In the Shadow of Vesuvius

A view of the Forum with Vesuvius looming in the background

Pompeii was founded about 600 BC, and sat at the foot of Vesuvius, a volcano. At the west is the Bay of Naples and south are the mountains that one can find the town of Sorrento. It is a very beautiful setting, and life would have been very pleasant, with rich fertile soils and abundant seafood in the bay.

In AD 79 the city held about 22,000 people. It was at this stage that Vesuvius erupted, destroying both Pompeii and Herculaneum (another town close by). All but 2,000 managed to escape before the volcano erupted. Those that remained were incinerated in hot gases and ash. A layer of about 3 m of ash fell on Pompeii, burying it and sealing it for almost 2,000 years.

Our Guide in the Forum

It is amazing how much of the city was preserved. Mostly, only the roofs of the buildings had been destroyed by the weight of ash and pumice. The archaeological site is vast, with h hundreds of houses, bars and restaurants, temples, ampitheatres all being recovered.

The Temple of Diana and Apollo

Many temples have been recovered, some with the original bronze statues of their gods. The one above was to the two gods, Apollo and Diana.

Stepping Stones and Roads

An intricate pattern of roads can be found, formed from basalt from earlier eruptions of the volcano. Drainage was not good in Pompeii, so stepping stones existed on roads to allow people to avoid the water welling in the roads. The stones are small enough for chariot and cart wheels to pass either side. Notice in the above photograph that the wheel marks can be seen grooved into the stones making the road. I guess several hundred years of wear will do that.

One Way Sign

Also, the people of Pompeii had road signs. The above depicting a one-way road - for traffic to proceed in the direction of the donkey.

Restaurant and Bar

Many bars and restaurants have been uncovered. The above shows the wells for water and wine used by locals. Out the back would be room for food and a place to sit.

Casa del la Fontana

Several houses of the well-to-do have been found, containing courtyards and many rooms, with frescoes and mosaics. The colours of the frescoes are as vibrant as the day they were painted. The one above depicts a scene of the Bay of Naples and also has a fountain with a mosaic motif.

An elaborate mosaic

A saucy fresco

A town the size of Pompeii naturally had many bars and restaurants, bakeries and other shops. It also had a brothel, and the above fresco is a saucy picture used to decorate the establishment.

One of the Victims

Approximately 2,000 people were killed by the eruption. Many of their bodies left casts by the ash and have since been poured with plaster and images made. They show what a terrorising event it must have been, with people huddled in corners trying to escape the suffocating gases and hot ash.

Vesuvius erupted without significant consequence in 1944. About 3 million people live around Vesuvius today - it is the most dense crowding of people around a volcano for anywhere in the world today.