Ukulibazisa Kwaba Kukufa!
IINTSAPHO ezintathu, abantu abakhulu abasixhenxe nabantwana abathandathu, bababeleka abasicatyana bezama ukusindisa ubomi babo. Kubonakala ukuba babecukene ndawonye kwindlu yomnye umntu, benethemba lokuba baya kusinda kweso sichotho samatye soyikekayo. Kodwa njengokuba isichotho samatye awayo sanqumamayo, kwavela enye into eyoyikisayo—ilifu elimnyama lothuthu olurhaxayo. Ngoku kwakungekho nto yimbi ababenokuyenza ngaphandle kokubaleka.
Phambili yayiyindoda ethile, mhlawumbi eyayisisicaka, eyayibaleka ityethe ingxowa yezinto ezithile. Yayilandelwa ngamakhwenkwana amabini, enye iphantse ibe neminyaka emine ubudala, enye emihlanu, ebaleka ebambene ngezandla. Abanye babelandela—betyhwatyhwa, benxaphile, behamba bekhubeka, befuna indawo yokuncathama. Babezama ukuphefumla, kodwa kunokuba basezele umoya, babesezela uthuthu olufumileyo. Omnye emva komnye, bonke boli-13 bawa bathi waca nje phantsi de ekugqibeleni bagqunyelelwa lolo thuthu lwalusiwa. Imizimba yabo ebangel’ usizi yayiza kuhlala ifihlakele de abembi bezinto zakudala bayivumbulule phantse kwiminyaka engama-2 000 kamva baze bazame ukufunda imibhalo engacacanga yeenkcukacha ezilusizi zemizuzu yabo yokugqibela.
La maxhoba ali-13 kuphela ngambalwa kwangama-16 000 ekuqikelelwa ukuba atshabalala kwisixeko samandulo sasePompeii, eItali, ngoAgasti 24, 79 C.E. Abaninzi basinda ngokusaba kweso sixeko xa iNtaba iVesuvius yadubula okwesihlandlo sokuqala. Sekunjalo, abo balibazisayo—inkoliso ingabantu abafumileyo abangazange bafune ukushiya amakhaya abo nezinto zabo—bagqunyelelwa ngamatye nothuthu kangangeemitha ezintandathu ngaphantsi.
Okwenzeka ePompeii phantse kwiminyaka engama-2 000 eyadlulayo kusenokuba yimbali yamandulo. Kodwa ngeendlela ezininzi kuyafana neemeko uhlanga lwabantu luphela olujamelena nazo namhlanje. Umqondiso wehlabathi lonke, omkhulu ngakumbi kunezandi zogqabhuko-dubulo zeNtaba iVesuvius, unikela isilumkiso sokuba le nkqubo yehlabathi ikhoyo ijamelene nentshabalalo ekufuphi. Ukuze sisinde, simele sithabath’ amanyathelo ngokukhawuleza. Ukulibazisa kunokuthetha ukufa. Into oyiyo lo mqondiso nendlela esinokusabela kuwo ngobulumko oko kuza kuxutyushwa kwinqaku lethu elilandelayo.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 2]
Cover photo by National Park Service
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 3]
Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei