber. Anyone who encounters this view will immediately feel the Mediterranean warmth of a woman from the region around the Mediterranean. Her deep black hair frames the finished oval of her face like waves gently running out on the shore. The wide gold jewel with pearls and emeralds rises and sinks above her chest like the boaton the sea. Two snakes of solid gold with emerald eyes wrap around her forearms.
The opulence of the Roman dining room
Precious garments of gold embroidered silk cleverly accentuate her curves while resting on the dining sofa. Her left arm rests elegantly as she listens to the man whose suntanned skin and gray-mottled hair testify to life. Many invited guests gather on the other sofas in strict compliance with Roman etiquette. Revelers store in herringbonenext to each other, if more people are present than there are berths. Everyone chats excitedly in a room with colorfully painted walls and imaginary landscapes.
The splendour of colour in Roman life
The world of the Romans is a world of colours and by no means begins with whitewashed walls or dark clothing. Even the floor is covered with colored mosaics and tiny stone panels that blend into sculptures. The banquet hall opens onto a spacious inner garden, around which the colonnade runs. Fragrant plants grow where skillful gardeners create a variety of shapesin between, peacocks feast on bronze fountains whose jets of water fall into marble bowls.
The Delicacies and the Reminder of Death
Servants hand out huge silver trays with ostrich bites and moray eel cubes in spicy sauce. Kids baked in honey as well as figs, nuts and dates from North Africa adorn the small tables in front of the reclining sofas. Naked old people as bronze statues take up the silver trays with the sweets. These statues represent fertility and happiness, while silver skeletons of about tenCentimeters long on the walls. These figures should remind the revelers that life is short and you should be cheerful.
The trigger for the repressed memories
The hand picks dried figs from the silver platter while the poet recites the poem. The melody creeps like poison into the ear of the fascinating lady, as she knows this music. Some ancient memory tries to shove itself into her consciousness when she sees the hand reaching for figs. Suddenly, the general jumble of voices at the banquet is met by a huge salmon ointmenttorn. A corpulent guest with white hair talks to the other man and opens his mouth wide.
The awakening of trauma
The woman has already heard this laugh in a similar situation at the other banquet. It is the last celebration in her house before the great tragedy, where the sounds and voices in her head fade away. Suddenly, her memories drag her back to strange times without her being able to defend herself. Other faces slide over the faces of those present andshow the people who visited her that night before the volcanic eruption. They seem cheerful and calm while laughing and chatting relaxed.
The transformation of the fixed company
Her gaze searches for support and sticks to the silver skeleton with the empty eye sockets. The ribs bulge like the cage from which life has escaped, and the pain becomes tangible. With the second, the woman no longer sees a statue, but recognizes the expression of people who have looked death in the eye. Faces of unspeakable pain and deep despairoverlay the merry round. For a long time, she tried to forget everything and barricade herself behind that wall of silence.
The Physical Collapse
She did not want to tell anyone what she experienced during the terrible hours of the awakening volcano, but traumas cannot be erased. The pain must be put into words before it eats away at the body from the inside like the parasite. The deep-buried memories now come to light like the shark from the depths of the sea. Her dark eyes widen asall warmth and sensuality seem to have been wiped away. She raises her gaze like the drowning man looking for something to cling to between the waves.
Panic in the face of the past
Their eyes wander from face to face, but they find no foothold in the present. Her head buzzes, cold sweats cover her forehead, and severe nausea engulfs her body. She can no longer move, as her arms appear heavy as lead and the heart threatens to shatter. Some of the guests notice that something is wrong with her when her stiff handSilver goblet. The man next to her stands up and puts her hand on her shoulder, but her gaze is in the other world.
Liberation through storytelling
She is back in the terrible hours and has to relive the inferno once again to finally leave it behind. The man next to her understands this deep distress and asks her to tell her story now. All present fall silent and lie around the woman’s sofa, as they know about the past. On all sides, she is asked to speak, whichhow the key to the long locked door works. This door swings wide open, releasing the listeners in the morning of the year 79 on the sailing ship off the coast of Campania.
Screenshot youtube.com
