The History of Pompeii GEOFFREY WEBBER
GEOFFREY WEBBER
Pompeii sits near Mount Vesuvius, a volcano
and villas. The town bustled with tourists
in the vicinity of Naples. The volcano has
and townspeople, and was home to shops,
erupted more than 50 times, but its most
cafes, brothels, bathhouses, and a 20,000-
notorious eruption was in 79 AD, when it
seat arena. On the eve of the Mount Vesuvius
covered Pompeii in a thick layer of ash.
eruption in 79 AD, estimates show around 12,000 people lived in Pompeii.
BEFORE THE ERUPTION
MOUNT VESUVIUS
Settlers from Greece made the town part of the Hellenistic sphere in the 8th century BC. Pompeii
The villagers living around the volcano
was an independent town, until it ended up
had learned to live with their volatile
under Rome’s influence in the 2nd century BC.
surroundings. Even after a huge earthquake struck the region in 63 AD, people still flocked
By the 1st century AD, Pompeii was a
to the region. Pompeii was growing more
prosperous resort full of elegant houses
crowded every year.
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted. The enormous blast sent ashes, pumice, rocks, and hot gases so high into the air that it could be seen for hundreds of miles around. As it cooled, the debris fell towards the earth. Most residents had time to flee, but for those who stayed behind, conditions worsened. As the ash fell, it clogged the air. Then, a pyroclastic surge poured out of the volcano, swallowing Pompeii and its residents in its path.
By the 1st century AD, Pompeii was a prosperous resort full of elegant houses and villas. The town bustled with tourists and townspeople, and was home to shops, cafes, brothels, bathhouses, and a 20,000-seat arena.
GEOFFREY WEBBER For more information about Pompeii, visit the blog of Geoffrey Webber.