Pompeii: Under the Sign of Isis

The great Isis Temple, Egyptian style in house decoration, an artificial canal reproducing the Nile in a villa - Isis and Egypt were very dear to the Pompeian people. During archaeological digs in Pompeii the remains of a young girl - running from the eruption - were found; in her arms she was clutching her silver statue of Isis. The first archaeological discoveries in Pompeii, during the eighteenth century, were integral in spreading one of the strongest fascinations with all things Egyptian during modern times; the discoveries influenced art, fashion, writers and sculptors across the globe. Pompeii was an unavoidable stop in the Grand Tour and still remains essential for any contemporary traveller especially fond of Egyptian esotericism. AUTHOR: Cinzia Dal Maso, is a Venetian expert on archaeology and a journalist who loves to study the past in order to understand the present. She writes for La Repubblica and Il Sole 24 Ore as well as for a number of national and international magazines. She runs the blog Filelleni: rather irreverent incursions, critiques and reflections on the use of the past in the contemporary world. SELLING POINTS: ?Isis and Egypt were very dear to the Pompeian people. Discovering why and how becomes easy through the clear explanations and descriptions contained in this book, one in a growing series on the life and art of the city of Pompeii ?Isis is an Ancient Egyptian Goddess symbolising motherhood, magic and fertility. Worship of her spread throughout the Roman world ?This book explores the significance of the Isis myth in Roman culture and society using the evidence found at Pompeii, such as the Temple of Isis (one of the first structures to be excavated after the re-discovery of Pompeii), statues of the Goddess, and other objects 50 colour illustrations