History is one of man’s best teachers.Through history, people learn from teachings and mistakes of their successors. After all, life is learned through trial and error.The process of human evolution is etched in ruins and pieces our ancestors left behind. Every artifact and broken piece of architecture tells a story about a civilization, a culture, and a way of life.There are many such historical treasures worldwide, preserved for future generations to study and marvel at. Every piece of land on every continent has housed several civilizations. One of the greatest and most powerful civilizations in world history is the Roman civilization. There is evidence of this civilization’s grandeur and power in various cities in the world in the form of archaeological sites. One such city that was grand in its times, that now stands in ruins, is Pompeii, located along the Campania coastline of Italy.If you are a lover of history and wish to learn more, check out our other articles: ancient civilizations facts and ancient Ethiopia facts here on Kidadl.Volcanic Eruption In PompeiiVarious tribes and civilizations inhabited the ancient city of Pompeii from the 8th century BC until its fall in 79 AD. The Campania region, including Pompeii, Herculaneum, and nearby towns, housing Neolithic Oscan-speaking people, came under Greek influence in the 8th century BC. This changed when Etruscan people came into Campania during the 7th century BC and dominated until their fall in a battle with a Syracusan king in 474 BC. Greeks took over once more. In the late 5th century BC, an Italian tribe of people called Samnites started infiltrating Pompeii and its neighboring towns. These infiltrations turned into wars, and Rome favored Pompeii, and thus the city became Rome’s ally. Pompeii completely came under the Roman Empire in 89 BC following a defeat in the revolt against Rome. Since then, the city underwent Romanization. Its culture, architecture, and language all became Roman.The downfall of Pompeii started in 62 AD when Mount Vesuvius began waking up. Mount Vesuvius is a volcanic mountain located a few miles from the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. In 62 AD, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale hit the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. This massive earthquake destroyed much of the city’s architecture and water system and took several thousand lives. Several minor earthquakes followed it over a span of 17 years, when finally, in 79 AD, on August 24th, the volcanic Mount Vesuvius erupted. The volcanic activity started early on August 24th, when the mountain started spewing small clouds of smoke into the air. Residents were unfortunately not educated enough to be alarmed by this foreign behavior of the active volcano. Mount Vesuvius erupted violently hours later at around 1 pm, and volcanic ash and pumice began showering over Pompeii. The sky became dark with the volcanic cloud of ash. The volcanic ash shower started filling the area, blocking paths, and caving in roofs with the ashes’ weight. Many people tried to escape and flee during this time.At around midnight on that day, a surge of pyroclastic material and hot gases washed over the entire city of Pompeii, knocking down buildings and incinerating and suffocating remaining masses to death. A few more waves of surges followed after the first, and effects were felt up to the city of Misenum, located 18 mi (28.96 km) from Pompeii across the Bay of Naples. The rain of volcanic ashes and debris continued for hours, submerging the already drowned city deeper. The city was submerged under nearly 20 ft (6.09 m) of ash and pumice stones. Several other eruptions of Mount Vesuvius over the centuries buried the ancient city of Pompeii and its surrounding area deeper and has even managed to change the area’s landscape by altering the coastline.Clothes Worn In PompeiiPeople of Pompeii lived a leisurely life. They woke up early, went to work, ate three meals a day, socialized for a few hours, and retired to bed early. The favorable climate and rich volcanic soil lead to a prosperous agricultural practice. Grapes and olives were a few of the main crops. The regular diet of Pompeii residents contained fruits, vegetables, bread, olives, cheese, and wine. Rich Romans got to eat exotic meats and a variety of seafood. Clothes worn and housing were also different among rich and poor people.Pompeii was a Roman city. Clothes people of Pompeii wore represented the fashion of ancient Rome. Clothes were commonly made of wool or linen. Some rich families who could afford it wore clothes made of cotton and silk imported from other lands. Clothes people wore also depended on their social ranking and occupation. Men of ancient Pompeii wore togas. A toga is a large piece of garment draped around the body and over one arm and shoulder. Ordinary men wore white togas, upper-class men wore a white toga with a purple border, and high-ranking generals and emperors wore a purple toga with golden embroidery. A black toga is worn during mourning. Another piece of clothing of ancient Roman men was a knee-length tunic held together at the waist by a belt. Women also wore tunics, often accompanied by a long shawl called a palla. Some wealthy Romans of Pompeii adorned jewels of gold with occasional gemstones and pearls.Size Of PompeiiAncient Pompeii was a wealthy town located on the coast of the Bay of Naples. The modern Pompeii has been pushed inside the land due to several landscape changes that occurred because of volcanic eruptions over thousands of years. Ancient Pompeii resided on banks of the river Sarno. Some neighbors of ancient Pompeii are ancient cities of Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Oplontis, which also suffered from the Mount Vesuvius eruption.Pompeii covered an area of 160 to 170 ac (65 to 69 ha). It can also be measured as 0.25 mi (0.40 km), which isn’t all that big compared to the size of modern cities and towns, but it was one of the busiest cities of its time. City walls formed a circumference of 2 mi (3 km) with seven gates allowing entrance into the city from different directions. The city plan for Pompeii is a little compact compared to that of other cities since it was laid out earlier than most other cities. The Roman city stood at different heights from sea level in different parts. There were many elegant houses with Etruscan rooms, ornate gardens, fancy fountains, floor mosaics, and wall paintings. Elaborate villas facing the sea were used as holiday homes by wealthy Romans. These private houses each had unique architecture, furniture, and artwork. Hence, they are considered some of the best traces of history and life left behind. Other prominent architectures in Pompeii were public buildings like the amphitheater, the palaestra (gymnasium) with a pool area, the macellum (market area), the theater area, public baths, and temples of Roman deities Jupiter, Apollo, and Minerva.The population of Pompeii is thought to have been between 10,000 and 12,000 during the time of its downfall. Around 1500 to 2000 BC, human remains were found at the excavation sites of Pompeii, but the total number of people who faced death when Mount Vesuvius erupted is unknown.Rediscovery And ExcavationsIn 79 AD, the commander of the Roman fleet in Misenum, Pliny the Elder, noticed abnormal activities around Mount Vesuvius from across the Bay of Naples and set sail to rescue the masses and to get a closer look at the alien phenomenon. Unfortunately, Pliny the Elder died at the scene in Stabiae. His nephew, 18-year-old Pliny the Younger, recorded the volcanic activity in detail from Misenum. These recordings in his letter to the historian Tacitus were some of the first evidence of the existence and downfall of Pompeii. The then Roman emperor Titus organized a relief effort to aid victims of the volcanic eruption, but no move was made to restore the city. As time passed and more eruptions took place, the city was buried deeper and deeper until it was forgotten.Over centuries, though architects and scholars came across the buried city by accident, no one paid much attention until the 16th century. In 1952, architect Domenico Fontana discovered some ancient walls of Pompeii while digging for an aqueduct, but he kept quiet about it. In the early 18th century, Herculaneum was discovered by workmen digging to build a summer house for the King of Naples, Charles of Bourbon. The discovery of Herculaneum made people interested in digging for more. In mid-18th century, Karl Weber, a Swiss engineer, began a study of the area under the King of Naples, Don Carlos, and the first excavations took place. A few other engineers followed Karl Weber for the next few decades. These diggings were put to a stop when Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli took over in 1863 and started to properly and carefully unearth the buried town.During excavations by Giuseppe, he found voids in ash deposits. He then realized that they were spaces left by decomposed human bodies and started filling these voids with plaster to form plaster casts of Vesuvius victims. Giuseppe Fiorelli also made scientific documentation of the excavations and divided the archaeological site into the present nine regions. He played the most significant part in unearthing Pompeii. Excavations in and around Pompeii are ongoing to this date, and new things are discovered with each expedition.Tourism In Pompeii TodayThe ancient city of Pompeii was popular because of the unfortunate way it was destroyed. It is a great place of interest for history enthusiasts. An interesting fact is that this massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius took place one day after a festival celebrating the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. What an irony!In the year 1997, Pompeii was proclaimed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The ash blanket that engulfed the city has managed to preserve the city over the last 2,000 years. So, today, the once-grand Pompeii looks like a beautiful piece of Roman history standing in ruins. Ash and debris have been cleared, and the historic site resembles a broken but beautiful form of its past self. A few million people visit these ruins each year. The economy of the modern city of Pompeii depends on the tourism and hospitality industry. An Antiquarium built by Fiorelli housing archaeological finds of Pompeii is another interesting place to visit. The modern town of Pompeii, which looks like a typical modern-day town, also has a few tourist attractions like The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, and the bell tower.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ancient Pompeii facts, then take a look at ancient Africa facts or ancient Benin facts.
History is one of man’s best teachers.
