Situated on a small
hill some five miles southeast of the volcanic Mount
Vesuvius, Pompeii was totally destroyed in AD 79 by a massive
eruption of the
volcano. A description of the events is given by Pliny the Younger, who was visiting his uncle's
home at the time. The site of the city, as well as that of the nearby town Herculaneum, also destroyed, were forgotten by the time of the
Middle Ages, but later rediscovered in 1748. Since then, there has been continuous
excavation and about four-fifths of Pompeii has been uncovered.
The city lay at the mouth of the River Sarnus and was the gateway to Campania. According to the Greek historian Strabo, it was occupied successively by Oscans, Etruscans, Pelasgians, Samnites and Romans, although from about the mid-sixth century BC, the main influences were Greek.
In the second century BC, the main forum was made into a dignified civic center. Nearby were a gymnasium and a large open-air theater. The city was affluent, and increasing numbers of Hellenistic-style buildings, such as the public baths, were constructed. The cult of Isis was introduced, and the style of the houses clearly shows the strong Hellenistic influence, both in the wall paintings and in design, where a Greek peristyle is often found added to the Roman atrium, or internal court. Unlike the wealthy who had beautifully decorated houses and gardens, the poor lived in their shops or in tiny apartments.
The numerous mosaics, often copies of great paintings such as that of the Battle of Issus between Darius III and Alexander, artifacts and paintings give a picture of the luxurious domestic lives of these people. The forum was also a flourishing industrial center, and cloth-making and fulling were major activities. There is also evidence that various crafts flourished, and many different shops (called tabernae) opened directly onto the streets.