The Story Of The Lost City Of Pompeii

By | November 26, 2019

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John Martin's painting The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Source: (Wikimedia Commons).

In the south of Italy near the Bay of Naples there stood a city that went extinct but at that moment became immortal to history. The Roman city of Pompeii is a wonder of archaeology where new discoveries are occurring even after centuries of excavation.  

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Mount Vesuvius as seen from Pompeii. Source: (Wikimedia Commons)

Pompeii was a Roman city with a long history. Archaeologist believe that the site was inhabited as early as the 10th century B.C. Pompeii grew steadily as a focal point for the agricultural lands enriched by volcanic soils of Mount Vesuvius a few miles to the north. It was well-located on the Sarno River next to the sea. The town grew to be a mixture of Greek, Etruscan, and Samnites. These people were eventually granted Roman citizenship as the colony of Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompeianorum in 80 B.C. Latin became the official language, replacing the native Oscan, the tongue of the Samnites.