Last Days Of Pompeii

Last Days of Pompeii is a novel written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Once a very widely read book and now relatively neglected, it culminates in the cataclysmic destruction of the city of Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The novel uses its characters to contrast the decadent culture of first-century Rome with both older cultures and coming trends. The protagonist, Glaucus, represents the Greeks who have been subordinated by Rome, and his nemesis Arbaces the still older culture of Egypt. Olinthus is the chief representative of the nascent Christian religion, which is presented favorably but not uncritically.

cups were emptied and refilled at that glowing board, they sang the following strain:

         BACCHIC HYMNS TO THE IMAGE OF DEATH

                    I

        Thou art in the land of the shadowy Host,
           Thou that didst drink and love:
         By the Solemn River, a gliding ghost,
           But thy thought is ours above!
                If memory yet can fly,
                Back to the golden sky,
           And mourn the pleasures lost!
         By the ruin'd hall these flowers we lay,
           Where thy soul once held its palace;
         When the rose to thy scent and sight was gay,
           And the smile was in the chalice,
                And the cithara's voice
                Could bid thy heart rejoice
           When night eclipsed the day.

Here a new group advancing, turned the tide of the music into a quicker and more joyous strain.

                    II

        Death, death is the gloomy shore
           Where we all sail—
        Soft, soft, thou gliding oar;
           Blow soft, sweet gale!
         Chain with bright wreaths the Hours;
           Victims if all
         Ever, 'mid song and flowers,
           Victims should fall!

Pausing for a moment, yet quicker and quicker danced the silver-footed music:

        Since Life's so short, we'll live to laugh,
           Ah! wherefore waste a minute!
         If youth's the cup we yet can quaff,
           Be love the pearl within it!

A third band now approached with brimming cups, which they poured in libation upon that strange altar; and once more, slow and solemn, rose the changeful melody:

                  III

        Thou art welcome, Guest of gloom,
           From the far and fearful sea!
         When the last rose sheds its bloom,
           Our board shall be spread with thee!
              All hail, dark Guest!
           Who h

A sympathetic book for teenagers from 11 years old. It is difficult to get in the Pompeian world of the year 79 AD. The author describes little clothing, architecture, or daily life of the inhabitants of Pompeii. I guess it must be difficult to immerse yourself in Pompeii of the 1st century if you d

When I was in the third grade, I attended St Mary's School, Downers Grove, IL. Every Wednesday, we were summoned from our classroom to have this book read to us.

At least I THINK it was this book. That was 60 years ago, so who can be sure.

It was the pastor of our church, a Catholic priest, who did th

Once wildly popular, Baron Edward Bulwer-Lytton is now best know for a couple of his quotes. One is "the pen is mightier than the sword," which is often used; the other is the opening to his novel Paul Clifford: "It was a dark and stormy night," which was later used by Charles Schulz in Peanuts, wit

There's not a lot of point criticising Bulwer-Lytton's overblown, excessively flowery, never-use-one-word-if-you-can-use-ten style, because that was his shtick - if that's the sort of thing you like, then you'll like this. I didn't, much, I found the characters stock, the descriptions stilted and th

I read this perhaps 25 years ago, but just downloaded a copy, not remembering that I'm already familiar with it. The opening lines reminded me. Of course, being so long ago, I don't remember a lot about the reading (good reason to revisit the book,) but it did make quite an impression on me. Since I

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Last Days of Pompeii

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

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