However, Pompeii wasn’t the only Ancient Roman town to be preserved by Mount Vesuvius’s eruption.
Halfway between Naples and Pompeii lies the smaller, wealthier town ofHerculaneum, which followed a slightly different fate.
Before the eruption, the towns surrounding the base of Mount Vesuvius were thrivingRoman settlements.
A restored version of John Martin’s painting, “The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum,” 1822 (Photo:Wikimedia Commons)
By contrast, its sister city Herculaneum was less a place of commerce and more a place of leisure.
Some bewailed their own fate.
Others prayed to die.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom javarman/Shutterstock
Pompeii and its inhabitants were immediately pummeled by debris.
For the first time, people saw entire buildings, everyday objects, and frescoes from ancient Roman times.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom JethroT/Shutterstock
The black cloud represents the general distribution of ash and cinder to the affected cities near Mount Vesuvius (Photo:Wikimedia Commons)
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Sergei Afanasev/Shutterstock
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Nicola Pulham/Shutterstock
