This exhibition will explore the lives of individuals in Roman society, not the classic emperors and gladiators of film and TV, but businessmen, powerful women, freed slaves and children.

28 March – 29 September 2013

This exhibition will be the first ever held on these important cities at the British Museum, and the first such major exhibition in London for almost 40 years. It is the result of close collaboration with the Archaeological Superintendency of Naples and Pompeii, will bring together over 250 fascinating objects, both recent discoveries and celebrated finds from earlier excavations. Many of these objects have never before been seen outside Italy. The exhibition will have a unique focus, looking at the Roman home and the people who lived in these ill-fated cities. Pompeii and Herculaneum, two cities on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, were buried by a catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in just 24 hours in AD 79. This event ended the life of the cities but at the same time preserved them until rediscovery by archaeologists nearly 1700 years later. The excavation of these cities has given us unparallelled insight into Roman life.

The exhibition will give visitors a taste of the daily life of the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum, from the bustling street to the family home. The domestic space is the essential context for people’s lives, and allows us to get closer to the Romans themselves. 

The exhibition is accompanied by a series of live events- some of our top picks include:

18th April- Life and art in gardens at Pompeii and Herculaneum

13.15-14.15pm

A lecture by Linda Farrar, author of Ancient Roman Gardens.

This lecture discusses how literature, frescoes, mosaics and archaeology are used to provide information on Roman gardens.

The lecture will discuss how these sources reveal how gardens were designed, planted and ornamented, and help explore the various roles of the garden as a place of work, an area to relax, socialise and dine, and the ideal place to display sculpture.

17th May- How to read a Latin poem

18.30-20.00pm

Virgil was the greatest Roman poet. His epic poem the Aeneid has been read, enjoyed and studied since it was written in c. 20 BC. Its famous first line, 'Arma Virumque cano' (Arms and the man, I sing) has been found scrawled over and over again on the walls of Pompeii.

In this interactive event, Mary Beard, University of Cambridge, is joined by Llewelyn Morgan, University of Oxford, and author and Times Literary Supplement Editor Peter Stothard to ask what is special about this poem, and present a beginner's guide to a richly rewarding poet.

They will look at the original Latin, but only minimal knowledge is required.  

18th June- Pompeii Live from The British Museum

19.00pm

Don’t miss the world première of Pompeii Live – the first live cinema event produced by the British Museum from a major exhibition.

See the wonders of the exhibition from the comfort of the cinema, introduced live by British Museum Director Neil MacGregor and featuring Mary Beard, Rachel de Thame, Giorgio Locatelli and Exhibition Curator Paul Roberts who bring extraordinary objects to life in this unique event.

Plus, you’ll see specially made films of Pompeii and Herculaneum today, and go behind the scenes of the exhibition to explore the stories of these famous Roman cities.