Pompeii Virtual Tour

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The fate of Pompeii and many of its citizens was appalling - they were pelted with a hail of blistering rocks and suffocated by a blanket of hot ash and poison gas. It happened on a beautiful summer day, August 29, 79 CE. To hide in a corner or go back for the family jewels meant a horrible death. Many people did escape, only to turn back and see their homes disappear in the inferno.

Pompeii was just as appealing in ancient times as it is to travelers to this day. It was favored with fertile land and a good port. It became a prosperous town with growing wealth from agriculture and maritime trade. Wealthy Romans built impressive villas here because within a few hours they could escape the crowding and noise of the great city, and, in the summer, find fresh air and heat-relief. Along-side the opulent homes of the wealthy were the luxurious residences of the city’s middle class--merchants and businessmen who shared in the rewards of the growing economy.

We know so much about this city because the ash that blanketed it and froze it in time within a few hours, remarkably preserved its buildings and the contents of private houses, stores and workshops. In some instances, plates were still on the table and bread was still in the ovens.

It is easy to imagine Pompeii as a living city because it was suspended in a moment of time by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Wagon wheel ruts in the street remind us of how busy they once were with traffic. A worn depression on a stone fountain shows where thousands of ancient Pompeiians pause to sip water.

Perhaps it’s when we enter a private home that time seems to reverse, and we are transported to the ancient Roman past, for here we re-enact the footsteps of an ancient visitor. We enter through a vestibule and passageway into the atrium, an open courtyard with surrounding roof, slanted for rainwater to fall into the central pool or impluvium. Around this form of natural light and ventilation were the small rooms or cubicula. Living quarters for the members of the family. Beyond this, further into the house, was the inner peristyle gardern and the dining room. At the back of the house were the kitchens, storehouses and latrine.

All around you, Pompeii echoes with the traces of a city and its people. Their cooking pots, wine jars, stepping stones and plumbing pipes are vivid reminders of a vital, thriving community that died within hours.

Go to Pompeii Practice.