Glimpse of Roman empire's past

gzlaser

THE sky seemed to be falling. Hot ash and lava rocks rained down on the residents of the Roman city of Pompeii, quickly burying them. Many tried to escape, others lingered, the heat being too much or their homes being too valuable.

One of these was a man sitting against a wall, hands over his face. When death took his soul, his body remained, still seated, hands still covering his face.

The \"seated man\" could be easily overlooked at the Tales From an Eruption exhibit at Beijing World Art Museum. He sits in a dark corner, just below a long wall of fresco paintings recovered from the ruins. His form represents the terror of death and, at the same time, the power of a history unearthed.

\"ompeii was destroyed in ruins due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but it obtained eternity through archeologists' constant efforts of over two-and-half centuries,\" reads a sign at the entrance to the exhibit.

Inside, ancient surgical tools, weapons, jewellery and coins are displayed in glass cases. Cloudy mirrors that once captured the emotions of men and women give visitors a glimpse into life in one of the Roman empire's chief commercial centers.

Beautiful frescos, recovered and pieced together like jigsaw puzzles, line the walls. The shapes of victim bodies — a little girl, a dog, the seated man — remind us of the mysterious power Mother Nature has over life. It can be snuffed out so quickly.

Even a children's picture book on display captures the events of August 24, 79AD with startling emotion. Readers see a busy market, full of buyers and sellers. Suddenly the mountain explodes and ash and rocks begin to fall like dirty snow. An entire existence is quickly buried.

In the end, the exhibit leaves one impressed not so much with how much wealth has been collected, but with how quickly life can end.

After stepping back out into the sunshine, the spring air becomes something to be breathed and enjoyed despite the dust. The children flying kites with their parents are suddenly more interesting than the day's news, or the evening's plans. Even the old man collecting plastic bottles has something more valuable than any Audi, any summer home, any job or college degree. He has life.