Pompeii Introduction Walk II (Self Guided), Pompei

Frozen at the moment it was buried under the thick blanket of ash and pumice, the city of Pompeii (now excavated) remains a unique window into the past, offering a snapshot of everyday life back in the 1st century AD Roman Empire. Aside from causing quick and unexpected death to the city, the huge eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD did have one positive outcome – it preserved everything (properties, people, animals, objects and streets) in its original place.

Long before the tragedy, Pompeii had enjoyed eventful and prosperous history, imprinted in its architecture. Following the Greeks who brought into the region the Apollo cult, the Etruscans, who settled here in 524 BC, created some of Pompeii's oldest sanctuaries, like the Temple of Apollo.

As a Roman colony, the area around the city became very prosperous for its desirability to live in and grow crops. Multiple farms and villas were built nearby, many of which have been excavated, including the Villa of the Mysteries and the Villa of Diomedes.

Between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, Pompeii became an important commercial hub and enriched itself with numerous buildings of high architectural quality, such as the Forum, the Temple of Jupiter (main temple of the city built in 150 BC, possibly on the site of an earlier Etruscan shrine), the Basilica (built in 120-78 BC), and others. Under emperor Augustus, from about 30 BC, a major expansion in new public buildings saw the arrival of the Forum Baths, the Temple of Fortuna Augusto, the Eumachia Building (guild-house of clothiers, weavers and dyers), and the Macellum (indoor food market).

The inhabitants of Pompeii had long been used to minor earthquakes. On 5 February 62 AD, a severe earthquake caused considerable damage to the city. Certain buildings, like the Central Baths, were laid down immediately afterwards with an aim to enhance the city with new developments.

Presently, alongside the ancient structures in Pompeii, you can see some relatively new ones, like the Antiquarium of Pompeii, built between 1873 and 1874, as an exhibition venue for archaeological findings to preserve the memories of Pompeii and its citizens.

Two millennia on, the secrets of Pompeii have yet to be revealed fully. Perhaps, it is owing to this fact alone that, for the past 250 years, this place has been a popular tourist destination. If you wish to touch the preserved walls of this once thriving Roman city set against the backdrop of Mount Vesuvius, take this self-guided introductory tour part 2.