The History and Destruction of Vesuvius and Pompeii Essay Example

Pompeii was a great city in ancient Rome that was abruptly destroyed when the seemingly harmless and docile Mt. Vesuvius unexpectedly erupted destroying the city of Pompeii and the bordering city of Herculaneum. Before this tragedy struck Pompeii was a very wealthy city and a staple of Roman culture. Located just 10 Kilometers from Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii appeared to be nothing more than a wealthy city with a view of great mountain until its one defining moment in history changed everything. Where you could once find a beacon of life and culture you can now only find deserted buildings and plaster casts of the casualties caused by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. When the ruins of Pompeii were discovered we as a culture were exposed to a world that was still unknown to us. The ash covering Pompeii hid away a world that was once very great and powerful, and when it was discovered a whole knew perspective on the history of Roman culture arose because the city was preserved, and it was a way for historians to see exactly what a Roman city looked like. The fact that it was untouched by man for so many years gave people a greater understanding on what life might of been like during the height of the Roman empire. The city of Pompeii had been around well before the chaos and destruction caused by Mt. Vesuvius. It was first discovered by the Greeks in approximately 650 B.C.E. and was used mostly as a trade city due to its location on the Sarno River. By the year 89 B.C.E. it had become an official city of the Roman Empire and the culture immediately began to take the shape of all of Rome. Due to the cities previous occupations by other nations Pompeii was a very culturally diverse city and you could find countless of different religions and cultures within the city walls (Ellaby 34). Before its destruction at the hands of Vesuvius, Pompeii had become a very popular city to vacation in, and was a place that all of the rich people in Rome went to vacation. One of