"A fearful black cloud was rent by forked and quivering bursts of flame . . ., darkness fell . . . as if a lamp had been put out in a dark room,"
Eyewitness account of Pliny the Younger.
Pompeii is one of the most famous and tragic cities of antiquity.
On August 24, 79 A.D., Pompeii and the surrounding area vanished under a blanket of volcanic materials when nearby Mt. Vesuvius suddenly erupted. For the next 17 centuries, the city remained lost, forgotten, and amazingly preserved as if sealed in a time capsule.
Rediscovered in the early 1700s, Pompeii has slowly revealed itself again, street by street, building by building, room by room.
No other ancient city has been found so complete and intact, free from centuries of changes and modernizations. The recovered architecture, art and personal belongings provide an unparalleled record of what life was like in the Roman Empire.
Few other ancient sites have offered such stark images of individuals, humble or affluent, caught in their last moments of life. Pompeii’s haunting body casts immortalize those who failed to escape and evoke the human drama of the city’s tragic end.
Pompeii – a busting provincial town
At the time of its destruction, in the first century, Pompeii was a middle-class, provincial Roman town and a prosperous commercial center. About 20,000 people, including all social classes and slaves, lived in Pompeii.
Pompeii’s geographic location contributed in large measure to its thriving economy.
The region’s mild climate and fertile volcanic soils supported a productive agriculture industry. The nearby Bay of Naples produced a variety of fish, crustaceans and mollusks.
Pompeii became an important regional center for processing and selling these products. The city’s stores, markets and workshops thrived.
With easy access to the sea, Pompeii was also a bustling port. Through its harbor local goods were shipped to and exotic products imported from Imperial Rome’s far-flung provinces.
As the agriculture, fishing and shipping industries flourished, many smaller businesses arose to service the growing population and travelers passing through the city.
The town’s flourishing economy led to widespread affluence. Wealthy merchants and entrepreneurs built Pompeii’s fortune along with their own. Public buildings and private residences were richly embellished and filled with sculpture, fountains and beautiful personal possessions.
Most residents enjoyed theatrical and sporting events, frequented thermal baths and participated in the vibrant political life of the city.
For many, life in Pompeii was comfortable and pleasant.
The exhibition A Day in Pompeii showcases the city and its residents as they were before time stopped on that fateful day in 79 A.D. It provides visitors a rare opportunity to learn about this ancient roman town, without leaving the southeast and the Gulf Coast Region.
