Lovecraft's Roman Dream

The story begins with a letter written by H.P. Lovecraft to his friend Melmoth, describing a vivid Roman dream that he experienced. The dream transports him to the late Roman Republic, specifically to the town of Pompelo in Hispania Citerior.

A Dream of Roman Pompelo

In his dream, Lovecraft assumes the role of a provincial quæstor named L. Cælius Rufus, called to Pompelo by the proconsul, P. Scribonius Libo.

• The town is gripped by fear due to a series of disappearances and rumors of strange rituals practiced by the "very old folk" who dwell in the nearby mountains.
• These ancient people are described as possessing a dark, otherworldly presence, speaking a language unknown to even the Vascones, the local tribesmen.
• The villagers are terrified of the upcoming Sabbath, the night before the Kalends of November, when the very old folk are said to hold their most terrifying ceremonies.

The Proconsul's Decision

The proconsul, despite initial skepticism, is convinced by Lovecraft's knowledge of ancient lore that the threat posed by the very old folk is real.

• He orders the fifth cohort of the XIIth legion, under the military tribune Sex. Asellius, to investigate and stop the Sabbath rituals.
• Lovecraft, due to his expertise, is appointed as a centurion and joins the cohort in their mission.

A Journey into the Unknown

The cohort, accompanied by the proconsul and Lovecraft, sets out into the mountains, guided by a young man named Vercellius.

• As they ascend the hills, the air grows colder, and a strange drumming sound echoes from the peaks above, signifying the ongoing Sabbath rituals.
• The atmosphere is thick with dread, and the torches they carry cast grotesque shadows that seem to dance with a life of their own.

The Terror of the Hills

The journey is fraught with unsettling occurrences, culminating in the terrifying screams of their tethered horses and the sudden death of their guide, Vercellius, who commits suicide in a fit of terror.

• The torches begin to fade, and the stars in the sky vanish as if blotted out by an unseen force.
• The darkness is broken only by the flames of the hellish altar-fires on the peaks, revealing colossal, monstrous forms that dance in the shadows.
• The drumming intensifies, and a chilling, sentient wind sweeps down from the mountains, enveloping the cohort in a horrifying embrace.

The Dream's Conclusion

Lovecraft wakes from his terrifying dream, filled with a sense of unease and lingering fear.

• The dream's vividness is unsettling, and the fate of the cohort remains unknown, although the town of Pompelo, or Pompelona as it is known today, is said to have survived.
• Lovecraft's dream serves as a powerful reminder of the ancient rituals, the horror that lurks in the shadows, and the timeless power of the unknown.

Lovecraftian Horror and the Ancient World

The story reflects Lovecraft's fascination with the darker aspects of history, particularly the ancient world and its hidden, often horrifying, secrets.

• The very old folk represent the kind of ancient, nameless evil that Lovecraft often explored in his fiction, entities that predate humanity and embody the ultimate horror of the unknown.
• The dream serves as a vessel for Lovecraft to explore the themes of ritual, horror, and the power of ancient forces, culminating in a terrifying confrontation with the unknowable.

The Legacy of Lovecraft's Dream

The story remains a testament to the power of Lovecraft's imagination and his ability to evoke a sense of dread and the uncanny in the reader.

• Even though it is a dream, it embodies the core elements of Lovecraftian horror, from the cosmic horror of the very old folk to the sense of helplessness and inevitability in the face of the unknown.
• The dream serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us that there are forces in the world that are beyond our comprehension, forces that can easily overwhelm and destroy us.