The Founding of Pompeii

The story of the foundation of Pompeii does not begin with the first person to set foot upon its soil, but rather with a prehistoric eruption. A tongue of larva from the ancient eruption of Mt Vesuvius stopped at the mouth of the Sarno River (Leppman, 16).  This lava cooled to form a knoll with a wide view of both land and sea (16).

The strategic position of Pompeii made it an ideal place to settle.  Indeed, scholars have written of Pompeii as if it was a Garden of Eden. Although these accounts are grossly exaggerated, it is evident that Pompeii was a nice place to live.  This can be ascertained from the fact that many Roman elite, such as Cicero, sought respite from their daily lives at their villas in Pompeii (Wallace, 129).

It is believed that Pompeii was endowed with many natural resources to offer those that first settled its land.  Leppman writes that the sea "teemed" with fish and the woods of Pompeii were "full of game" (16).  While this account does seem to be exaggerated, it is likely that Pompeii would have been a very rich land agriculturally.  The climate and volcanic soil made Pompeii very fertile.  Indeed, there are accounts of the cultivation of grapes, apples, pears, figs, almonds, melons, cherries, cabbage, and much more flourishing in Pompeii.

Perhaps the most advantageous aspect of the location upon which Pompeii was situated, however, was its militarily strategic position. Situated upon this larva knoll, Pompeiiís soldiers would have been able to see enemies coming from any direction (Leppman, 16).  This location would later serve as an economic advantage as well. Pompeii, in fact, was situated upon the trade route leading to Salerno and going down to Reggio Calabria (16).  Pompeiiís ideal location would help it establish itself as a trans-shipment port for Phoenician and Greek traders that sought to export the produce of Campania (16).

These numerous resources combined to make Pompeii an ideal place to live.  Ironically, Mt Vesuvius, which provided Pompeiiís resources through its eruption millions of year ago, would later come to destroy the very same resources it had created.