Paestum

Paestum ( Paestum Italian ) is a recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site in the region of Campania in the province of Salerno in Italy. The place belongs to the municipality of Capaccio.

Location and data

The village lies in a plane about 50 km south of Salerno. It was built 2 km from the Mediterranean coast. This shows that the Greeks did not create a port here as a trading post, but that they had the cultivation of the fertile soil in mind. It is protected behind a lagoon, in which probably once housed the harbor. To the east and south, Paestum is delimited by the Cilento Mountains. To the north is the Sele a natural barrier.

History

The city was founded under the name Poseidonia around 600 BC by Greeks from Sybaris or Troizen. The place is thus a colony of a colony, a so-called plant city, Greek Apoikia. The fertile landscape and extensive trade led within a few generations to prosperity, in the 5th and 6th century BC in the construction of large temples, the ruins of which are still standing, put it. Around 400 BC conquered the Lucanians the city and renamed them in Paistos. Maybe, but it was also simply a merger of the cut of the home culture colonists with indigenous cultural forms. 274-273 BC it was during the conquest of Campania by the Romans under the name of Paestum to Latin Colonia. In this case, this took little account of old customs and traditions. There were major transformations and possibly an extensive exchange of populations. In the Roman Empire Paestum lost in wealth and importance. After being destroyed in the 9th century by the Saracens, and in the 11th century by the Normans Paestum was abandoned. The decline was accelerated by the swamping of the surrounding area and the resulting risk of malaria. The inhabitants moved to escape malaria, on higher ground around and founded the village of Capaccio.

Attractions

Paestum can show significant monuments from Greek and Roman times. Of particular importance is the three large Doric temples, which are each an example for an architectural epoch of the Doric architectural style.

The archaic Hera Temple ( 540 BC) - called Basilica - was one of the largest hitherto established Greek stone temples at all.

The Temple of Athena attributed (around 510 BC), formerly of Ceres, is considerably smaller. In him is particularly interesting that this actually Doric temple has some style elements that do not belong in the canon of Doric architecture. For example, its decorative elements on the upper end of the architrave and also in geison that belong rather to ionic entablature.

The so-called Temple of Poseidon finally ( 450 BC ) - also dedicated this was actually the Hera - has the sophisticated designs of the recently built temple of Zeus at Olympia.

Furthermore, a small Roman amphitheater, the meeting place of the citizens, the comitium, and other public buildings of the Roman period are worth mentioning. Good condition is the 4.75 km long city wall, can be seen on the Lukan and Roman phases. The four large gates are Roman.

Museum

The museum has an important collection of Greek antiquities from southern Italy. Exhibits include artifacts from around Paestum, in the main, grave finds from Greek and Luke necropolis. Among them are many vases, weapons and painted stone slabs that served as a coffin lid or side walls. These are the scenes from the grave of the Diver ( Tomba del Tuffatore ), which indicate the transition from life in the realm of the dead as a jump of the jumper in the water.

Rediscovery

In 500 AD, began to silt up and the terrain to slow to get bogged down, the malaria spread and the last inhabitants left the place. The temple was transformed into a kind of jungle, the place was as it were forgotten. It was not until 1752 he was re- discovered about the same time as Pompeii and Herculaneum. The discovery aroused a great sensation at the time. An expedition into a haunted swamp part of the program of arty educational trips.

Paestum in the literature

Johann Wolfgang Goethe visited Paestum in the context of his Italian journey on March 23, 1787 ie 35 years after its rediscovery. He writes:

" The land was always flat and desolate, a few buildings pointed to meager agriculture. Finally, uncertain whether we lead by rocks or debris, we were able to some large oblong- quadrangular masses, which we had already noticed in the distance, different than surviving temples and monuments of a once so magnificent city [ ... ] From a country man I had me -around, however, in the buildings, the first impression could only excite astonishment. I was in a completely different world. For as the centuries form from the Serious in the pleasing, so they make with the people, so they create it that way. Now our eyes and through them, our whole inner being are hinangetrieben to leaner architecture and decided determined, leaving us this blunt, conical, enggedrängten pillars masses annoying, yes seem terribly. But I pulled myself together soon, reminded me of the history of art, thought of the time, their spirit found such type referred to, recalls to me the strict style of plastic, and in less than an hour I felt friends, yes I praised the genius that he let me see with eyes of these radicals so well-preserved, as can be no notion of them by illustration. "

Johann Gottfried Seume visited the city on his trip to Italy in 1802. He tells it in his work, walk to Syracuse. Among other things, he wanted to find there the roses 50 described by Virgil BC, but this was denied:

" I kept only two hours, bypassed the area of the city, are in which nothing but the three known large, old building, the apartment of the Monsignor, a bishop, I am told, a miserable inn, and yet another miserable house. This is now quite Paestum. Here I thought Schiller girl from the stranger; but neither the giver nor the gifts were in the destroyed paradise. I was looking for, now in the time of roses, roses at Paestum for you to bring you a classic sentimental gift; but since you can not find a seer rose. Throughout the region round about me a assured by the people of the Monsignor, is no longer a rose bush. I looked through and searched everything themselves, even the garden of the gracious Lord, but the barbarians had not a single rose. Furthermore I got into high zeal and thundered over the Piakulum in the holy nature. The landlord, my guide, told me six years ago would still be some been there, but the strangers they had all completely torn away. That was a pathetic excuse. I made him understand that the roses of Paestum formerly as the most beautiful on earth been famous that he did not have to be demolished, that he should replanting, that it would be his advantage that every stranger like some paid for a pästische Rose; I, for example, even now was any piastres if I could only get a single. The last one particularly shone the man; to the beautiful nature, he did not seem to trouble, to the local humanity has sunk too deep. He promised to think about it, and I may have the merit that one again in future place roses at Paestum, at least I do hereby ask everyone to repeat the same haunting memories, until it bears fruit. "