House of Menander - Pompeii
The House of Menander is one of the most evocative great villas in Pompeii. Built in the 3rd century BCE, it was modified many times. During the 1st century, during the eruption of Vesuvius, it belonged to Quintus Poppaeus, a relative of Nero's second wife, Poppaea.
The house has been profiled in the recent book, Reading Romans in Pompeii, Paul's Letter at Ground Level, by Peter Oakes. This fascinating book uses archaeological evidence to imagine the personalities and lives of the people who inhabited the House of Menander. The book then superimposes or interfaces Paul's Letter to the Romans to suggest the social stratification and membership of early Christian communities in Rome.
A visit to the House of Menander and Pompeii enables visitors to imagine and experience daily life in an ancient Roman city. Whether one seeks to understand and appreciate Roman culture or unpack the context and circumstances of the rise of Christianity in the 1st century, a visit her is deeply satisfying and illuminating on many levels.
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