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The ruined city of Pompei lies 12 miles southeast of Naples at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, near the Gulf of Naples. It is the finest example of a Roman town and its way of life, exactly because of its sudden and dramatic destruction in 79 AD and the resulting preservation.

Pompei was probably founded well before Christ and became Roman after the Samnite wars (290 BC). By 1C it was a prosperous provincial capital with a population of about 20,000. In AD 63 much of the town was destroyed by a severe earthquake, and rebuilding was still taking place on August 24 in the year 79, when the eruption of Vesuvius covered the whole town, as well as Herculaneum and Stabia, with a layer of ash and pumice stone to a level which has been estimated from 6 feet to as high as 20 feet.

The dramatic eruption did not come entirely by surprise, but certainly the extent of its force and the amount of ash it deposited could never have been imagined. Contrary to popular belief, most of the 20,000 inhabitants escaped to the sea; only about 100 were killed-very likely, in many cases, people who insisted on staying behind in the belief that the "storm" would pass quickly. The way in which they were tragically wrong can be seen graphically in the many plaster casts of bodies that were in effect perfectly preserved by the ash-men, women, and children in poignant poses reflecting their attempts to survive the descent of the ash.

Pompei and the other cities lay under the compacted ash for over 1800 years until bounty hunters began to dig for prizes and then archaeologists began serious (if somewhat clumsy) excavation for insight into the lives of the people. Excavation continues; about 2/3 of Pompei has been uncovered. While the ash was devastating to its citizens, it was actually an effective preservative of much of the culture. Many buildings have been found essentially intact, with furniture and dishes still in place. The bodies of those killed left hollows in the ashes, which archaeologists filled with plaster of Paris, preserving true likenesses of the victims at the moment of death. In fact, frescoes on the walls of homes were better preserved than if they had been exposed to the air for two centuries. As archaeological techniques-and ethics-continue to improve, even more insightful discoveries are expected.

The city was not inhabited again after the destruction of 79. But its bad luck continues. In November 1980 a severe earthquake caused considerable damage to the preserved site. And there are no assurances that Vesuvius has spoken its last.