POMPEII 



4749 



POMPEII 



Herculaneum, it lay on the southern side of the 

 great volcano, a prosperous city of 20,000 peo- 

 ple. Founded in the sixth century B.C., it had 

 become a Roman colony 159 years before the 

 tragedy which ended its history. Wealthy Ro- 

 man families had erected beautiful villas in its 

 suburbs, and it was a favorite resort of the 

 upper classes. 



For over fifteen centuries after the eruption, 

 the site of the buried cities was unknown. 

 Pompeii lay at the mouth of the River Sarnus, 



there were showers of wet ashes and cinders, 

 which, on drying, thoroughly sealed up the 

 place. Its buildings have thus been brought 

 to light in a remarkable state of preservation. 

 The city was built in the form of an oval about 

 two miles in circumference, and was surrounded 

 by a wall pierced by eight gates. The streets, 

 which regularly cross at right angles, are paved 

 with blocks of basaltic lava, in which may be 

 seen the ruts made by the wheels that passed 

 over those thoroughfares so many centuries 



THE ni'RiED CITY RESTORED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF MAN 



near the Bay of Naples, but the great i 



nged the geography of the region turn- 



r back from its course and 



the sea beach that men had no way of dis- 



D| the site. In fact, for a long time its 



i me was almost forgotten. Then, by a 



happy accident, interest in the buried cities was 



: In 1748 a peasant who was sinking .1 



will m that locality found some statues and 



ami this led to extent 

 TIS in the region. The excavations are 

 now carried on according to a systematic plan, 

 and for this purpose appropriations arc mad* 

 Italian government. About half of the 

 is now been unearthed. 



1 under lava to a depth of 

 or more. In addition to the lava 



ago. In the center of the place is the open 

 square or forum, typical of Roman cities; 

 around it are grouped many important build- 

 ings the ancient Temple of Jupiter, itself a 

 ruin at the time of the eruption, the Basilica, 

 temples and theater.-. The unearthed pi: 

 homes afford an interesting iv\ elation of the 

 social customs of the p< n<>d. Not many valu- 

 ables have been discovered, as it is supposed the 

 fugitive* from the city carried tlu.-e away with 

 them. Near Boscoreale, a costly silver table 

 service was found at the bottom of a well, ami 

 other domestic treasures will doubtless be dis- 

 covered as excavations continue in the region. 

 Most of t !,le objects have been placed 



in the National Museum .r as have 



those' : ' ineum ( which- H.W< 



