On a plateau overlooking the Sarnus River sits the remains of one of the the most extraordinary artifacts of the Roman world - the ancient city of Pompeii preserved by the tragic events of the 24th of August, 79 AD.

Pompeii was first occupied in the 8th century BC by the Osci, a people of central Italy, near the mouth of the Sarno River, already in use as a safe port by Greek and Phoenician sailors.

The Etruscans arrived in Campania in the 7th century and immediately challenged the Greek influence in the region. Their influence remained strong until they too were ousted by the Saminites who in turn were defeated by the Romans in 310 BCE. At that time, Pompeii became a part of the emerging Roman state.

Pompeii took part in the war that the towns of Campania initiated against Rome, but in 89 BC it was besieged by Sulla. Although troops of the Social League, headed by Lucius Cluentius, helped in resisting the Romans, in 80 BC Pompeii was forced to surrender after the conquest of Nola. It became a Roman colony with the name of Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompeianorum. The town became an important passage for goods that arrived by sea and had to be sent toward Rome or Southern Italy along the nearby Appian Way.

But it was the events on that fateful day in August of 79 AD that made Pompeii truly eternal. On that day, Vesuvius erupted which resulted in its destruction. Pompeii remained buried under a layer of pumice and ash 19 to 23 feet deep until it was rediscovered in the 16th century by architect Domenico Fontana. The city's sudden burial served to protect it from vandalism, looting and the destructive effects of weather. This event had a silver lining - The remarkable preservations of the commercial buildings, the homes, the art, the architecture and even the people themselves, present the modern world with an unprecedented and unparallelled look at the details of life in an ancient Roman town.

Today the streets are once again alive, crowded and full of strangers speaking a multitude of languages from all over the world, but now those bustling and hurrying through the streets are tourists, many of whom are here only for the day. But if you stand still and close your eyes, the scene changes and those voices become the sounds of a servant girl on her way to a nearby fountain to fill her hydria with drinking water or a cliens about to knock on his patron's door or a group of enterprising young men in a heated debate on the upcoming elections or an innkeeper complaining that his business is not doing too well.

These pictures are virtual domus atrium designs based on the Casa delle Nozze d'Argento in Pompeii, made by Caius Fabius

Senex Caecilius wishes to share several links to external sites you may be interested in..

Stabiae.org - A great site about the excavation and restoration of the town called Stabiae, one of Pompeii's neighbors, being done by the University of Maryland.

Herculaneum - This site covering the less famous Mt. Vesuvius eruption victim is one of the best, most indepth internet sites devoted to Roman history you'll find. Give it a good browsing!