Interesting that a lot of people read a Christian or culturally conservative ethic into this -- I don't see any censure in the song of pagan idolatry or of the moral character of Roman civilization in late first century A.D. (which, actually, was thriving and centuries away from collapse).
Rather, the focus is on the suddenness of a city's collapse, and how impotent an ordinary person is when faced with annihilation. The people of Pompeii, obviously, could not have stopped Vesuvius no matter how well they behaved. Nor could their gods ("Were you praying at the Lares shrine?"). The song also dwells on the insignificance of human accomplishment in the face of death ("Your former glories and all the stories/ Dragged and washed with eager hands"). Everything can be erased in a second by powers well outside of an ordinary person's control.
Again, I think it's wrong to read this as a general rebuke of Roman civilization. Rome's collapse was not sudden. It occurred over centuries of deterioration and for a great multitude of reasons, beyond the simple rote Christian reading of bad morals. It took Edward Gibbon thousands of pages to describe, after all.
I agree with those who draw parallels to nuclear war. The terrifying aspect of this song is that we imagine the bodies at Pompeii, permanently fixed in the positions they died in, and we can readily imagine the same thing happening to us.
Your commentary is insightful. I actually enjoyed reading Edward Gibbons on the rise of the Church and the demise of Rome. I agree with all you said about impending mortality and "the insignificance of human accomplishment in the face of death" - but I also see it as a parable of divine retribution. For us, living centuries after the fact, and knowing what we know about the condensation of events when viewed through distant history, I think it is natural to see the destruction of Pompeii as a parable of vengeance against idolatry. In any case, it is refreshing to...
Your commentary is insightful. I actually enjoyed reading Edward Gibbons on the rise of the Church and the demise of Rome. I agree with all you said about impending mortality and "the insignificance of human accomplishment in the face of death" - but I also see it as a parable of divine retribution. For us, living centuries after the fact, and knowing what we know about the condensation of events when viewed through distant history, I think it is natural to see the destruction of Pompeii as a parable of vengeance against idolatry. In any case, it is refreshing to find thoughtful commentary of any kind at this website. Siouxsie Sioux brings minds together over great lyrics and music!
Interesting that a lot of people read a Christian or culturally conservative ethic into this -- I don't see any censure in the song of pagan idolatry or of the moral character of Roman civilization in late first century A.D. (which, actually, was thriving and centuries away from collapse).
Rather, the focus is on the suddenness of a city's collapse, and how impotent an ordinary person is when faced with annihilation. The people of Pompeii, obviously, could not have stopped Vesuvius no matter how well they behaved. Nor could their gods ("Were you praying at the Lares shrine?"). The song also dwells on the insignificance of human accomplishment in the face of death ("Your former glories and all the stories/ Dragged and washed with eager hands"). Everything can be erased in a second by powers well outside of an ordinary person's control.
Again, I think it's wrong to read this as a general rebuke of Roman civilization. Rome's collapse was not sudden. It occurred over centuries of deterioration and for a great multitude of reasons, beyond the simple rote Christian reading of bad morals. It took Edward Gibbon thousands of pages to describe, after all.
I agree with those who draw parallels to nuclear war. The terrifying aspect of this song is that we imagine the bodies at Pompeii, permanently fixed in the positions they died in, and we can readily imagine the same thing happening to us.
Your commentary is insightful. I actually enjoyed reading Edward Gibbons on the rise of the Church and the demise of Rome. I agree with all you said about impending mortality and "the insignificance of human accomplishment in the face of death" - but I also see it as a parable of divine retribution. For us, living centuries after the fact, and knowing what we know about the condensation of events when viewed through distant history, I think it is natural to see the destruction of Pompeii as a parable of vengeance against idolatry. In any case, it is refreshing to...
Your commentary is insightful. I actually enjoyed reading Edward Gibbons on the rise of the Church and the demise of Rome. I agree with all you said about impending mortality and "the insignificance of human accomplishment in the face of death" - but I also see it as a parable of divine retribution. For us, living centuries after the fact, and knowing what we know about the condensation of events when viewed through distant history, I think it is natural to see the destruction of Pompeii as a parable of vengeance against idolatry. In any case, it is refreshing to find thoughtful commentary of any kind at this website. Siouxsie Sioux brings minds together over great lyrics and music!