History of the Ruins of Pompeii | The Fall and Rise of the Ancient City

Early History

740 BC/8th century BC

The Greeks in Campania arrived in 740 BC putting Pompeii on the map of the Hellenic people. The Doric Temple, now known as the Triangular Forum, was the most significant building then. In the 6th century BC, the community was surrounded by an impressive tufa city wall indicating that its residents were wealthy, perhaps that to the flourishing Maritime trade. The Etruscans also settled the surrounding areas and began to control the military, and 

Pompeii soon became a part of the Etruscan League of Cities. The community is known to have built the Temple of Apollo along with a primitive forum and several houses. However, their reign was short-lived because the Greek city of Cumae, along with Syracuse, gained control of the region by defeating the Etruscans in the Battle of Cumae in 474 BC.

The Samnite Period

450 BC – 2nd century BC

This period in Pompeii’s history saw most areas of the city getting abandoned. The Samnites took over Greek Cumae and eventually introduced new architecture. The Samnite Wars (343 BC – 341 BC) saw the entry of Romans into Campania, making Pompeii part of the Roman orbit despite being ruled by the Samnites. It remained faithful to the Romans during the third Samnite War, the Second Punic War, the conquest of the East, and the war against Pyrrhus after which it was forced to accept the status of the socii of Rome. 

The city continued to flourish despite political uncertainty and the migration of the wealthy due to intensive agriculture and the production and trade of oil and wine. Important buildings like The Forum, the Temple of Jupiter, The Large Theatre, the Basilica, the Stabian Baths, and more were built during this period.

The Roman Period

89 BC – 59 AD

This was the time when Pompeii was one of the Campanian towns to rebel against Rome in the Social Wars. However, Sulla conquered the city in 89 BC leaving Pompeii with no choice but to surrender following the conquest of Nola. The city was declared a Roman colony and its residents were granted citizenship. With the main language becoming Latin, many aristocrats Latinized their names as a sign of support and assimilation.

The Roman period saw the construction of several farms and villages that have now been excavated, including Villa of the Mysteries and Villa of Diomedes. Pompeii became a passage for goods. Many structures were renovated and new buildings were constructed like the Forum Baths, the Amphitheatre of Pompeii, and the Odeon, which established the city as a cultural center. However, a riot in 59 AD forced the authorities to ban all events at the amphitheater for a decade.

Mount Vesuvius Awakes

62 AD – 79 AD

Before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, a powerful earthquake ravaged Pompeii, Herculaneum, and a few other towns of Campania causing massive destruction around the Bay of Naples. Following the major earthquake, tremors continued and people got accustomed to them. No one recognized the warning signs because earthquakes weren’t uncommon in Campania. 

Frequent minor earthquakes were felt as early as four days before the volcanic eruption. The damage caused in 62 AD had not been completely repaired when Mount Vesuvius erupted. About 600 sheep died in Pompeii due to polluted air, which suggested that the earthquake might have been caused due to new activity in Mount Vesuvius.

Conservation Projects

A site as expansive and historic as Pompeii needed to be preserved for which several conservation projects were undertaken. These projects aimed at minimizing the natural and man-made forces that were destroying it. Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompeii, the administrative body responsible for the conservation of the site controls all the funding and initiates projects to prevent further theft, manage tourists, restore frescoes and sculptures and other artifacts, reconstruct buildings, remove plants, etc. using modern technology.

A moratorium on excavations was declared in 1999 and it was decided that the funds would be used to preserve the Pompeii ruins to prevent further deterioration instead of excavating further. All houses were marked according to regions for proper identification. The bodies of the deceased were converted into casts. Iconic structures like the Forum, the Amphitheater, and the villas were restored to avoid further destruction and deterioration.

Problems with Conservation

The Pompeii ruins were well-preserved for over 2,000 years since being buried under layers of volcanic ash, which prevented deterioration. However, after the excavations took place, all the objects and monuments were exposed to light, moisture, erosion, weathering, water damage, plants, animals, and other climatic changes as well as vandalism, tourism, theft, and war – all of which have caused damage to the historic site and created hurdles for archaeologists trying to preserve and conserve the ruins.

In 2010, the House of the Gladiators collapsed due to heavy rainfall and lack of proper drainage. Various bouts of unsystematic excavations also caused damage to several valuable objects, artifacts, and antiques. For example, a collection of bronze letters fixed on a wall were discovered. But they were retrieved in a disorganized manner without recording the original placement due to which it lost its historical meaning and significance.

Several such incidents have resulted in archaeologists worrying about conservation efforts. Even though the site receives funding for the same, Pompeii is so vast and expansive and has so many issues to solve that the funds seem inadequate leading to slow deterioration of the ruins.