NAPLES, ITALY—According to a BBC News report, a large banqueting hall with frescoed walls and a white mosaic floor has been unearthed in Regio IX of Pompeii, a Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said that the paintings were placed on a black background, which may have been chosen to hide smoke deposits from burning lamps. “In the shimmering light, the paintings would have almost come to life,” he added. The room features two paintings of mythic Greek figures: the first depicts the Trojan priestess Cassandra with the god Apollo, who gave her the gift of prophecy, but then cursed her when she rejected his romantic advances so that her prophecies, although true, would not be believed. She predicted that if the Trojan prince Paris went to Sparta and returned with Helen, the Queen of Sparta, it would result in the destruction of Troy. Paris ignored the prophecy, and the second painting shows his doomed meeting with the beautiful Helen. This so-called “black room” was found in the same structure where a bakery that likely operated using the labor of enslaved workers was found. Construction supplies have also been uncovered in the reception hall. Inscriptions found in the building indicate it belonged to Aulus Rustius Verus. “We know him from other political propaganda in Pompeii," said archaeologist Sophie Hay. "He’s a politician. He’s super-rich." To read about another painting recently found in Pompeii, go to "Pizza! Pizza?"
