Pompeii: A Novel

Pompeii is a novel set 2,000 years in the past. Despite the meticulous portrayal of life in the Roman Empire, modern attitudes are evident throughout. Attilius lives in the classical world but many of his personality traits and beliefs are decidedly modern. Due to the trauma incurred by the loss of his wife and child, he rejects religion. To all intents and purposes, Attilius is an atheist who refuses to acknowledge the existence of the gods which every other character takes for granted. Instead of religion, Attilius relies on engineering and science to provide him with guidance in his life. He substitutes science for religion, a modern ethos which feels anachronistic in a classical world. Attilius's modern sensibilities distinguish him from the other characters and form the foundation of his success. His refusal to accept religious or superstitious explanations for strange occurrences in the world helps him to uncover the problems in the water supply and to predict the imminent eruption of the volcano. As a modern man, Attilius's perspective makes him unique in the classical world and elevates him above the corrupt and delusional population.

Attilius is not alone in his modern sensibilities. Corelia is similarly discordant, attempting to assert her agency despite the patriarchal nature of a society which marginalizes her gender. The society portrayed in Pompeii is inherently patriarchal. Men occupy every position of power and women are relegated to the role of housekeeper or wife. Other than slaves and prostitutes, women are rarely permitted to have jobs or vocations. Ampliatus loves his daughter, but he uses Corelia as a pawn in his corrupt games, promising to marry her to Popidius for his own personal gain, even though she loathes the old magistrate.

Corelia rebels against her father, against his corruption, and against the patriarchal society which marginalizes women such as her. After trying to save the life of a slave by recruiting Attilius, she then steals the documents which prove her father's corruption and tries to share them with the world. Her feminist act of rebellion is a modern expression of a desire for equality, but it clashes with the values of the classical world. As Attilius explains to Corelia, justice remains out of her reach: The corrupt, patriarchal society will inherently side with her father. The institutions of the patriarchy are too powerful to be challenged by an individual. Corelia does not succeed in her quest for justice, but her sensibilities remain modern and unite her with Attilius. Together, they are a modern challenge to the classical world as portrayed in the novel.

Pliny plays a unique role in relation to the theme of modern attitudes in a classical world. As a real-life figure, he is a representative of the classical world. His works and his reputation have endured in the centuries since his death. The character of Pliny as portrayed in the novel, however, is a modern creation. Pliny is an example of modern attitudes projected onto a classical figure; his earnest scientific rigor and his respect for Attilius are fictional inventions, blending together the known facts about Pliny while having him interact with Attilius, a representative of modern attitudes. Pliny's respect for Attilius is a merger between the modern and the classical, suggesting that respect for the sciences may transcend time periods. By including an authentic historical figure and imbuing him with a respect for the modern man, the novel is able to reach out across the chronological and ideological divides between the modern and classical worlds. As such, Pliny is the synthesis of the classical thesis and the modern antithesis: He is the bridge between two worlds.