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The Discovery of New Worlds, 06. The Destruction of Pompeii

06. The Destruction of Pompeii

"Those streets which never, since the days of yore, By human footstep had been visited. " —SOUTHEY. In the days of the Emperor Titus a catastrophe, among the most awful in ancient history, occurred under the still smoking mountain of Vesuvius. For suddenly, without note or warning, two entire cities—Pompeii and Herculaneum—were wiped from the face of the earth. They were buried alive, and the people perished as they were pursuing their daily work and pleasure, by the eruption of the volcano in their midst. "Day was turned into night and light into darkness: an inexpressible quantity of dust and ashes was poured out, deluging land, sea, air, and burying two entire cities, while the people were sitting in the theatre." So writes an old historian.

Pompeii was an old town near the sea-coast of southern Italy, in a beautiful region under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. It had been a Greek colony in the old days, when the Greeks occupied most of this part. But at this time—79 A.D.—it had been a Roman colony for some twenty-four years, and was a favourite resort of the Romans. It was a miniature Rome, with its tiny palaces, its forum, its theatre, its circus; a miniature Rome, too, in its luxury, its indolence, its very corruption. Crowded in the glassy bay outside were ships of commerce, and gilded galleys for the pleasure of the rich citizens, while the tall masts of the Roman fleet under the command of Pliny could be seen afar off.

It was the 23rd of November, and the afternoon was wearing on, when from the top of Vesuvius rose a lofty column of black smoke which, after rising high into the air, spread itself out into a cloud in the shape of a giant pine-tree. As the afternoon advanced the cloud increased in size and density, while the mountain cast up ashes and red-hot stones.

Panic-stricken, the inhabitants fled from the city, knowing not which way to turn. By this time the earth was trembling beneath them, and shock after shock of earthquake rent the ground. Darkness now came on, and all through that long black night the terror-stricken people must have made their way towards the seashore and along the coast. The account of these days has come to us, vivid in detail, from the pen of Pliny, who was an eyewitness of the whole thing, and whose uncle, commanding the Roman fleet at the time, died, suffocated by the vapour and flames from the burning mountain.

"Though it was now morning," says Pliny, who was with his mother some fourteen miles from the doomed city of Pompeii, "the light was exceedingly faint and languid. The buildings all around us tottered, and there was a great risk of our being overwhelmed. Then at last we decided on leaving the town. The mass of the inhabitants followed us, terror-stricken, pressing on us and pushing us forwards with their crowded ranks. When we got beyond the buildings we stopped in the midst of a most dangerous and dreadful scene. The sea seemed to roll back upon itself as if driven from its banks by the quaking of the earth, while a black and dreadful cloud, broken by zig-zags of flame, darted out a long train of fire like flashes of lightning, only much larger. The ashes now began to fall upon us. I turned my head and observed behind us a thick smoke, which came rolling after us like a torrent.

"Meanwhile the cloud descended and covered land and sea with a black darkness. " 'Save yourself,' now begged Pliny's mother, thinking this was the end. 'I am old and content to die, provided I am not the cause of your death too. ' " 'I will only be saved with you,' answered young Pliny, taking her hand and urging her onwards. " Another shower of ashes and a dense mist now closed them in, and soon night came on. They could hear the shrieks of the women, the children crying for help, and the shouts of the men through the darkness. Ashes and fire still rained down upon them, until at last the dreary night was over. Day dawned; the sun shone faintly through the murky atmosphere, showing the whole country lying under a thick coating of white ashes, as under deep snow.

Though a great number of people escaped, some two thousand were buried by the ashes that completely covered the whole town. For the next fifteen hundred years the buried cities lay wrapped in sleep, their very existence forgotten, their site undiscovered.

Then, in the sixteenth century, a great Italian engineer built an aqueduct right through the ruins of Pompeii. But it was not till two hundred years later that any real discovery took place. Then, by royal orders, men began to dig out the buried ruins of the old towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. From that day to this digging has gone on at intervals, until now we know just what the old town was like. We can walk over the old streets along which the Romans walked before ever this terrible catastrophe came upon them.

Here, to-day, may be seen the old buildings, houses and villas with paintings on the walls. They are as fresh as if done but yesterday: here are their pavements of mosaic, their baths, their shops, their temples, and the eight gates by which the old city is entered. The streets are very narrow, and it is clear that only one chariot could pass at a time. Still may be seen the marks of the chariot-wheels, crossing and recrossing each other in the few broad streets, but worn into ruts in the narrow ones.

But perhaps most startling of all the strange things to be seen in this old city of the dead past are the very old Romans themselves. Overtaken suddenly in the midst of life, they were covered with the burning ashes, which hardened on them, encasing the human figure and preserving it through the long ages.

So we see them, lying in the museum which stands at the entrance to the town. Mostly they lie in attitudes of terror, some with a hand across their eyes as if to hide out the dreadful sight, some on the point of flight, having hastily taken off their outer clothing. One girl has yet a ring on her finger, while there is a dog still lying as he lay seventeen hundred years before. As a German poet has said—

"The earth with faithful watch has hoarded all. " The unearthing of Pompeii has revealed much of the ancient habits and customs of the Romans of old in their pleasure-loving days. It has taught us about their houses, their amusements, their clothes, their food. Here are their bake-houses, their loaves of bread, their money, their ornaments; and as we stand in the now deserted streets, looking up to the treacherous mountain above, and away to the blue bay on the other side, we can realise what the old Roman life must have been.

06. The Destruction of Pompeii 06. Die Zerstörung von Pompeji 06. La destrucción de Pompeya 06. La destruction de Pompéi 06. La distruzione di Pompei 06.ザ・デストラクション・オブ・ポンペイ 06 Zniszczenie Pompejów 06. A Destruição de Pompeia 06. Разрушение Помпеи 06. Pompeii'nin Yıkılışı 06.庞贝古城的毁灭

"Those streets which never, since the days of yore, By human footstep had been visited. "Quelle strade che mai, dai tempi antichi, erano state percorse da un passo umano. „Te ulice, które nigdy, od dawnych czasów, Ludzkim śladem nie były odwiedzane. "O sokaklar ki, eski günlerden beri, İnsan ayağının hiç uğramadığı. " —SOUTHEY. " -SOUTHEY. In the days of the Emperor Titus a catastrophe, among the most awful in ancient history, occurred under the still smoking mountain of Vesuvius. W czasach cesarza Tytusa pod wciąż dymiącą górą Wezuwiusza doszło do katastrofy, jednej z najstraszniejszych w historii starożytnej. İmparator Titus zamanında, hala dumanı tüten Vezüv dağının altında antik tarihin en korkunç felaketlerinden biri meydana geldi. For suddenly, without note or warning, two entire cities—Pompeii and Herculaneum—were wiped from the face of the earth. Çünkü aniden, hiçbir uyarı ya da not olmaksızın, iki koca şehir -Pompeii ve Herculaneum- yeryüzünden silindi. They were buried alive, and the people perished as they were pursuing their daily work and pleasure, by the eruption of the volcano in their midst. Furono sepolti vivi e la gente morì mentre svolgeva il proprio lavoro e piacere quotidiano, a causa dell'eruzione del vulcano in mezzo a loro. Zostali pogrzebani żywcem, a ludzie zginęli, wykonując swoją codzienną pracę i przyjemności, przez erupcję wulkanu pośród nich. Diri diri gömüldüler ve insanlar günlük işlerini ve eğlencelerini sürdürürken, ortalarındaki yanardağın patlamasıyla yok oldular. "Day was turned into night and light into darkness: an inexpressible quantity of dust and ashes was poured out, deluging land, sea, air, and burying two entire cities, while the people were sitting in the theatre." „Dzień zamienił się w noc, a światło w ciemność: wylano niewypowiedzianą ilość pyłu i popiołów, zalewając ziemię, morze, powietrze i grzebiąc całe dwa miasta, podczas gdy ludzie siedzieli w teatrze”. "Gündüz geceye, aydınlık karanlığa dönüştü; insanlar tiyatroda otururken, anlatılamaz miktarda toz ve kül döküldü, karayı, denizi, havayı sular altında bıraktı ve iki kentin tamamını gömdü." So writes an old historian. Eski bir tarihçi böyle yazıyor.

Pompeii was an old town near the sea-coast of southern Italy, in a beautiful region under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Pompei, Güney İtalya'nın deniz kıyısına yakın, Vezüv Yanardağı'nın gölgesi altındaki güzel bir bölgede yer alan eski bir kentti. It had been a Greek colony in the old days, when the Greeks occupied most of this part. Yunanlıların bu bölgenin çoğunu işgal ettiği eski günlerde burası bir Yunan kolonisiydi. But at this time—79 A.D.—it had been a Roman colony for some twenty-four years, and was a favourite resort of the Romans. Ancak M.S. 79 yılında, yaklaşık yirmi dört yıldır bir Roma kolonisiydi ve Romalıların gözde tatil yerlerinden biriydi. It was a miniature Rome, with its tiny palaces, its forum, its theatre, its circus; a miniature Rome, too, in its luxury, its indolence, its very corruption. Era una Roma in miniatura, con i suoi piccoli palazzi, il suo foro, il suo teatro, il suo circo; una Roma in miniatura anche nel suo lusso, nella sua indolenza, nella sua stessa corruzione. Küçük sarayları, forumu, tiyatrosu ve sirkiyle minyatür bir Roma'ydı; lüksü, tembelliği ve yozlaşmışlığıyla da minyatür bir Roma. Crowded in the glassy bay outside were ships of commerce, and gilded galleys for the pleasure of the rich citizens, while the tall masts of the Roman fleet under the command of Pliny could be seen afar off. Nella baia vetrata esterna si affollavano le navi del commercio e le galee dorate per il piacere dei ricchi cittadini, mentre si vedevano da lontano gli alti alberi della flotta romana comandata da Plinio. W szklanej zatoce na zewnątrz tłoczyły się statki handlowe i pozłacane galery dla przyjemności bogatych obywateli, podczas gdy wysokie maszty rzymskiej floty pod dowództwem Pliniusza były widoczne z daleka. Dışarıdaki cam gibi körfezde ticaret gemileri ve zengin vatandaşların zevkleri için yaldızlı kadırgalar dolaşırken, Plinius'un komutasındaki Roma donanmasının yüksek direkleri uzaktan görülebiliyordu.

It was the 23rd of November, and the afternoon was wearing on, when from the top of Vesuvius rose a lofty column of black smoke which, after rising high into the air, spread itself out into a cloud in the shape of a giant pine-tree. As the afternoon advanced the cloud increased in size and density, while the mountain cast up ashes and red-hot stones.

Panic-stricken, the inhabitants fled from the city, knowing not which way to turn. Paniğe kapılan kent sakinleri ne yöne gideceklerini bilemeden şehirden kaçtılar. By this time the earth was trembling beneath them, and shock after shock of earthquake rent the ground. W tym czasie ziemia pod nimi drżała, a wstrząs po trzęsieniu ziemi rozdzierał ziemię. Bu sırada yeryüzü altlarından sarsılıyor ve deprem şokları yeri sarsıyordu. Darkness now came on, and all through that long black night the terror-stricken people must have made their way towards the seashore and along the coast. Teraz nadeszła ciemność i przez całą tę długą czarną noc ogarnięci przerażeniem ludzie musieli kierować się w stronę wybrzeża i wzdłuż wybrzeża. Artık karanlık çökmüştü ve o uzun kara gece boyunca dehşet içindeki insanlar deniz kıyısına ve sahil boyunca ilerlemiş olmalıydılar. The account of these days has come to us, vivid in detail, from the pen of Pliny, who was an eyewitness of the whole thing, and whose uncle, commanding the Roman fleet at the time, died, suffocated by the vapour and flames from the burning mountain. Relacja z tych dni dotarła do nas, w żywych szczegółach, spod pióra Pliniusza, który był naocznym świadkiem całej sprawy, a którego wuj, dowodzący wówczas flotą rzymską, zmarł, uduszony oparami i płomieniami z płonąca góra. Bu günlerin hikayesi bize, her şeyin görgü tanığı olan ve o sırada Roma filosuna komuta eden amcası yanan dağdan çıkan buhar ve alevler yüzünden boğularak ölen Plinius'un kaleminden tüm ayrıntılarıyla canlı bir şekilde aktarılmıştır.

"Though it was now morning," says Pliny, who was with his mother some fourteen miles from the doomed city of Pompeii, "the light was exceedingly faint and languid. "Sebbene fosse ormai mattina", racconta Plinio, che si trovava con sua madre a circa quattordici miglia dalla città condannata di Pompei, "la luce era estremamente debole e languida. „Chociaż był już ranek”, mówi Pliniusz, który był z matką jakieś czternaście mil od skazanych na zagładę miasta Pompeje, „światło było niezwykle słabe i ociężałe. "Şimdi sabah olmasına rağmen," diyor Plinius, annesiyle birlikte mahvolmuş Pompei kentinden on dört mil kadar uzaktaydı, "ışık son derece soluk ve cansızdı. The buildings all around us tottered, and there was a great risk of our being overwhelmed. Gli edifici intorno a noi vacillavano e c'era il rischio di essere travolti. Budynki wokół nas chwiały się i istniało duże ryzyko, że zostaniemy przytłoczeni. Etrafımızdaki binalar sallanıyordu ve ezilmemiz büyük bir riskti. Then at last we decided on leaving the town. Alla fine abbiamo deciso di lasciare la città. Sonunda kasabadan ayrılmaya karar verdik. The mass of the inhabitants followed us, terror-stricken, pressing on us and pushing us forwards with their crowded ranks. Masy mieszkańców podążały za nami, przerażone przerażeniem, napierając na nas i popychając nas do przodu swoimi stłoczonymi szeregami. Halk kitleleri dehşete kapılmış bir halde bizi takip ediyor, üzerimize basıyor ve kalabalık saflarıyla bizi ileriye doğru itiyorlardı. When we got beyond the buildings we stopped in the midst of a most dangerous and dreadful scene. Binaların ötesine geçtiğimizde çok tehlikeli ve korkunç bir manzaranın ortasında durduk. The sea seemed to roll back upon itself as if driven from its banks by the quaking of the earth, while a black and dreadful cloud, broken by zig-zags of flame, darted out a long train of fire like flashes of lightning, only much larger. Il mare sembrò rotolare su se stesso come se fosse stato spinto fuori dai suoi argini dal tremito della terra, mentre una nuvola nera e spaventosa, interrotta da zig-zag di fiamme, lanciava una lunga scia di fuoco come lampi, solo molto più grandi. Morze zdawało się cofać, jakby wypychane z brzegów przez trzęsienie ziemi, podczas gdy czarna i straszna chmura, przełamana zygzakami ognia, wystrzeliła długi ciąg ognia, jak błyski błyskawic, tylko wiele większy. Deniz, sanki yer sarsıntısıyla kıyılarından kopmuşçasına kendi üzerine yuvarlanıyor gibiydi; zigzaglar çizen alevlerle parçalanmış siyah ve korkunç bir bulut, şimşek çakması gibi uzun bir ateş dizisi fırlatıyordu, ama çok daha büyüktü. The ashes now began to fall upon us. Küller şimdi üzerimize yağmaya başladı. I turned my head and observed behind us a thick smoke, which came rolling after us like a torrent. Başımı çevirdim ve arkamızdan yoğun bir dumanın sel gibi aktığını gördüm.

"Meanwhile the cloud descended and covered land and sea with a black darkness. "Bu arada bulut alçaldı ve karayla denizi kapkara bir karanlığa bürüdü. " 'Save yourself,' now begged Pliny's mother, thinking this was the end. " 'Kurtar kendini,' diye yalvardı Plinius'un annesi, bunun son olduğunu düşünerek. 'I am old and content to die, provided I am not the cause of your death too. ' Sono vecchio e contento di morire, purché non sia la causa della tua morte". ' „Jestem stary i jestem zadowolony z tego, że umrę, pod warunkiem, że nie jestem też przyczyną twojej śmierci. ' 'Ben yaşlıyım ve senin de ölümüne sebep olmadığım sürece ölmekten memnunum. ' " 'I will only be saved with you,' answered young Pliny, taking her hand and urging her onwards. " "Mi salverò solo con te", rispose il giovane Plinio, prendendola per mano e spingendola ad andare avanti. " "'Zbawiony będę tylko z tobą', odpowiedział młody Pliniusz, biorąc ją za rękę i ponaglając, by szła dalej." " 'Sadece seninle kurtulacağım,' diye cevap verdi genç Plinius, elini tutup onu ileriye doğru iterek. " Another shower of ashes and a dense mist now closed them in, and soon night came on. Kolejny deszcz popiołu i gęsta mgła zamknęły ich teraz i wkrótce zapadła noc. Bir başka kül yağmuru ve yoğun bir sis artık onları çevreliyordu ve çok geçmeden gece bastırdı. They could hear the shrieks of the women, the children crying for help, and the shouts of the men through the darkness. Karanlığın içinden kadınların çığlıklarını, çocukların yardım çığlıklarını ve erkeklerin bağırışlarını duyabiliyorlardı. Ashes and fire still rained down upon them, until at last the dreary night was over. Popiół i ogień wciąż spadały na nich, aż wreszcie skończyła się posępna noc. Day dawned; the sun shone faintly through the murky atmosphere, showing the whole country lying under a thick coating of white ashes, as under deep snow. Wstał dzień; słońce słabo przeświecało przez mętną atmosferę, ukazując cały kraj leżący pod grubą warstwą białego popiołu, jak pod głębokim śniegiem. Gün doğdu; güneş bulanık atmosferde belli belirsiz parlıyor ve tüm ülkenin derin kar altında olduğu gibi kalın bir beyaz kül tabakası altında yattığını gösteriyordu.

Though a great number of people escaped, some two thousand were buried by the ashes that completely covered the whole town. Chociaż wielu ludzi uciekło, około dwóch tysięcy zostało pogrzebanych przez popioły, które całkowicie pokryły całe miasto. Çok sayıda insan kaçmış olsa da, yaklaşık iki bin kişi tüm kasabayı tamamen kaplayan küllerin altında kalmıştır. For the next fifteen hundred years the buried cities lay wrapped in sleep, their very existence forgotten, their site undiscovered. Przez następne tysiąc pięćset lat pogrzebane miasta leżały pogrążone we śnie, zapomniano o ich istnieniu, a ich miejsce nie zostało odkryte. Sonraki bin beş yüz yıl boyunca gömülü şehirler uykuya daldı, varlıkları unutuldu, yerleri keşfedilmedi.

Then, in the sixteenth century, a great Italian engineer built an aqueduct right through the ruins of Pompeii. Daha sonra, on altıncı yüzyılda, büyük bir İtalyan mühendis Pompeii kalıntılarının içinden geçen bir su kemeri inşa etti. But it was not till two hundred years later that any real discovery took place. Ale dopiero dwieście lat później miało miejsce jakiekolwiek prawdziwe odkrycie. Ancak iki yüz yıl sonrasına kadar gerçek bir keşif gerçekleşmedi. Then, by royal orders, men began to dig out the buried ruins of the old towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Ardından, kraliyet emirleriyle, eski Pompeii ve Herculaneum şehirlerinin gömülü kalıntılarını çıkarmaya başladılar. From that day to this digging has gone on at intervals, until now we know just what the old town was like. Od tego dnia do tego czasu kopanie trwało z przerwami, do tej pory wiemy, jak wyglądało stare miasto. O günden bu yana kazılar aralıklarla devam etti ve artık eski şehrin nasıl bir yer olduğunu biliyoruz. We can walk over the old streets along which the Romans walked before ever this terrible catastrophe came upon them. Romalıların başlarına bu korkunç felaket gelmeden önce yürüdükleri eski sokaklarda yürüyebiliriz.

Here, to-day, may be seen the old buildings, houses and villas with paintings on the walls. Tutaj do dziś można zobaczyć stare budynki, domy i wille z malowidłami na ścianach. Bugün burada, duvarlarında resimler bulunan eski binalar, evler ve villalar görülebilir. They are as fresh as if done but yesterday: here are their pavements of mosaic, their baths, their shops, their temples, and the eight gates by which the old city is entered. Sanki daha dün yapılmış gibi tazedirler: işte mozaik döşemeleri, hamamları, dükkânları, tapınakları ve eski kente girilen sekiz kapısı. The streets are very narrow, and it is clear that only one chariot could pass at a time. Sokaklar çok dardır ve bir seferde sadece bir savaş arabasının geçebileceği açıktır. Still may be seen the marks of the chariot-wheels, crossing and recrossing each other in the few broad streets, but worn into ruts in the narrow ones. Wciąż można zobaczyć ślady kół rydwanu, krzyżujące się i krzyżujące na kilku szerokich ulicach, ale wytarte w koleiny na wąskich. Birkaç geniş caddede birbirini kesen ve tekrar kesen, ancak dar olanlarda çukurlara dönüşen araba tekerleklerinin izleri hala görülebilir.

But perhaps most startling of all the strange things to be seen in this old city of the dead past are the very old Romans themselves. Ale chyba najbardziej zaskakujące ze wszystkich dziwnych rzeczy, które można zobaczyć w tym starym mieście z martwej przeszłości, są sami bardzo starzy Rzymianie. Ancak, ölü geçmişin bu eski kentinde görülebilecek tuhaf şeyler arasında belki de en şaşırtıcı olanı, çok eski Romalıların kendileridir. Overtaken suddenly in the midst of life, they were covered with the burning ashes, which hardened on them, encasing the human figure and preserving it through the long ages. Travolti all'improvviso nel bel mezzo della vita, sono stati ricoperti dalla cenere ardente, che si è indurita su di loro, avvolgendo la figura umana e preservandola attraverso le lunghe epoche. Ogarnięci nagle w samym środku życia, zostali pokryci płonącym popiołem, który stwardniał na nich, otaczając postać ludzką i zachowując ją na długie wieki. Yaşamın ortasında aniden ele geçirildiklerinde, üzerlerinde sertleşerek insan figürünü saran ve uzun çağlar boyunca koruyan yanan küllerle kaplandılar.

So we see them, lying in the museum which stands at the entrance to the town. Biz de onları kasabanın girişindeki müzede yatarken görüyoruz. Mostly they lie in attitudes of terror, some with a hand across their eyes as if to hide out the dreadful sight, some on the point of flight, having hastily taken off their outer clothing. Przeważnie leżą w postawie przerażenia, niektórzy z ręką zakrytą oczami, jakby chcieli ukryć straszny widok, niektórzy w locie, pospiesznie zdejmując wierzchnie ubranie. Çoğunlukla dehşet içinde yatıyorlar, bazıları korkunç görüntüyü gizlemek için ellerini gözlerine götürmüş, bazıları ise kaçmak üzereyken aceleyle dış giysilerini çıkarmış. One girl has yet a ring on her finger, while there is a dog still lying as he lay seventeen hundred years before. Jedna dziewczyna ma jeszcze pierścionek na palcu, podczas gdy pies wciąż leży, leżąc siedemset lat temu. Bir kızın parmağında henüz bir yüzük var, bir köpek ise hala bin yedi yüz yıl önceki gibi yatıyor. As a German poet has said— Bir Alman şairin dediği gibi-

"The earth with faithful watch has hoarded all. " „Ziemia z wiernym czuwaniem zgromadziła wszystko”. "Dünya sadık bir nöbetle her şeyi biriktirdi. " The unearthing of Pompeii has revealed much of the ancient habits and customs of the Romans of old in their pleasure-loving days. Pompei'nin gün ışığına çıkarılması, Romalıların eski alışkanlıkları ve zevk düşkünü günlerindeki âdetleri hakkında pek çok şeyi ortaya çıkarmıştır. It has taught us about their houses, their amusements, their clothes, their food. Bize evlerini, eğlencelerini, kıyafetlerini, yemeklerini öğretti. Here are their bake-houses, their loaves of bread, their money, their ornaments; and as we stand in the now deserted streets, looking up to the treacherous mountain above, and away to the blue bay on the other side, we can realise what the old Roman life must have been. İşte fırınları, ekmek somunları, paraları, süs eşyaları; ve şimdi terk edilmiş sokaklarda durup yukarıdaki hain dağa ve diğer taraftaki mavi körfeze bakarken, eski Roma yaşamının nasıl olması gerektiğini anlayabiliyoruz.