Fragments of painted decoration - Pompeii, House of the Gold Bracelet |
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With the conquests of the Imperial Age, geographical knowledge was expanded considerably. Thus the people of Pompeii came into contact with different regions and peoples; these experiences are recounted in the texts of the period, such as Pliny's, and depicted in frescoes showing wild and cultivated plants, from Mediterranean regions or imported from far-away lands. The same holds for land and marine animals, shown in a number of portrayals depicting specimens of both local and exotic fauna. Exotic animals and plants were not only painted, but also physically imported, thus contributing to the spread of the species throughout the various provinces of the Roman Empire. |
