Pompeii City : Short story of Pompei City

Pompeii city was built in the 6^th century BC by the Osci or Oscan, the people who lived in the central Italy. At that time the city was already used as a save harbor for the sailors from Greek and Fenisia (Phoenician) . When the people of Etruska (Etruscans) threat to condemn attack, the Pompeii citizen allied with the Greece to occupy the Gulf Napoli. At the 5^th century BC the Samnium people occupied the gulf and all the cities in Campania. These new rulers for force the local people to apply their architecture and expand the city territory. It is also believed that during the occupancy of the Samnium people, Rome take over the Pompeii city for a while, but this theory has not been proved yet.

Pompeii city took a part of the war starts from the cities of Campania against Rome. However, in year 89 BC the city was surrounded by Sulla. Although the Social League troops lead by Lucius Cluentius help against Rome, in the year 80 BC Pompeii city was force to surrender after Nola has been conquered. Pompeii then turned in to one of Rome colony called “Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompeianorum”. This city is become an important way for the delivery goods through the sea way which is use to deliver goods from Rome or South Italy located along Via Appia near from there.

In year 62, a massive earthquake has destroyed Pompeii and the other cities in Campania. Between year 62 until the huge explosion of Mount Vesuvius in year 79, this city was rebuild even more spectacular in building and arts then before.

The Pompeii citizen ,like those people who live in that area nowadays, has been used to a little quake, but in February, 5^th 62 an earthquake that cause a big destruction in that gulf especially in Pompeii city. Most of those destructions have not been repaired when the volcanic mountain was explode. However, it might be concluded as a tectonic earthquake, not the earthquake caused by the increase of the magma inside the volcano.

Another light earthquake was happen in year 64. This phenomenon was recorded by Suetonis in his biography writing of Nero in the De Vita Caesarum and by Tacitus in Book XV from Annales because it happened when Nero was on the stage for his first show in Napoli. Suetonis wrote that the emperor didn’t bothered by the earthquake and kept singing until the end. Meanwhile, Tacitus wrote that the theater building was totally ruined after the audiences were all evacuated.

Young Plinius the author wrote that the earthquake “was not really scary because it often happens in Campania”.

In the early August 79, the water source and all the wells all dried. The tremble of light earthquakes started to happens frequently in August 20, 79 and become more often in four days after. But the people were not really aware for that warning until the deadly volcanic explosion happened in August 24^th evening. The explosion destroyed the whole area, buried down the Pompeii city and around. Coincidently, the day when the explosion happen is Vulcanalia day, a Romanian God of Fire’s celebration day.

The reliable report from the only survivor witness was recorded by Young Plinius inhis letter to historian Tacitus. From his uncle house in Misenium, around 35km from the volcano, Plinius saw an incredible symptom happened on top of Mount Vesuvius ; a dark huge pine-shaped cloud was occurred from the mouth of the mountain. After a few times, it went down along the slope and covered anything around including the sea.

The cloud which Plinius describe is now known as pyroclastic wave that is extremely hot gas cloud, dusts, and stones which are exploded form the a volcano. Plinius said that some earthquakes were happen during the explosion then followed by a huge tremble. He is also write a record that the dust is fallen in thick layered shape and his village must be evacuated as well.

The thick layered dust was covering two cities which are located near the feet of Mount Vesuvius until it disappeared and forgotten. After that, in 1938 the Herculaneum city was found and Pompeii city was found in 1748. Both cities were digging up from a thick layered dust and release some of buildings and wall paintings that is still exist. Actually, this was once found in 1599 by an architect named Fontana whose dag a new way for River Sarno, but it took more than 150 years later to hold a serious campaign to release the city from ruins.

King Charles VII from two Sisilia was very interesting of the city’s ruins until he was crowned as a Spain King. Giuseppe Fiorelli took over the responsibility of excavation held in 1860. Until now Pompeii and Herculaneum are considered vanished forever. In the next day, Giuseppe Fiorelli is the one who suggest to use a plaster injection technique to an empty room of the crashed body of Mount Vesuvius victim to reshape their body’s surface perfectly.