EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

DATE: Now through May 15, 2016.

PLACE: University of Michigan Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, 434 S. State St., Ann Arbor

EXHIBIT: “Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis near Pompeii” will explore the lavish lifestyle and economic interests of ancient Rome’s wealthiest and most powerful citizens—including Julius Caesar, Cicero, Augustus and Nero—who owned villas and vacationed in this region, located along the Bay of Naples.

Bronze pitcher decorated with aquatic animals and mask. Image courtesy Kelsey MuseumFeaturing more than 200 objects that have never before been displayed outside of Italy, the exhibition at the U-M Kelsey Museum of Archaeology focuses on two structures at Oplontis that were buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. One structure (Villa A) is an enormous luxury villa that may once have belonged to the family of Nero’s second wife, Poppaea. The other (Oplontis B) is a nearby commercial-residential complex—a center for the trade in wine and other produce of villa lands.

“The phenomenon of luxury villas developed in a period after Rome had conquered most of the ancient Mediterranean world,” said Elaine Gazda, exhibition curator and curator of Hellenistic and Roman antiquities at Kelsey. “A tremendous amount of wealth followed, and though it countered conservative Roman values, the generals and others of high stature began to live like the kings whom they had conquered.”

Gazda says that the exhibition spans three galleries at the museum that highlight people from varying economic statuses who lived in and around the villas.

One gallery showcases a selection of intricately crafted works of art—marble sculptures, wall paintings, and inlaid marble floors—which created an opulent setting for the owners of Villa A and the many guests they entertained. In contrast, this gallery also displays the humble objects of daily life—planting pots, mortar and pestle, and oil lamps that offer a glimpse of the lives of the slaves whose work made possible the owners’ elite lifestyle.

A second gallery evokes the commercial and domestic life of Oplontis B. Commerce and trade are represented by shipping jars shown alongside a large, lavishly ornamented strong box where proceeds and records of trade were most likely kept. A display of domestic objects—bronze, glass, and pottery vessels—hint at the lives of the “middle-class” residents of Oplontis B.

“I hope that visitors will not only be impressed by the beautiful objects that we have on view, but will also consider the other side of luxury—the people and the communities who made this kind of lifestyle possible.” said Gazda. “Taking into consideration the tremendous disparities in wealth at that time, it’s possible that lessons from that society may transfer to our own today.”

The tragic end of life brought by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius takes a personal turn in a display that focuses on objects found with one of the 54 skeletons discovered in Oplontis B, that of a young pregnant woman who was carrying a large quantity of jewelry and coins during her failed attempt to escape. A selection of these objects provides a sense of what this woman and others like her regarded as the most valuable portable possessions to take with them in the hope of surviving the eruption.

A third gallery introduces visitors to the history of the excavations, the methods of archaeologists and the environmental devastation caused by the volcanic eruption. A computer terminal with a 3D navigable model of Villa A and laser-scanned images of Oplontis B will allow visitors to relate the objects on exhibit to the archaeological sites—both as they look now and as archaeologists have reconstructed their ancient appearance.

The museum has planned a number of related events in conjunction with the exhibition, including lectures, tours, family activities and film screenings. A printed catalogue will be available in the museum’s gift shop.

INFORMATION: Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis near Pompeii