Last Days of Pompeii
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- Publication date
- 2010-06-02
- Usage
- Public Domain
- Topics
- librivox, audio book, fiction, novel, ancient history, Vesuvius, first century, Rome, Egypt, Greece
- Language
- English
LibriVox recording of Last Days of Pompeii, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
Last Days of Pompeii is a novel written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1834. 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. (Summary from Wikipedia)
Details of the source text and readers may be found on the LibriVox catalogue page for this item.
For more free audio books or to become a volunteer reader, visit LibriVox.org.
Download M4B Part 1 (257MB)
Download M4B Part 2 (204MB)
Last Days of Pompeii is a novel written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1834. 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. (Summary from Wikipedia)
Details of the source text and readers may be found on the LibriVox catalogue page for this item.
For more free audio books or to become a volunteer reader, visit LibriVox.org.
Download M4B Part 1 (257MB)
Download M4B Part 2 (204MB)
- Addeddate
- 2010-06-01 23:41:57
- Boxid
- OL100020204
- Call number
- 2956
- External-identifier
- urn:storj:bucket:jvrrslrv7u4ubxymktudgzt3hnpq:last_days_of_pompeii_1006_librivox
- External_metadata_update
- 2019-04-02T09:52:47Z
- Identifier
- last_days_of_pompeii_1006_librivox
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- Ppi
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- Run time
- 16:44:36
- Taped by
- LibriVox
- Year
- 2010
comment
Reviews
Reviewer:
piebear
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
January 1, 2021
Subject: A Masterpiece of timeless Proportions
Subject: A Masterpiece of timeless Proportions
Why is Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton not heralded as one of the greatest writers of the 19th century? A great poet, a great, politician, and a great man? A great philosopher, and historian who endeavoUred through the means of poetry, narrative and mental exploration of thought and metaphysics and historical forensics to better understand man, religious propensities, and theosophical motifs which have our permeated societal mien? There is no clear answer, except the indolence of the modern reader, who dares not pick up such a tome as this, nor any of his books for the matter.
The Last Days of Pompeii, appears at first to be a dense bit of prose, but in fact, is a fast read. The work is divided into five books with chapters in between. The chapters themselves are not lengthy and the pacing exquisite. Lytton has carefully amended throughout the text words which may not be familiar to the modern reader, or even his contemporaries, such as cubiculum or spoliarium, and provides us with an appendix which delineates further thoughts on Pompeii, the political and religious struggles of the time, and how uninterred cites have elucidated facts about that age and the people who lived then, and the great event of 79 AD.
The story opens with our main characters Glaucus, Clodius, Ione, her brother Apaecides and the blind girl Nydia. Glaucus and Clodius are boon companions and avid gamblers. Ione and Apaecides are wards of the Egyptian Magician Arbaces. Lytton then takes us into the world of the gladiators, the Pompeian baths (which he juxtaposes with the Grecian and Roman ones) laying out the class system including, slaves, freedmen, gladiators often fighting for their freedom, the priests of Isis, the wealthy and the Nazarenes.
Having lain the foundation, we are introduced slowly to the atheists, or Nazarenes, through the likes of Olinthus, and later Medon and his son Lydon (a gladiator) hoping to win his father's freedom in the arena. Apposed to this, is the scene when Apaecides seeks the counsel of Arbaces regarding the Priesthood and the rites to Isis. Arbaces admits that the rites to the goddess are all chicanery and that in truth he does not believe in a deity, but uses worship as a means to power and wealth. One might think after this that the Nazarene will come off better, for no sooner does Apaecides come under the thrall of Arbaces than he comes to talk with Olinthus who overturns what Arbaces has said and through incremental reasoning converts the young priest.
Lytton does not stop there but gives a more complete picture. He depicts how the Christians of the early era were so harsh and fervent in their creed that they demonized anyone who did not believe in their god, calling the pagans' gods demons and devils. Into this, entered the old man, Medon, Lydon's father who is of the softer shade of Christianity; he who seeks that higher love, which is later outlined through the words of Glaucus and in the appendix. That Lytton does not depreciate the pagans or the Christians but takes the middle road, seeking to understand both sides, through descriptions of the fervid and the moderate, speaks to his willingness to see a greater notion of spirituality which is devoid of sect or fervency, and which is wholly limned in love.
One does not want to give the game away, by telling the entire tale, but to say that when the final convulsion ensues, and his description of it is horrifyingly accurate and beautiful, the denouement does not disappoint. This is a volume worth reading not once, but many times through for its tinctures resonate simultaneously truth and love.
The Last Days of Pompeii, appears at first to be a dense bit of prose, but in fact, is a fast read. The work is divided into five books with chapters in between. The chapters themselves are not lengthy and the pacing exquisite. Lytton has carefully amended throughout the text words which may not be familiar to the modern reader, or even his contemporaries, such as cubiculum or spoliarium, and provides us with an appendix which delineates further thoughts on Pompeii, the political and religious struggles of the time, and how uninterred cites have elucidated facts about that age and the people who lived then, and the great event of 79 AD.
The story opens with our main characters Glaucus, Clodius, Ione, her brother Apaecides and the blind girl Nydia. Glaucus and Clodius are boon companions and avid gamblers. Ione and Apaecides are wards of the Egyptian Magician Arbaces. Lytton then takes us into the world of the gladiators, the Pompeian baths (which he juxtaposes with the Grecian and Roman ones) laying out the class system including, slaves, freedmen, gladiators often fighting for their freedom, the priests of Isis, the wealthy and the Nazarenes.
Having lain the foundation, we are introduced slowly to the atheists, or Nazarenes, through the likes of Olinthus, and later Medon and his son Lydon (a gladiator) hoping to win his father's freedom in the arena. Apposed to this, is the scene when Apaecides seeks the counsel of Arbaces regarding the Priesthood and the rites to Isis. Arbaces admits that the rites to the goddess are all chicanery and that in truth he does not believe in a deity, but uses worship as a means to power and wealth. One might think after this that the Nazarene will come off better, for no sooner does Apaecides come under the thrall of Arbaces than he comes to talk with Olinthus who overturns what Arbaces has said and through incremental reasoning converts the young priest.
Lytton does not stop there but gives a more complete picture. He depicts how the Christians of the early era were so harsh and fervent in their creed that they demonized anyone who did not believe in their god, calling the pagans' gods demons and devils. Into this, entered the old man, Medon, Lydon's father who is of the softer shade of Christianity; he who seeks that higher love, which is later outlined through the words of Glaucus and in the appendix. That Lytton does not depreciate the pagans or the Christians but takes the middle road, seeking to understand both sides, through descriptions of the fervid and the moderate, speaks to his willingness to see a greater notion of spirituality which is devoid of sect or fervency, and which is wholly limned in love.
One does not want to give the game away, by telling the entire tale, but to say that when the final convulsion ensues, and his description of it is horrifyingly accurate and beautiful, the denouement does not disappoint. This is a volume worth reading not once, but many times through for its tinctures resonate simultaneously truth and love.
Reviewer:
TriciaG
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
July 20, 2010
Subject: Engrossing Story
Subject: Engrossing Story
I found the story very engrossing - Book 5 was hard to "put down"! Well written, compelling story. The readers were acceptable (it's a group project), with no one too difficult to understand. I didn't really appreciate the special effects (echo voices) in the dream scene of book 5 chapter 1, but others might like it.
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