Unveiling the Secrets of Pompeii

The History and Destruction of Pompeii

• Pompeii was destroyed in 79 CE by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which covered it in at least 19 feet of ash and other volcanic debris.
• Pompeii was preserved for centuries before its ruins were discovered in the late 16th century, marking the start of modern archaeology.
• The archaeological sites at and around Pompeii provide unique information about social, economic, religious, and political life in the ancient world.
• The eruption of Mount Vesuvius began on August 24, 79 CE, and destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, Torre Annunziata, and other nearby communities.
• Pompeii was located in what is now the Campania region of Italy, southeast of Naples, and supported between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants at the time of its destruction.
• The remains of Pompeii include city walls that are 2 miles in circumference and enclose an area of about 163 acres, as well as public buildings, private homes, and other structures.
• Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
• Pompeii was settled by Oscan-speaking descendants of the Neolithic inhabitants of Campania, and came under the influence of Greek and Etruscan cultures before becoming a Roman ally.
• Pompeii was not completely subjugated and Romanized until the time of the Social War, when it joined the Italians in their revolt against Rome and was punished with a colony of Roman veterans.
• A riot in the amphitheatre at Pompeii between the Pompeians and the Nucerians is reported by the Roman historian Tacitus, as is an earthquake in 62 CE that did great damage to the city.
• Pliny the Younger's vivid eyewitness report of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, preserved in two letters to the historian Tacitus, describes the destruction of Pompeii and the death of Pliny the Elder.
• Pompeii was buried under a layer of pumice stones and ash 19 to 23 feet deep, which protected it for the next 17 centuries from vandalism, looting, and the destructive effects of climate and weather.

The History and Destruction of Pompeii

• Pompeii was destroyed in 79 CE by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which covered it in at least 19 feet of ash and other volcanic debris.
• Pompeii was preserved for centuries before its ruins were discovered in the late 16th century, marking the start of modern archaeology.
• The archaeological sites at and around Pompeii provide unique information about social, economic, religious, and political life in the ancient world.
• The eruption of Mount Vesuvius began on August 24, 79 CE, and destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, Torre Annunziata, and other nearby communities.
• Pompeii was located in what is now the Campania region of Italy, southeast of Naples, and supported between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants at the time of its destruction.
• The remains of Pompeii include city walls that are 2 miles in circumference and enclose an area of about 163 acres, as well as public buildings, private homes, and other structures.
• Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
• Pompeii was settled by Oscan-speaking descendants of the Neolithic inhabitants of Campania, and came under the influence of Greek and Etruscan cultures before becoming a Roman ally.
• Pompeii was not completely subjugated and Romanized until the time of the Social War, when it joined the Italians in their revolt against Rome and was punished with a colony of Roman veterans.
• A riot in the amphitheatre at Pompeii between the Pompeians and the Nucerians is reported by the Roman historian Tacitus, as is an earthquake in 62 CE that did great damage to the city.
• Pliny the Younger's vivid eyewitness report of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, preserved in two letters to the historian Tacitus, describes the destruction of Pompeii and the death of Pliny the Elder.
• Pompeii was buried under a layer of pumice stones and ash 19 to 23 feet deep, which protected it for the next 17 centuries from vandalism, looting, and the destructive effects of climate and weather.