Pompeii facts for kids

Ruins of Pompeii from above, with Vesuvius in the background (seen from a drone)

The black mark respresents ash to show how much of Pompeii was covered

Pompeii was a Roman city. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On 24 August, 79 AD, a volcano called Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city and its people, killing 2,000 of them.

Pompeii is now considered one of the world's most important historical sites because of the way the volcanic ash preserved the city and its people. This gives historians and archaeologists a vivid picture of life in the Roman Empire around 2,000 years ago.

Archaeologists have found graffiti written by the people who lived in the town.

People often wrote on walls, and archaeologists have been able to read some of what they wrote. Pompeii is an interesting attraction for tourists from around the world and is visited by 2.5 million people every year.

History

The town was started around the year 600 BC. It was started by a group of people from central Italy, the Osci. They chose to start it in this location because it was already an important location for trade by both land and sea. By the 5th century BC, Pompeii had become part of Rome. While under Roman control, Pompeii was improved a lot. The Romans built Aqueducts, and these were used to provide the citizens with water.

Before the eruption, Pompeii was a beautiful and wealthy city. At the time of the eruption, the town may have had about 11,000 people living there. It was in an area where Romans had holiday villas. Modern professor William Abbott said, "At the time of the eruption, Pompeii had reached its high point in society as many Romans frequently visited Pompeii on vacations."

Witnesses

Pliny The Younger was a witness to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He sent letters to a friend describing the eruption. For he was much too scared to go any closer, he stayed where he was. He was quite a distance from the sight, but close enough to see the eruption clearly.

Related pages

• Herculaneum

Images for kids

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  Ruins of Pompeii from above, with Vesuvius in the background

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  The Temple of Jupiter with Vesuvius in the distance

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  Pompeii, Italy. Pompeii - Forum and Vesuvius. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection

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  Illustrated reconstruction, from a CyArk/University of Ferrara research partnership, of how the Temple of Apollo may have looked before Mt. Vesuvius erupted

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  The same location today.

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  A Map of Pompeii, featuring the main roads, the Cardo Maximus is in Red and the Decumani Maximi are in green and dark blue. The southwest corner features the main forum and is the oldest part of the town.

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  The main Forum in Pompeii

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  The Forum with Vesuvius in the distance

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  Amphitheatre of Pompeii

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  Portrait of Terentius Neo with his wife found on the wall of a Pompeii house. (Portrait of Paquius Proculo)

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  Beginning in 1757, the eight volumes of Le Antichità di Ercolano brought knowledge of Pompeii and Herculaneum to the fore.

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  Roman fresco Villa dei Misteri

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  A paved street. Pedestrians used the blocks in the road to cross the street without having to step onto the road, which doubled up as Pompeii's drainage and sewage disposal system. The spaces between the blocks let vehicles pass along the road.

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  The House of the Faun.

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  Fencing in the temple of Venus prevents vandalism of the site, as well as theft.