My trip to Italy

[Fiona]

Had a great trip, but it's nice to be back. To see the Alexander mosaic in the National Archaeological Museum at Naples was a great experience, very moving. I was very struck by how tiny the inividual pieces are, and how the mosaic catches the light. Spent ages looking at it, but the photos weren't too good. I think my hand was shaking too much. The ones of the Lysippus bronze are better.
I also have photos of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum,and the Flavian amphitheatre at Pozzuoli - nothing to do with Alexander, but they may be of interest.
If anyone would like to see them, they are here on Picasa:

http://picasaweb.google.com/moseleyx2/H ... taly200802

Fiona

[Paralus]

And who gave you permission to enter the mens' baths and take photos?

Cheeky girl.

Demetrius must have been captured in a sober moment and sans his party girls. A life and a half that one.

Nice set of photos: I'm jealous.

[Fiona]

I sneaked in when they weren't looking.
Thanks, Paralus, glad you liked them.
Fiona

And who gave you permission to enter the mens' baths and take photos?

Cheeky girl.

Demetrius must have been captured in a sober moment and sans his party girls. A life and a half that one.

Nice set of photos: I'm jealous.

[marcus]

Lovely pictures, Fiona. I really must get down to Naples to see the museum myself - and Pompeii again (haven't been there for 23 years!). Looks as if you had a great time.

ATB

[jan]

Thanks, Fiona, for sharing your photos from your trip to Italy with us. I was awestruck, especially by the pictures of Pompeii. Years ago, I taught a short story about Pompeii to my tenth graders in California, and this reminded me of the story. I was also struck by how similar that the burning of Persepolis is to the eruption of the volcano that has kept both cities somewhat sheltered and protected so that posterity has been able to learn from each the stories within.

These are magnificent photos and I am happy that you know how to use Picasa so well to share them with us. And it has given me some destinations to consider when traveling as well.

I also appreciated your comments about how tiny each piece on the mosaic may be. For such a large mosaic, I am wondering how many years it took the artist to create it.

Wouldn't it have been fun to see the original to compare the mosaic with? Is there any indication when the original painting may have been made?

In a sense, the pictures of Pompeii made me believe that perhaps the burning of Persepoliis is vindicated after all. Manmade or naturally, it is amazing what a firestorm can do, isn't it?

[Fiona]

Lovely pictures, Fiona. I really must get down to Naples to see the museum myself - and Pompeii again (haven't been there for 23 years!). Looks as if you had a great time.

ATB

Thanks, Marcus, glad you liked them, and I hope you get there again yourself sometime soon. Do you have any photos of your trip to Persepolis and Hamadan to share?
Fiona

[Fiona]

Thanks, Fiona, for sharing your photos from your trip to Italy with us. I was awestruck, especially by the pictures of Pompeii. Years ago, I taught a short story about Pompeii to my tenth graders in California, and this reminded me of the story. I was also struck by how similar that the burning of Persepolis is to the eruption of the volcano that has kept both cities somewhat sheltered and protected so that posterity has been able to learn from each the stories within.

Thanks Jan - yes, it's a similar thing with Persepolis, isn't it? We in the future gain knowledge out of the disaster of the past. A similar thing happened at Paestum, where those maginificent temples are. So many people died of malaria, that the city was abandoned by its dwindling population, and it was overgrown and forgotten, waiting to be rediscovered one day. It wasn't digging that was required so much as hacking back centuries of vegetation.

I also appreciated your comments about how tiny each piece on the mosaic may be. For such a large mosaic, I am wondering how many years it took the artist to create it.

It's awesome, hard to get your head around how long it must have taken. Even with an assistant passing you the stones you wanted, at least one year, I should think. The cost must have been phenomenal, and it's great to think that someone thought so highly of Alexander that he would go to that expense.
Fiona