Living with the Ancient Romans: Past and Present in Eighteenth-Century Encounters with Herculaneum and Pompeii

Eighteenth-century encounters with the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii significantly influenced diverse intellectual and political thought, demonstrating that these archaeological sites were not merely objects of nostalgia or sentimentality. The study examines how four prominent figures—Camillo Paderni, Johann Joachim Winckelmann, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Sir William Hamilton—leveraged the unique proximity to the past offered by these excavations to develop innovative arguments on topics ranging from Neapolitan Bourbon rule to the history of Earth. This research highlights the profound impact of these discoveries on eighteenth-century discourse, revealing their role in shaping a broad spectrum of ideas beyond mere aesthetic appreciation.

Roberts, C. (2015). Living with the Ancient Romans: Past and Present in Eighteenth-Century Encounters with Herculaneum and Pompeii. Huntington Library Quarterly, 78(1), 61–85. https://doi.org/10.1353/hlq.2015.0028